Introduction to Design: Guidelines

1)
Chose a product for your design study and complete a Design specification.
Select design factors, these may include: weight, size, cost, human interface, reliability, fixing arrangement, corrosion requirements, safety, quality, life cycle, other resources etc
Look at the factors and decide which are: crucial, non essential and consider if weighting of certain factors is useful.
Use a comparison chart to rate and rank the factors in order. Classify as essential, useful or desirable.

2)
Describe 4 approaches for generating ideas and proposals. These could include: brainstorming, experience, ideas from other products and applications, cause and effect diagrams and check lists.
Apply suitable approaches to the design requirements of the problem in your specificatio from part 1.
Prepare 3 proposals to satisfy the design requirements of your problem. It is important that the proposals are not variations of the same principle but should evolve from the use of techniques to provide ideas and solutions.
For each of the 3 proposals the Design activity should include:
* appropriate drawing/sketches should be produced
* appropriate manufacturing processes are selected and that selection justified.
* material selection is reasoned and justified.
* aesthetics of the product are described and illustrated.
* ergonomics of the product are described.

3)
Evaluate the design proposals generated in part 2.
Consider resources, costs, technology available and the technology capability,
Select the optimum design from the 3 proposals.
Use appropriate comparison selection procedures and justify the selection.

You are invited to add your own selection of product for this design study. Good luck!