Analytical Product Design

Course Description

Summary

The design of artifacts is addressed from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes engineering, art, psychology, marketing, and economics. Using a decision-making framework, emphasis is placed on understanding basic qualitative and quantitative methods employed by the different disciplines for making design decisions, building mathematical models, and accounting for interdisciplinary interactions throughout the design development process.

In common jargon terms, the course blends multidisciplinary engineering design, product design, human-centered design, and product-directed entrepreneurship; it is a course on design thinking grounded on design science.

Students work in teams to apply the methods on a design project starting with exploration and definition of the design problem, and continuing with concept generation and selection, design embodiment, prototyping and design verification. The course is open to all seniors and graduate students.

Prerequisites

Mechanical Engineering seniors must register for ME 455 to satisfy the ME capstone requirement (4 credits) provided they meet all prerequisites for ME 450. Design Science students and all other graduate students must register for DESCI 501 (3 credits). Familiarity with undergraduate mathematics requirements typical in engineering and science programs is expected.

Coursework

Students work in teams on a design project proposed by the team. Project work includes:

• • Definition of design intent. Concept generation. Early prototyping for concept exploration.

  • Development of mathematical models for design decisions from multiple perspectives, including engineering, ergonomic, economic, and marketing. These include analysis models and software for engineering functionality, ergonomics and aesthetics, economics, and marketing.

  • Conduct of scientific surveys for user preference modeling.

  • Embodiment (detailed) design.

  • Prototype construction for verification and validation.

  • A business plan for the proposed product backed up by a detailed technical and financial report.

Some homework and short quizzes are assigned to augment the lectures and to support project work. Grades are based on homework and quizzes, project work, and class participation. Details are determined in class.

The amount of work is similar to that required in ME 450. Prototyping work is done earlier in the semester to allow time for redesign. There is no difference in work load between ME 455 and DESCI 501, although the grading scheme is different.

The class meets twice a week for two hours of regular lecture periods. Attendance is mandatory. Additional work in shops/labs is expected. All students must gain certification to use the ME prototyping shops.

Learning Objectives

• • Gain a complete baseline design experience in developing an artifact from the articulation of the social and business need to an engineered prototype and an associated business plan for realizing the product.

  • Learn how to support design decisions through analysis, and to integrate analytical disciplinary knowledge from technical engineering fields with that from physical and cognitive ergonomics, aesthetics, economics, marketing, and business.

  • Learn the limits of analysis and how to manage the incompleteness of information, emotionally and practically.

  • Learn how to use physical and virtual prototypes to facilitate design thinking and to support design decision making.