Weekly Topics

The topics listed are addressed through regular lectures, study of references, guest lectures and project work.

Week 1. Introduction

Class introduction and logistics; design as a process, and the variety of ways to approach it; What is science and how it links to design; frame the rest of the semester work.

Course Outline and Objectives • Study Assignments, Quizzes, Project, Grades

Week 2. Process Models

Thinking about processes and models more deeply; discuss ways to categorize them; posit that a good process should lead to a good outcome.

What is a process? • Why design process models? • Pros and cons of models • Formal process models from design science and other disciplines

Categorization

• Three dimensions to position a theory/method/tool supporting the design process:
  • Designer to User; Qualitative to Quantitative; Theory to Practice
• Five attributes for the design process:
  • Social, creative, decision-making, iterative, self-realizing
• Two process perception viewpoints:
  • Processes that help us understand reactions to the (designed) world: Making Value; Preference Elicitation; Evaluation;
  • Validation Processes that help us understand production of the designed world: From Values to Requirements; Creativity; Decision Making; Embodiment; Iteration

Project Deliverable: Initial team formation based on student data sheets

Week 3. Making Value

Design is about making value, i.e., providing benefits. The benefits can be for those for whom we design and for those who do the designing. How do we figure out what the desired benefits are – where someone would find value? What are some processes that enable the surfacing of the design problem, or of desired benefits? What processes can help uncover what will be valuable for someone and why?

Why do we design?

Bug list • The “Why” cascade • User, customer, consumer, society? • Gender, race, nationality, culture, … • Cognitive ethnography • Observing people • The globalization challenge

Who designs? Designer, producer, user, team, crowd, …

Self definition • Self ratings, other ratings • Combining two or more knowledge bases • How to work within a team? • Group collaboration • Bias

Project Deliverable: Final team formation

Week 4. From Values to Requirements

Once values are understood, they have to be translated step by step into the final product (another way to define what it means to “design”). On one side we have the customer or user and the environment they exist within. On the other we have the very detailed depiction of the design. How does one lead to the other?

A cascade of mappings: Values >> Attributes >> Characteristics >> Objectives, Requirements >> Variables • Qualitative analysis • Qualitative to quantitative • Requirements management • Business processes

Project Deliverable: Project Proposal presentation ; Project Proposal Report

Week 5. Creativity

To design means to create something new. How can this process be conceptualized? Is it mechanical? Is it magic? Are there ways to increase the odds of success?

The creative process • Problem representation • Visual thinking • Analogies, idea mapping, brainstorming, heuristics, … • Neuroscience studies • Prototyping

Week 6. Preference Elicitation

Preferences are the (implicit or explicit) ordering of designs subjective to an individual being designed for. This preference ordering is based on the underlying value of the design and design alternatives to the individual. Understanding and capturing these preferences either qualitatively or quantitatively can help designers increase the value of a design.

Human Cognitive Preference Heuristics • Are Preferences Constructed or Latent? • Stated vs. Revealed Preferences • Rationality and Irrationality • Individual vs Group Preferences • Quantitative Preference Models • Eliciting Preferences: Ranking, Rating, Binary Comparison, Choice

Week 7. Decision Making

Design as decision making is a dominant design process model. Decision making is relevant to both the consumer/user and the design team. How are decisions made? How are choices made and preferences formed?

Decision analysis • Design optimization • Decision traps •

Week 8. Decision Making contd. and Project Presentations

Group decision making • Arrow’s impossibility theorem and applicability to design

Project Deliverable: Team presentations on project progress. Class feedback to teams.

Week 9. Spring Break

No Class.

Week 10. Iterations and Reflection

Iteration is a fundamental element in the design process that is frequently stated but overlooked in business process models of designing organizations.

Why we need iterations and “getting it right the first time” • Gantt Charts and the tyranny of time • Reflection as a process element • Design structure matrices • Prototyping

Week 11. Embodiment: Function and Form

A conceptual design must be embodied into a physical entity. Objectives and requirements can typically be evaluated only when a design concept has been embodied. Embodiment involves giving form to the conceptual functionality.

Form and function • Aesthetics • Human factors and Ergonomics • One-of-a-kind and mass production • Universal Design • Materials and manufacturing • Color and texture • Ergonomics • Cognitive ergonomics • Prototyping

Project Deliverable

• Optional: Submit survey for class distribution
• Required: Take surveys (Deadline 2 days after Survey submissions deadline)

Week 12. Evaluation: Functionality

Once a design has been embodied, a working prototype is created, physical and/or virtual. Prototypes may not exhibit fully all aspects of the final product. Would the product work as intended? Does it meet the objectives and constraints? Can there be unintended consequences?

Functionality models, physical and virtual prototypes • Learning through failure • Studying bad designs

Week 13. Validation: Successful Design

The ‘final exam’ for a design both before it is launched and after. Do people use it? Are they willing to pay for it? Are they happy? Does the design make the value posited when the design process started?

Marketing models • Product secrets • Consumer behavior • Research events throughout the product development process • From requirements to values.

Week 14. Project Presentations

Student teams present final project results.

Project Deliverable: Final Project Presentation

Week 15. Reflection and Looking Forward

What have we learned. How to use Design Science research and knowledge to improve the design process.

Project Deliverable: Poster presentation @ DESCI event and Final Project Report (due by last day of class)