298.3.4 - Creative Engineering Lab (CEL)

Minimum Viable Product

Minimum Viable Product/Solution (MVP/MVS)

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a version of a product that has the minimum set of features necessary to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future product development.
- It is a product with just enough features to gather valuable feedback from early adopters, test a product vision and validate a product-market fit.
- MVP can also be referred to as a Minimum Viable Solution (MVS) when it comes to a service or a process.
The MVP is often considered the first step in product design because it allows the development team to validate the product concept and gather feedback from potential customers before investing significant resources into building a full-featured product.
- This approach can help to identify and address potential problems early in the design process, reducing the risk of developing a product that does not meet customer needs.
Additionally, the MVP approach allows for a "fail fast, learn fast" mentality and helps to test the assumptions and hypotheses of the product, and create a product that matches the customer needs and willing to pay for.
- This approach helps to avoid spending time and money on features that customers may not actually want or need, and instead focuses on the core features that are essential to the product's success.
In summary, MVP is a cost-effective and efficient way to validate a product concept, gather feedback and ensure that the product is meeting the customer needs before investing in a full-featured product.
- It is the first step in product design because it allows the development team to test the assumptions and hypotheses of the product, and improve it based on the feedback obtained from early adopters.

Design Iterations & Continuous Improvement

Thomas Edison is famously attributed the quote, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.", in reference to inventing the lightbulb - a initially "three of four month" project that ultimately took him and his team 14 months to create a working product
No matter how experienced or knowledgeable the Engineer, all great designs require Design Iteration (doing something repeatedly, with improvements)
- Nobody designs a perfect product from the get-go, nor should anyone expect to.
- This is why most engineering design processes are cyclical - it is almost guaranteed you will have to go through the same process multiple times in order to create the "best" product
  - But is there ever a "best" or "perfect" product? Absolutely not, and the idea that aligns with this is a Lean Manufacturing principle known as Continuous Improvement
Now, you might think that since you will never design a perfect product the first time, how do you know where to even start?
- The best starting place is what is known as the Minimum Viable Product/Solution...

Revision/Version Control

Revision Control, also known as Version Control, is a system that keeps track of changes made to a set of files over time. It allows multiple people to work on the same files simultaneously, and keeps a record of every change that is made. This makes it easy for users to go back to previous versions of the files, or to see who made a particular change.
In the design process, revision control is important for several reasons:
- Collaboration: It allows multiple team members to work on the same design files at the same time, making it easy to see who made what changes and when. This facilitates the collaboration among the team members, and makes it easier to resolve conflicts when they arise.
- Traceability: Version control systems maintain a history of changes made to the design files, so it is easy to trace any changes made and the person who made them. This is useful for auditing, reviewing, and debugging the design.
- Backup and Recovery: Version control systems keep a copy of each version of the design files, making it easy to go back to a previous version if something goes wrong. This can be helpful in case of human error, or if the design needs to be restored to a previous point in time.
- Compliance: In regulated industries, like aerospace, automotive, medical devices, etc, revision control is essential to ensure compliance with regulations and standards. It's important to be able to track and prove the history of design changes, and that they have been reviewed, approved, and properly implemented.
- Experimentation: Version control also allows for experimentation with different design alternatives and to switch between them easily, by creating branches, this allows for testing different versions of the design and select the best one.
Different industries and organizations may have different standards for properly documenting Revision Control of designs, but some general practices to follow include:
- Use a Consistent Numbering System: It's important to have a consistent numbering system for version control. A common practice is to use a version number in the format of "major.minor.patch" (e.g. 1.0.0, 2.1.3). The major version number is incremented when there are significant changes or new features added to the product, the minor version number is incremented when there are minor changes or bug fixes, and the patch number is incremented when there are only small bug fixes or updates.
- Keep Detailed Release Notes: It's important to keep detailed release notes for each version of the product. The release notes should include a detailed list of changes made in that version, as well as any known issues or limitations.
- Use Branches and Tags: Use branches to create different versions of the product, and tags to mark specific versions. This allows for easy switching between different versions and experimentation with different design alternatives.
- Limit the Number of Branches: Avoid creating too many branches, as it can make it difficult to keep track of changes and merge them. Limit the number of branches to only the most important ones, like "master", "development", "release" branches.
- Use a Version Control System: Use a version control system, like Git, SVN, or Mercurial, to keep track of changes made to the product. These systems allow for easy collaboration, tracking, and rollback of changes.
- Follow Naming Conventions: Use naming conventions for branches and tags, like "v1.0", "v2.0", "release", "feature/...", etc. This will make it easy to identify the different versions of the product.
- Track and Review Changes: Use the version control system to track changes, and ensure that all changes are reviewed and approved before being committed to the repository. This will help to ensure the quality and consistency of the product.
By following these guidelines, you can effectively manage and track changes to your product, ensure consistency and quality, and make it easy to switch between different versions and experiment with different design alternatives.

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