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What is "Design for X"?
What is "Design for X"?
Design for X (DFX) = Designing with a goal/understanding in mind
Design for X (DFX) is a methodology that involves designing a product or system with specific attributes or constraints in mind.
The "X" in DFX can refer to any number of things, such as cost, reliability, or manufacturability.
The goal of DFX is to optimize a product or system for a specific set of requirements or constraints in order to improve its overall performance and value.
Like we said, "X" is a variable, that can change or be replaced by any word/term. There are many "X" terms used/recognized in industry today, but by focusing on the right ones, all the rest will be incorporated:
Design for...
Accessibility
Aesthetics
Assembly/Automation/Automated Assembly (DFA/DFAA)
Ergonomics
Inspection/Testing (DFI/DFT)
Logistics (DFL)
Manufacturing/Manufacturability (DFM)
Additive Manufacturing
Subtractive Manufacturing
Formed/Joined Manufacturing
Process-Specific Manufacturing (Milling, Turning, Injection Molding, etc.)
Safety
Serviceability/Maintainability/Reliability/Reparability
Sustainability (DFS)
Profit/Economy
Planet/Environment
People/Society
Usability/User Interface/User Experience
Why Design for X?
DFX is important because it helps to ensure that a product or system meets the needs of its intended users and that it can be manufactured and maintained efficiently.
Additionally, it helps to identify potential problems early in the design process, allowing them to be addressed before they become costly or time-consuming issues.
When engineering things (typically using CAD), it is critical to not get too caught up in the designing process itself.
Instead, maintain constant awareness of how the design is to be made/used/disposed/other, and make decisions about the design accordingly
This idea is something called Circular Design, but more on that later!
Avoiding "Dumb" Engineering Decisions/Designs
Avoiding "Dumb" Engineering Decisions/Designs
In the video above, there is a segment featuring Elon Musk touring their then-new "Starbase" rocket factory. During the tour, Musk outlines his methodology for avoiding "dumb" engineering decisions/designs, summarized below:
Make your requirements Less Dumb
Your requirements are definitely dumb, regardless of how smart the person was who made them - everyone makes mistakes occasionally
Try very hard to Delete the Part/Process
One of the most common errors of an Engineer is to optimize the thing that should not exist in the first place
If you are not occasionally adding things back in, you are not deleting enough
Simplify or Optimize
Accelerate Cycle Time
Once you have done the first 3 steps, you can now focus on increasing cycle time. Until then, however, do not speed up something that is either overly complicated or shouldn't even exist - if you are digging your grave, don't dig it faster
Automate
The 1-10-100 Rule
The 1-10-100 Rule
The 1-10-100 Rule essentially translates to "S#!T rolls downhill"
The less time you spend optimizing a design for production/sustainability/other, the more time those who interact with it after the design phase have to spend cleaning up your mess, exponentially
Customer-Design Communication
Customer-Design Communication
Communicating with the customer is important in engineering and design because it helps to ensure that the product or system being developed meets the needs and expectations of the end user.
By understanding the customer's needs and requirements, the engineering and design teams can create a product or system that is tailored to meet those needs and is more likely to be successful in the marketplace.
Poor or lack of adequate communication can lead to a number of problems, including:
Misunderstandings about the product or system's requirements, which can lead to delays and rework.
A product or system that does not meet the needs of the customer, which can lead to dissatisfaction and poor sales.
Costly changes or redesigns that are needed after the product or system has already been developed.
Lack of knowledge of customer needs, which can lead to poorly designed product and not meeting the safety or regulatory standards.
Delays in product development and launch, which can result in missed market opportunities.
Therefore, effective communication with the customer throughout the engineering and design process is critical for ensuring a successful outcome and avoiding potential problems.
Salesmanship/Entrepreneurial Mindset (The Pet Rock)
Aside from basic communication about customer design considerations, it can also be extremely important to understand the mindset of your customer from the perspective of a salesman or entrepreneur
There are many examples of high-quality, innovative products being released "before their time" or having greater performance/capabilities than similar competitors, only to be met with lackluster interest from consumers/customers, resulting in the product being consider a failure and "flopping"
The opposite end of the spectrum, there are likely an equal number of products that are neither innovative nor carry significant performance or capability offerings, and yet are highly financially successful
Products that fall into this category are usually considered "fads" or ride on viral trends, and are highly unsustainable
One famous example of how salesmanship can outweigh/outcompete even the best product designs is Gary Dahl's "Pet Rock":
Gary Dahl's Pet Rock is a product that was created and marketed in 1975 by advertising executive Gary Dahl.
It was a seemingly simple product, a smooth, polished rock that came packaged in a small cardboard box with air holes, and included a manual that provided "care and training" instructions for the rock.
Despite the fact that Pet Rock was just a common rock and had no real value to it, Dahl was able to sell over 1.5 million units within six months, due to his clever marketing and salesmanship.
He marketed the Pet Rock as a "low-maintenance pet" that could be taken anywhere and required no feeding or walking.
He also created a fictional history for the rocks, claiming they were a "rare" and "special" type of rock that had been hand-picked from a specific location.
Dahl's success with Pet Rocks illustrates how salesmanship and marketing can be more important than the product design itself.
He was able to create a demand for a product that had no real value by cleverly positioning it and creating a sense of nostalgia and rarity around it.
Pet Rock was not a great product design but it was a great sales and marketing campaign, which made it a successful product.
The initial success of the Pet Rock however quickly passed, as the product became discontinued in February 1976 due to lower sales
3.1✔ CHECKPOINT
3.1✔ CHECKPOINT
SCP Engineering/Customer Analysis
SCP Engineering/Customer Analysis
Analyze the Single-Component Product (SCP) you made in a previous module Challenge:
Determine if any "dumb" engineering design decisions were made
What were they?
How could they have been avoided?
What could you do to fix them now?
What is the cost difference between:
Fixing them in Design (Now)
Fixing them in Development
Fixing them after Production/Product Launch
Identify your (potential) customers:
If you designed the product for yourself, you are a customer!
Fellow classmates
Target demographics (ex: Motorcycle Clubs within WA state)
Determine your customer's values and considerations of the product
If you designed the product for yourself, you are a customer!
Talk among your fellow classmates (at least 2 others) and get specific feedback from them regarding your design, documenting any identified problems / possible improvements (use Discord to talk among students, if you aren't in-class!)
Research & identify similar, commercially-available products, and compare them to your design:
Determine the pros/cons of the similar product(s) in comparison to your, and rate/rank them overall to determine which is "best" in several categories
Once done with your analysis, create a "__________ Analysis" Project page on your portfolio website, and upload documentation of your progress (text/pictures/gifs/videos/etc.), including:
Your Engineering/Customer Analysis
Specific ideas/suggestions for improvement
Descriptions/summaries of what you did/learned
FOR FULL CREDIT ON THIS CHECKPOINT, SUBMIT:
Link to the page on your portfolio website (URL)
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