MOD 1
Dieter Rams' Principles of Good Design
1. Innovative: Design should push boundaries and explore new possibilities.
2. Useful: Products must satisfy functional needs and be practical.
3. Aesthetic: Good design is visually pleasing and appreciated by the senses.
4. Understandable: Design should make the product easy to comprehend and use.
5. Unobtrusive: Products should be neutral and not dominate the user's environment.
6. Honest: Design should not deceive about the product’s capabilities.
7. Long-lasting: Avoids trends, ensuring the product remains relevant over time.
8. Thorough to the last detail: Every aspect of design should be well-considered.
9. Environmentally friendly: Design should minimize environmental impact.
10. As little design as possible: Focus on the essential aspects, avoiding unnecessary
elements.
Overview of Engineering Design Process
1. Problem Formulation
o Define the Problem: Clearly understand and state the design challenge.
o Gather Information: Research existing solutions and gather relevant data.
o Identify Constraints and Requirements: Specify limitations and essential
features.
2. Concept Generation
o Brainstorming: Generate a wide range of ideas without judgment.
o Idea Screening: Evaluate and select the most promising concepts.
o Preliminary Designs: Create initial sketches or models of selected ideas.
3. Project Planning and Decision Making
o Develop a Project Plan: Outline tasks, timelines, and resources.
o Evaluate Alternatives: Assess different design options based on criteria such as
feasibility, cost, and performance.
o Decision Making: Choose the best design solution through analysis and
consensus.
Human-Centered Design (HCD)
Definition: Design that starts with the people you’re designing for and ends with new
solutions tailored to suit their needs.
Principles:
o Empathy: Understanding the user's needs and experiences.
o Involvement: Actively involving users in the design process.
o Iteration: Continuously refining the design based on user feedback.
Design Thinking
1. Mindset
o Empathy: Deep understanding of the user's needs and problems.
o Experimentation: Willingness to try and test new ideas.
o Collaboration: Working together across disciplines to find the best solutions.
2. Process
o Empathize: Understand the user.
o Define: Clearly articulate the problem.
o Ideate: Generate a wide range of ideas.
o Prototype: Build tangible representations of ideas.
o Test: Get user feedback and refine the design.
3. Toolbox
o Empathy: Conducting interviews and observations to gather insights.
o Interviewing: Asking open-ended questions to uncover deep insights.
o Questioning: Using structured questioning techniques to explore ideas and
problems.
o Brainstorming: Encouraging creative thinking and idea generation.
Tools for Design Thinking
1. Mind Mapping
o Definition: A visual representation of ideas and their relationships.
o Purpose: Organize thoughts and explore connections between concepts.
2. Innovation Flowchart
o Definition: A diagram that outlines the steps in an innovation process.
o Purpose: Visualize the process and identify areas for improvement.
3. Question Ladder
o Definition: A structured framework for asking progressively deeper questions.
o Purpose: Explore issues in depth and uncover underlying problems.
4. SCAMPER
o Definition: A checklist tool for generating ideas by applying different techniques
to existing products.
o Elements:
Substitute: Replace parts of the product.
Combine: Merge two or more elements.
Adapt: Change something to fit the need.
Modify: Alter characteristics.
Put to another use: Use in a different context.
Eliminate: Remove parts.
Reverse: Reorganize in a different order.
5. Journey Mapping
o Definition: A visual representation of the user’s experience with a product or
service.
o Purpose: Identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
