School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
 We shall now explore the activity of doing a design, that
is the process of design.
 The complex process will be broken down into smaller
and more detailed design tasks.
 Design projects or problems begin with a verbal
statement that address the clients intentions or goals,
the design form or shape, its purpose or function and
maybe some legal requirements.
 The designers first task is to clarify what the client wants.
 The wishes of the client can then be translated into
meaningful objectives (goals) and constraints (limit).

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
Asking questions is an integral part of the design
process.
 Knowledge resides in the questions that can be asked and the
answers that can be provided (Aristotle)
The kinds of questions that can be asked during
the design process helps develop and articulate
the process as a sequence of design task.
We shall now look at an example in which we are
required to “Design a Safe Ladder”

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
Questions
Why do you want another ladder?
How will the ladder be used?
How much can it cost?
• Clarify and establish the clients objectives for the design.
Questions
What does ‘safe” mean?
What’s the maximum you willing to pay for the
ladder?
• Identify the constraints (limit) the governs the design.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
Questions
Can the ladder lean against a wall?
Does the ladder need to support someone carrying
something?
• Establish functions that the design must perform.
Questions
How much weight should a safe ladder support?
How high should someone on the ladder be able to
reach?
• Establish requirements for the design.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
Questions
 Can the ladder be made from wood, aluminum or
fiberglass?
 Can the ladder be a step-ladder or an extension ladder?
• Generate design alternatives.
Questions
 What is the maximum stress/force in the step supporting
the design load?
 How does the deflection in the step vary with different
material from which the step is made from?
• Helps in modeling and analyzing the design.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
Questions
 Can the someone on the ladder reach the specified
height?
 Does the ladder meet a particular safety standard?
• Test and evaluate the design against the objectives and
constraints.
Questions
 Is there any other way to connect the steps in the ladder?
 Can the design be changed so that less material is used?
• Refine and optimize the design

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
Questions
What is the justification for the design decisions that
were made?
What information does the client need to fabricate
the design?
• Document the design process and communicate the
completed design.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
The questions asked establishes steps in a process
that moves from clients desires through increasing
levels of detail towards an engineering solution.
Initial task is to translate clients wishes into set of
requirements that state in engineering terms how
the design is to function or perform.
These requirements or design specifications serve as
a benchmark against which the designs performance
is measured.
 Prescribe values for attributes of the design.
 Specify procedures for calculating attributes or behavior.
 Specify the performance of the design’s behavior.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
As different concepts of how the design might
work or function is generated, design alternatives
are also created.
One concept is then chosen:
Build and analyze a model of the ladder design.
Test and evaluate the design.
Refine and optimize some of the details.
Finally, prepare documentation and communicate the
design to the client appropriately.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
(Descriptive Model)
Descriptive model
 They describe the elements of the design process
A basic descriptive model of the design process
defines three phases
 Generation – produce various design concepts
 Evaluation – tests the chosen design against some set
parameters (design variables) and requirements set by the
client
 Communication – communicate the final design to the
client/manufacturers
Descriptive models are too abstract that they provide
very little useful advice on how to do design.

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
(Descriptive Model)

Figure 1 Descriptive model of design process 11

 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
(Prescriptive Model)
Prescriptive models
They prescribe what must be done during the design
process.
We shall look at the descriptive model (Figure 1)
and convert it to a prescriptive model that
specifies what is done in each phase.
Each phase requires
 Input(s)
 Tasks that needs to be done
 Output(s) or product(s)

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Design Process
(Prescriptive Model)

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Figure 2 Prescriptive model of design process
 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Prescriptive Model
(Problem Definition)
 Input – clients problem statement

Tasks

 Output – revised problem statement, list of final objectives,

metrics of final objectives and list of final constraints
 Source of information – literature, codes, regulations and
experts

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Prescriptive Model
(Conceptual Design)
 Input – revised problem statement, list of final objectives,
metrics of final objectives and list of final constraints

Tasks

 Output – requirements (specifications for functions), a chosen

design

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Prescriptive Model
(Preliminary Design)
 Input – requirements (specifications for functions), a chosen
design

Tasks

 Output – an analyzed, tested and evaluated design

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Prescriptive Model
(Detailed Design)
 Input – requirements (specifications for functions), a chosen
design

Tasks

 Output – an analyzed, tested and evaluated design

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 School of Engineering & Physics - MM 324

Prescriptive Model
(Detailed Design)
 Input – proposed design and design details

Tasks

 Output – final written and oral reports to the client

containing:
 Description of design process
 Drawings and design details
 Fabrication specifications

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