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Clarifying Objectives
Clarifying Objectives
Clarifying Objectives
Aim: to clarify design objectives and sub-objectives, and the relationships between them. Establishing functions : Function analysis Aim: to establish the functions required, and the system boundary, of a new design. Setting requirements : Performance specification Aim: to make an accurate specification of the performance required of a design solution.
Determining
: Quality function deployment characteristics Aim: to set targets to be achieved for the engineering characteristics of a product, such that they satisfy customer requirements. Generating alternatives : Morphological chart Aim : to generate the complete range of alternative design solutions for a product, and hence to widen search for potential new solution
Evaluating
: Weighted objectives alternatives Aim: to compare the utility values of alternative design proposals, on the basis of performance against differentially weighted objectives. Improving details : Value engineering Aim: to increase or maintain the value of a product to its purchaser while reducing its cost to its producer.
Clarifying objectives
The starting point for a design is therefore very often an ill-
defined problem.
Yet the designer must have some objectives to work
towards.
The outcome of designing is a proposal for some means to
achieve a desired end. That end is the set of objectives that the designed object must meet.
attributes and behaviors that the client wants to see in the product Objectives are Be words They are qualities the object should have
So, designers task is to uncover the objectives of a design
project
objectives. shows the objectives and the general means. diagrammatic form. How objectives are related to each other. hierarchical pattern of objectives and sub-objectives.
Make vague statements more specific by asking:
What is meant by that statement?
requirements
Brainstorming within your team
objectives may have slipped in Constraints - restrictions or limitations on a behavior or some aspect of a design Functions - operations the design is supposed to do Implementations - ways to execute the functions
Check if each statement is an objective
Objectives are normally being statements
Try saying an objective is to be [statement] If it makes sense, then its most likely an objective Objectives can also be written as more (or less) of [the statement] is better than less (or more) of [the statement]
expanded to low risk of injury to operator low risk of operator mistakes low risk of damage to work-piece or tool automatic cut-out on overload
'why do we want to achieve this objective?',
'how can we achieve it'?.' and 'what implicit objectives underlie the stated ones?' or 'what is the problem really about?'
affinity diagram
Design
Objective
Copy design objectives to post-it notes Place one on a board Compare next objective card to the first
If different, begin a new column
Repeat for all design objective cards Result: Objectives sorted by similar statement
Within each column there may be levels of objectives
Lower-level objectives answer the question How? Higher-level objectives answer the question Why? Transform to a hierarchical list of objectives
Example: SAFETY machine must be safe low risk of injury to operator low risk of operator mistakes low risk of damage to work-piece or tool automatic cut-out on overload 'low risk of injury' might be considered more important than 'low risk of mistakes', but all three low risk objectives can conveniently be grouped at about the same level.
The valuable aspect to sorting objectives roughly into levels is that it encourages you to think more clearly about the objectives and about the relationships between means and ends. As you write out your lists in hierarchical levels, you will probably also continue to expand them, as you think of further means to meet sub objectives to meet objectives, etc.
down tree
The overall objective of the tree is at the top
Underneath it, branches break the objective into
Summary :
Prepare a list of design objectives. These are taken from the design brief, from questions to the client, and from discussion in the design team. 2. Order the list into sets of higher-level and lower-level objectives. The expanded list of objectives and sub objectives is grouped roughly into hierarchical levels. 3. Draw a diagrammatic tree of objectives, showing hierarchical relationships and interconnections. The branches in the tree represent relationships which suggest means of achieving objectives.
1.