3. The Design Process

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	5. The Design Process
		Welcome back to the study of technology. This presentation will explore the Design Process as part of a technological system.
		We did that one already.
		Well, we missed some of the most interesting aspects of the design process. And because it is so important to the world of technology it's worth a second look. Over the years, many people have developed problem solving strategies. The Standards for Technological Literacy provides some vary helpful information. We will try to cover over some of that information here.
		What's the real point of the design process?
		You'll be surprised that by taking a systematic approach to the problem of design you will benefit in the same way that professionals do when they go through the process.
		New technology is the result of solving a problem or need. Before the telephone there was no way to speak to anyone further than your voice could carry.
		You could send a letter or use a telegraph.
		Still sending a voice over long distances was impossible.
		or texting or anything.
		Not all technology is the result of a problem though.Take the George Foreman Grill, for example, it wasn't as if people didn't have perfectly good ways to cook burgers. Yet, the developers saw a chance to improve on existing products and provide an alternative. Developers call this a technological opportunity.
		Technological problems and opportunities are constantly providing researchers with challenges to develop solutions. In 2005, about 1,660,000 patent applications were filed worldwide.
		The whole world is invention crazy.
		That's why we need to learn about this stuff - so we can keep up.
		Designers and other professionals have developed a number of models that describe an organized way to develop solutions to technological problems and opportunities. Here's just one of the possible ways of describing the design process. Chart please!

		We saw that one already.
		Yeah, but let's really break it down and see if we understand what's going on here.
		Identify the Problem. This includes describing the situation that needs a technological solution and establishing the criteria and constraints under which the system will operate.
		Well that seems pretty simple. You know what you want so you just write it down.
		Sometimes it's not that easy. If you don't watch out, the way you state the problem or chalenge might restrict the possible answers. Remember, at this point you have no solution.
		And you want to keep all your options open, right?
		You mean like thinking outside the box?
		Yeah, here's an example. Let's say I gave you this challenge. "Create a really different kind of airplane".
		OK. That seems broad enough.
		Yeah, but you already have some ideas about what an airplane is. It has wings, a nose, a tail, a prop or jet engines. Chances are, by describing the problem that way you would never be able to think up, say a helicopter, which is of course a very different kind of flying machine.
		Or a hot air balloon.
		Or a rocket car.
		Or flying shoes.
		That's right. You probably would not have thought of any of those other solutions because of the way I posed the challenge.
		Then you should have just asked us to create a really different kind of flying machine.
		I get it. Ask the question one way and you get limited answers. Ask the question another way and you can get a lot more ideas.
		Who here has ever done a Google search?
		We all have.
		Then you all have had the experience that there's a heck of a lot of information out there. And let's say you really wanted to invent a new kind of flying machine. You know you could spend days and still not exhaust all of the possibilities. Who do you think has a better chance of really coming up with a good solution...
		Research That's obvious. The more research you do, the better prepared you are to figure out solutions.
		Your research needs to include historical, scientific, technological, human, legal and ethical information.
		OK, I get the historical part and the technological part. But some of those other ones like legal and ethical. Why would you need that?
		In the real world you can't do much without affecting other people. And professionals understand that there are always consequences to what they do. Let's go back to our flying machine example. We still want to keep it pretty creative, rocket shoes and all, but don't you think that we should at least say that someone should be able to leave the ground and return safely? What would be the point of a really cool flying machine that killed everyone who used it?
		Well that's just obvious.
		Professionals don't leave anything to chance. Even the obvious. Safety and many other factors must be considered when you are describing the challange.
		You might find that there are laws prohibiting certain kinds of flying machines in certain parts of the world. That may limit what you are doing.
		You may need to limit how much money it will cost to produce the product you want to design. You should have an idea about that before you get started.
		You also have to think about someone using it. How comfortable does it need to be? Is it for one person or more? If it was going to be a personal flying machine then you need to get some information about the human body - size and weight and all that.
		Considering how the human body interacts with the machine is called ergonomics.
		So, step one in the design process is to identify the challenge. We decided that it's best to define the challenge in broad terms and to do as much research as possible, including establishing all the predictable constraints, before moving to the next step.
		Developing a Solution.
		Even then, factors that affect the design might show up during the development process. There are a number of different ways to start approaching developing solutions. Sometimes people work alone, but often there are real advantages to working in groups. People bring different backgrounds, interests, talents and experiences to the table. Just to get started . .
		Here comes the story about brainstorming.
		It's true. Brainstorming does figure into the development of a lot of ideas. Let's review the rules of brainstorming.
		Number 1 - Everyone involved should be encouraged to come up with as many ideas as possible. The more ideas the better and everything counts.
		Number 2 - No criticism. Every idea is acceptable as part of the process.
		Number 3 - Even the craziest ideas should be welcome.
		Even if they go outside the stated criteria?
		Yes, because you never know how one idea, no matter how crazy, could stimulate a better idea.
		Number 4 - Don't keep the ideas isolated. Allow people to use one another's ideas and extend them. In other words, no personal ownership of an idea. Everyone's individual ideas belong to the group.
		One more thing about brainstorming. All the ideas should be recorded and reviewed.
		Also, let's remember that most new ideas grow out of older ones.
		Does that mean that we should include the older solutions with the new ones?
		Absolutely, you never know when an old solution will spark a new one. Looking over the list you are trying to establish patterns and connections that may not have been obvious at first.
		OK, then what?
		Most experts agree that at this point it's best to formulate a small number of solutions. Not too many, but more than one. In other words, there should be some competition, and the solutions need to take the form of a proposal. What would the proposal include?
		A design proposal is a written plan that specifies what the design will look like and what resources are needed to develop it. Sketches, drawings, models and written instructions can all constitute the design proposal.
		A lot of beginners fail to see the benefits of a formal design proposal.
	Yeah, isn't it enough to know it in your head? It is after all just an idea.
	By putting a little distance between you and your idea you will be surprised by how much better you will be able to evaluate its effectiveness.
	Models are considered to be one of the most useful ways to evaluate your design solution, and sometimes they are absolutely essential. There's no other way to go. Depending on the situation, models can be built to size or scaled.
	Now we're really gettng at it. I love making models. You can hold them in your hands. You can turn them around and look at them. You really get the feel for what is going on.
	And as you proceed, you discover all the various things that need to be changed.
	So, we can use the models to evaluate the solution.
	Yes, and depending on what the project is the model can take various forms such as a physical model or prototype, a mathematical model or a graphic model. Nowadays engineers are using computer models in ways that would have been impossible years ago.
	The solution models are then subjected to rigorous tests and analyses in an attempt to discover any flaws. There are lots of different criteria that need to be considered including functional analysis. . .
	That means it's going to work, right?
	. . . Specification analysis . . .
	That means it meets the specs, right?
	. . .Human factors analysis, market analysis and economic analysis.
	It's funny. Depending on your point of view, what seems like a perfectly reasonable solution to an engineer might seem totally preposterous to those responsible for marketing the product.
	It does everything it's supposed to do.
	It's so ugly we couldn't sell it in a million years.
	How about we just paint it blue?
	I don't think so.
	Back to the drawing board!
	After all the hard work of testing and analysis, revisions and more revisions, the solution moves on to. . .
	Communicating the Solution.
	Depending on the situation, the final solutional must be very complete they will often include very detail drawing, instructions, material lists. Everything need to manufacture or implement the solution.



	Anyway, Think about this: Do you think that an artist and an engineer mean the same thing by the term design?
	An engineer's job is to design and develop solutions to technological problems.
	On the other hand, art doesn't really need do solve a problem or have a purpose other than to express the ideas and feelings of the artist.
	Nowadays many artists do incorporate aspects of technology into their art.
	Here are some of the jobs that have some relationship to the term design. Architect or architectural designer, automotive designer, costume designer, engineering designer, fashion designer, game designer, graphic designer, industrial designer, interaction designer, interior designer, jewelry designer, landscape designer, lighting designer, scenic designer, systems designer, and web designer.
	I wonder what they all have in common?
	Well, looking over the list I bet all of them have to be pretty creative, but some seem more artsy than others.
	If you take a look at the history of technological innovation, even as far back as early tool making, technological solutions usually involve moving from labor intensive to equipment intensive processes.





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	Enough already.
	No, she's right. The output of technology is sometimes not a thing. I know some of you guys who own cars love your cars and you think that the most important things about your car are the rims. But really, the most important thing about most cars is the transportation it provides. The geting you from here to there.
	So the real output of all the energy and stuff we do to put on Miss Lake Region is the entertainment and good feelings everyone has.
	I never thought about it that way.




	Hey! Don't call the vinyl ball waste ;(












































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5. The Design Process