Transcript for EO403 - Product Specification methods - the PDS (1).PDF

Graduate Apprenticeship - Engineering Design and Manufacture Class: EO403 - Design for X Product Specification methods - the PDS In this video, we will be looking at the product design specification. So we've identified a problem area. What's the next step? Then what do we do? Well, we look for info...

Graduate Apprenticeship - Engineering Design and Manufacture Class: EO403 - Design for X Product Specification methods - the PDS In this video, we will be looking at the product design specification. So we've identified a problem area. What's the next step? Then what do we do? Well, we look for information. We consult books. We speak to people. We conduct questionnaires. Essentially, what we do is market research. We go out there. We immerse ourselves in the market and truly try to understand the problem in which we're going to address. As we gather more information, we begin to develop a list of requirements. These are what the customer sees as being the must have's, the could have's, the must avoids, things that doesn't really matter. Basically, what we're doing is defining the specification for a future product development. Often, people are inclined to go straight into concept generation upon completion of market research. However, it's important to stop. The stage, which we are going to look at, is the product design specification, which sits in between your market research and your concept generation. The product design specification is an exact statement of what the product has to do and what the customer design requirements are. It's the foundation upon which the rest of the design process is built. It clearly defines the overall product requirements and what you're trying to achieve. It contains all the facts relating to the product outcome. So if you've identified from a customer that the product has to cost no more than 50 pounds, you would include things like that in the product design specification. It has to include all the facts that you've identified in market research. Importantly, the PDS should also reflect the outputs of the market and customer research. As said, if a customer has told you they want to pay 50 pounds for the product, then don't put into the PDS that they're willing to be 100 pounds. It has to be based on fact and truth that you've uncovered during the market research phase. The product design specification should also contain realistic design constraints and targets. And it shouldn't unnecessarily constrain the design team. Let's stop for a second and look at what we mean by clearly-defined product requirements. The product requirements should be well-defined, clear, and specific. So, for example, in a product design specification, you might see the statement, the design must be lightweight, which is OK. But what do we actually mean by lightweight? Is it 1 kilogramme? Is it 5 kilogrammes? Is it 50 kilogrammes? Try to avoid words that involve a level of ambiguity and be specific. Many people will interpret the term lightweight in a different way, so you want to make sure that anything you've got in your PDS is really specific. An example of how we can improve that might be to say, the design must not weigh more than 10 kilogrammes. Let's also take a greater look at what we mean by realistic design constraints and targets. The product requirements should be realistic and achievable Page 1/2 targets. So, for example, the product should be made from 1 kilogramme of 24 karat gold and cost less than 100 pounds to manufacture. We have to stop and ask ourselves, is that really achievable? In the PDS, we want to set goals that are realistic and achievable. Ensure your specification is realistic. In terms of the product design specification content, you see on screen a list of 30 different potential headings which you can use when developing a product design specification. These headings are a guide. Some are more applicable than others to specific products. It's important as a designer that you look through the list and identify what is important to the overall product which you are designing at that point in time. You've got things like performance, environment, product life cycle, installation and maintenance. You should look through this list and identify the headings which are relevant to what you're trying to develop at that moment in time. In summary, key product specification questions that need to be answered from your PDS are, what's the purpose of the product? What are you trying to achieve? What are the product functions? What does the product need to be able to do? What are the unique selling points? What's going to make your product different from others already on the market? Who are your direct and indirect competitors? Who would buy this product? So who is your customer? And importantly, how much is the customer willing to pay? A well-constructed and strong PDS will put you in the best position for developing a successful solution. Page 2/2