The Mechanical Design Process 3 of 4
Brainstorming and mind-mapping are valuable strategies that enable many viable product solutions to be recognized and evaluated. Eventually brainstorming must give way to decision making. Choosing the "best" solution is challenging, so it's helpful to identify the criteria by which to judge a solution. First, and perhaps most obviously, eliminate any proposal that does not meet the design requirements or that does not adequately solve the problem. When judging design, there are eight basic design elements to consider: elegance, robustness, aesthetics, cost, resources, time, skills required, and safety. Each of these variables can be prioritized differently, so a tool like a design matrix helps establish preferences and helps more objectively select the best solution.
Choosing the best solution doesn't complete the work. Instead, it begins a period of development that refines the solution to its best possible iteration. Vector Innovative Drafting assists in the process by producing technical drawings, 3-D models, and digital simulations and analysis. These methods help identify flaws and optimize design in a cost effective and timely manner. This is a vital phase in the design process because it strives to eliminate costly product flaws or production delays that are often the result of inadequately prioritizing the design process.
Of course, design specifications are not the only factor in successful product design. Human interaction with the product constitutes its ultimate purpose, and these interactions must be planned for. Strategies like storyboarding, a visual brainstorm of user interactions, help plan for user interactions and can identify product flaws related to the proposed interactions.
Choosing a solution is an active process that is only finalized when the product is successfully produced and is actively solving the problem that it set out to address. Utilizing the tools provided by Vector Innovative Drafting makes this process quicker with more successful product results.
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