CSCE 482 Lecture 3

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Design Methodology

Identify Need

Try not to think about problem in terms of its approaches

Define the Problem

Goal Statement

Produce a goal statement to answer the question, "How are we going to address this need?"

Step back to be as general as possible; this allows for more potential solutions to arise to meet the goal and satisfy the need.

Example:

• Need: Childproof pill bottles are too difficult for people with arthritis to open
• Goals: (by order of abstraction)
  1. Design a childproof pill bottle that is easier to open
  2. Design a childproof pill container that is easier to open
  3. Design a childproof system for dispensing pills
  4. Design a childproof system for dispensing medication

Objectives

• Quantifiable measures of performance
• Should indicate progress toward goal.
• Define characterstics of design that are of most interest to the client.

Examples (but some are imprecise and not easily measurable):

• inexpensive
• no significant damage to bumper
• no significant damage to other parts
• easily recyclable
• operative

Constraints

Permissible ranges of design and performance parameters

Types:

1. yes/no constraints
2. equality constraint
3. ...

Some objectives can be better expressed as constraints and vice-versa

Criteria

Value-free descriptors of objectives (same units, same basis of measurements)

Gathering Information

Check for existing/similar solutions to need.

Know when to stop looking.

Teamwork

Meyer-Briggs personality profile

Group Roles

• Generators - people who have lots of ideas
• Integrators - Good at integrating other people's ideas into credible proposals
• Developers - Advance idea stage into product or process
• Perfectors - Improves product or process

Leader:

• organize the group
• define goals
• monitor progress
• make adjustments to meet the goal
• responsive and considerate to the needs of each group member.

Project Planning

Dependency between tasks to accomplish project goal.

Gantt chart to plot allocated time and what components can be completed in parallel.

Critical Path Method: find shortest path through DAG of dependent tasks

Visual Displays

Edward Tufte's series of books:

1. Visual Display of Quantitative Information.