communication. One group who are experts in benchmarking manufacturing and development
noticed in a study they made of measurement of product design that it is relatively easy to slip
into the trap of only using the classic measures of productivity, cost, quality and time;
“A tidy, structured development project may look great on paper-but if this is because debate
has been stifled, there may be a high price to pay elsewhere”
This group also took into consideration the communication across functions and overall
market success. They found that an orderly product development process was not a
particularly good indicator for market performance. They, however, caution that this does not
imply that a disorderly process is more likely to yield success!
A statement on the context of industrial design is a necessary starting point. The following
statement encapsulates the approach in this document.
Industrial design includes actively imagining and anticipating the future. It can start with
identifying customer needs or a market opportunity or it can start from new scientific or
technological knowledge and an analysis of the opportunities such knowledge might be
capable of creating.
It involves a complex system of decisions often made by different individuals with different
mind-sets depending on their specialist knowledge and skills and within which function they
sit in the company. The process is neither smooth nor linear. It is dealing with the new in a
dynamic market and technological environment. It continually has to adapt and accommodate
new information along its way
8. Using Discussion Groups to Build Understanding
Also when starting a review of industrial design it is good to have a set of open questions that
can be used for a discussion to create a common understanding of the issues. The questions
can be used with a group of people whose tasks broadly touch on development. This group
should be as cross disciplinary as possible – do not exclude people responsible for finance!
These questions are broad, but the focus should always be maintained around the subject of
industrial design:.
· Are the criteria used in industrial design consistent with the business strategy goals?
· How are the decisions co-ordinated?
· Who is responsible for ensuring co-ordination?
· Is the customer experience of products consistent and coherent?
· Is customer perceived value being optimised?
· What will be the expectations and values of our customer base in 5 or 10 years?
· How might our product lines have to change?
· What will be the impact of new technologies?
· Who is responsible for anticipating the future shape of our products and services?
9. Introducing the Sequence of Design Framework
As the discussion continues there will be many instances where differences of opinion arise.
Remember that diversity is a good thing, if it can be acknowledged and the differences of
opinion explored and valued. It is important to record the range of the debate. Even from a