INDUSTRIAL DESIGN BRIEF
The Problem and Design Brief are sometimes viewed as two different sections of the design process.
However, they are very closely related. Before you can can start a design project you must find a
‘problem’ to solve.
The ‘design brief’ follows the ‘problem’ and states clearly how you intend to solve the design problem.
The brief and problem shown below has been produced for a project based on an educational toy.
THE DESIGN PROBLEM
1. The brief and problem is mainly text (writing) that is printed in a clear style so that it can be read and
understood easily.
2. The problem is a paragraph or more in length. It describes the problem you are aiming to solve. Do not
say how you intend to solve the problem, only what the problem is. If you have been given a examination
question as your design project, add more detail. The example opposite is based on the following
examination question:
“Design and make an educational device for young children. It must improve hand and eye coordination”.
The problem written opposite is a more detailed and imaginative way of writing the examination
question. A pedestrian crossing simulator has been selected by the pupil as the educational device.
3. The first sentence should state the problem, adding more detail with the following sentences.
4. If the examination question does not name the product that has to be designed and made (such as an
educational device) - you can mention an area that you are interested in. This could include, jigsaws,
puzzles or something that could be adapted as an educational device.
THE DESIGN BRIEF
1. Always start the design brief with “I am going to design and make .....”. This is followed by a general
description of the type of device you feel will answer the design problem.
2. Do not be too specific. The brief should be a general description that allows you flexibility regarding
the type of product you intend to make. For example, if your are designing an automatic animal feeder it
may be a good idea not to say the type of animal it is for, at least not at this stage in the project.
3. Do not be specific about materials. It may be wise to avoid stating the exact materials it will be
manufactured from (eg. pine, steel, perspex etc...). Instead describe the materials to be used as strong,
tough, flexible, natural, manmade, recycled, water-proof or similar general descriptions.
4. Mention points such as; safety, general size, what it will do (it’s functions), general properties of the
materials needed, who it is for (eg children), basic cost of manufacture or a lower and upper cost limits,
circuit requirements and other points you feel are important.
FINDING A DESIGN PROBLEM TO SOLVE - SUGGESTIONS:
A. Is there a product that you could improve for a hobby or interest?
B. Is there an item that you use every day that could be improved? Is there an item that could be adapted
for disabled people or young children or the elderly? or another group of people?
C. Ask your friends and relatives. They may have a few suggestions about design problems you can solve
that will help them.
D. Do not be over ambitious. Do not select a design problem that is too complex.
E. Ask the teacher for advice and look at completed projects for inspiration.
F. Complete your homework on time. Do not fall behind as you may find it impossible to catch up.
To build a customer profile you could ask a focus group some of the questions listed
below and carry out questionnaires. Alternately you could ask yourself or people in your
company/class the same questions.
1. Describe the type of person who could be your typical customer (or will be your
typical customer).
2. What is the age range of potential customers?
3. Are potential customers likely to be male or female or does gender matter?
4. What is the geographical location of potential customers? Where are they likely to
live?
5. What are the most likely occupations of potential customers?
6. What are the general likes /dislikes of potential customers?
7. What does a typical customer want from the product you design and manufacture?
8. What makes your product more suitable to potential customers than that of your
competitors?
9. What are the most common design requirements shared by your potential customers?
10. What factors are your potential customers likely to consider before purchasing your
product?
11. What do your customers value from your company, products or services?
12. How will potential customer find out about the product you are selling?
13. What have previous customers said about your company / product?
14. Does the cost of your product influence a customers decision to buy from you?
15. List all the ways in which contact can be made with your potential customers. You
may include the following points:
Sales Team
Website
Point of Sale
Surveys
Communications
Distribution Department
Research & Development
Marketing Literature - through the post.
Direct Mail
Exhibitions
Advertising - TV, Radio, Internet, Magazines, Newspapers, Billboards etc....
When you have created a customer profile you will be able to focus all your efforts on
potential customers. This will help you promote / advertise your product directly to those
most likely to buy.
OPPORTUNITY
PROPOSED PRODUCT
Problem
Market – target
Market – competition
Customer profile
Place of use
Product vision
Functionality description
Constraints
Assumptions
Ergonomic issues
PROJECT
COMPANY
INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
REQUIREMENTS
Aesthetic issues
Technical issues
Objective
Project goals
Business goals
Production volumes
Budget
Risks
Specific requirements
CAD compatibility
Project management
Success criteria
Background information
Business strategy
Scope of involvement
Skills required
Terms of business
from www.vrc.gr:8080/npd-net/files/document/npd/Industrial%20Design%20Brief.doc
PROJECT STAGE
(CLICK BELOW)
WORD SPLASH
DESIGN PROBLEM
AND DESIGN BRIEF
CUSTOMER
PROFILE
ANALYSIS
SYNTHESIS
PLANNING
DESCRIPTION OF STAGE
At the beginning of the project place the theme at the centre. Put words /
themes that are connected to it, around it.
State the design problem clearly. Explain how you intend to solve it in
general terms.
Answer the following questions:
Developing a Customer Profile - page1 - Who are your potential
customers? Carry out a Customer Profile Questionnaire. You need to
build a Potential Customer Profile. Then produce a final
Client/Customer Profile Sheet, once you have been commissioned to
design and make a product.
List as many questions as you can about the project you are attempting.
E.g. What materials can I use ?
What safety considerations must I keep in mind ?
Answer the questions in the analysis.
Use a time chart and flow chart to plan your use of time. (See additional
sheet)
TICK
WHEN
COMPLETE
RESEARCH
SPECIFICATION
IDEAS
DEVELOPMENT
SOLUTION
MANUFACTURE
If you are to get a high grade you must put effort into this section.
Remember, all research must be relevant to your project and constantly
refer to the problem you are trying to solve. Produce at least one sheet
on each of the following:
Suitable materials for your project.
Investigate the ways in which materials can be joined together - joints
and fixings.
The ergonomic factors that apply to your project.
Safety factors related to your design problem.
Write letters to manufacturers / shops.
Research using the library.
Research using the Internet / CD-ROMs/DVDs.
Interview people with the aim of helping you to solve the design
problem (record the interview).
Carry out a survey / questionnaire and present the results as a
pictogram/table of results.
Product Review - select an existing product and determine how it could
be improved. This will help you develop your own ideas later.
Collect pictures of existing products - photographs/catalogue pictures.
How are existing products manufactured?
Research other relevant areas such as electronic circuits.
Once you have completed your design you should specify in a paragraph
or two what exactly you are going to do to solve this problem. Always
refer to your research.
Draw at least six ideas, with notes. The ideas should be different and not
just the same idea slightly changed. Include environmental
considerations (See additional sheet)
To get the higher grades you must take your best idea and develop it
further. One way of starting this section is to draw your best idea again
and point out areas that can be improved. Areas may include, safety,
colour scheme, cost, using a spreadsheet, shape, materials, mechanisms,
circuits, systems diagram and the environment. You must show that you
have considered Safety and the Consumer. You also need to develop a
circuit for your project. You may need to show how mechanisms can be
used as part of your design. How will all the parts/components be joined
together? What joints and fixings will be needed? Stages of
programming a microcontroller circuit (flow chart). Make a series of
models and evaluate each one. Carry out a Product Comparison to help
develop a design. Click here for Product Comparison layout sheet and
templates. Include a Technical Data Sheet in your design project Technical Data Sheet Template. Ask a Focus Group (group of
individuals) their advice regarding your designs and models.
Produce a working drawing of your solution with a parts list. This must
have measurements and constructional details. You may prefer to
produce a Parts Sheet first. A three dimensional drawing can also be
attempted.
Produce planning sheets to show each stage of production - a flowchart,
time chart, sequence drawing.
Make a further model.
Make the solution. Keep a Logbook up to date
Do not forget this important section. Evaluate your product. State the
good and bad points. Does the solution answer the design brief ? Spend
some time on this section. You should include social issues, health and
safety, ethical and environmental issues.
EVALUATION
Elements of Aesthetics
There are many different things that contribute to your overall perception of a product, and to
your opinion as to whether it is aesthetically pleasing to you.
Vision
Colour
Shape
Pattern
Line
Texture
Visual weight
Balance
Scale
Movement
Hearing
Loudness
Pitch
Beat
Repetition
Melody
Pattern
Noise
Touch
Texture
Shape
Weight
Give
Comfort
Temperature
Vibration
Sharpness
Ease of use
Taste
Strength
Sweetness
Sourness
Texture
Smell
Strength
Sweetness
'Pleasantness'
Your opinion about a product may also be influenced by certain associations that are
important to you, such as:




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how fashionable it is
whether it is a novelty, or an old favourite
whether it is a symbol of wealth or love
how much danger or risk is involved
if it provides a link with your past
You might also take into account whether it is safe and reliable and fit for its purpose.
Consistency with a particular aesthetic concept
may be a significant factor in creating a
product's appeal too, for example, the current
appreciation of 'retro' designs.
However, such trends are often cultural and
almost certainly always short-lived, so their
popularity can't be guaranteed.
Consideration of aesthetics in design
There are four different 'pleasure types' to consider:
Physio-pleasure - pleasure derived from the senses from touch, smell,
sensual pleasure etc. For example the smoothness of a curve in a handheld product or the smell of a new car.
Socio-pleasure - pleasure gained from interaction with others. This may
be a 'talking point' product like a special ornament or painting, or the
product may be the focus of a social gathering such as a vending machine
or coffee machine. This pleasure can also come from a product that
represents a social grouping, for example, a particular style of clothing
that gives you a social identity.
Psycho-pleasure - pleasure from the satisfaction felt when a task is
successfully completed. Pleasure also comes from the extent to which the
product makes the task more pleasurable, such as the interface of an ATM
cash machine, that is quick and simple to use. It is closely related to
product usability.
Ideo-pleasure - pleasure derived from entities such as books, art and
music. This is the most abstract pleasure. In terms of products, it is the
values that a product embodies, such as a product that is made of ecofriendly materials, and processes that convey a sense of environmental
responsibility to the user.
Each of these pleasures should be considered in turn - their importance to the product you are
designing, and how each aspect might show itself in that product.
adapted by Patrick Jordan from the work of sociologist Lionel Tiger
Aesthetics and ergonomics in product design
"More and more people buy objects for
intellectual and spiritual nourishment.
People do not buy my coffee makers,
kettles and lemon squeezers because they
need to make coffee, to boil water, or to
squeeze lemons, but for other reasons."
Alberto Alessi, Designer
This quote gives an indication of how the world of product design has changed over the past
few decades. An appreciation of pleasure in product use is fast becoming of primary
importance to both consumer and the design industry alike. Consumers' expectations have
been raised; they no longer simply expect the products they buy to be functional and usable.
Consumers demand functionality, expect usability and are seeking products that that elicit
other feelings such as pleasure or that strike a certain emotional chord. It likely to be the
aesthetics of the product; the way it looks, the feel of the material, the tactile or 'haptic'
response of controls or more abstract feelings, such as reflected status, that give pleasure.
Traditionally, product design has been considered to comprise three main elements:
Product Designers need a knowledge of all these elements. In the case of the design of a
small or simple product, the designer's responsibility may be for all of these elements. In the
case of larger products, such as cars, the designer's responsibility may be for aesthetics only;
ergonomists and engineers providing the expertise needed for the other elements.
Conventionally, ergonomics has consisted of usability and functionality, and designing
pleasure into the product has been the job of the designer. However, increasingly the
boundaries between the two disciplines are disappearing, and ergonomists are taking some
responsibility for the aesthetics of the design, using scientific methods to increase
understanding of the aesthetics (both pleasurable and displeasurable) and applying this to the
design of products.
The best design occurs when all three components are considered together from the start of
the design process. Usually, compromises will have to be made, but understanding all the
issues involved will help to make the most acceptable compromises. For example, if you are
designing a sports car, you will make different compromises from those that you will make if
you are designing a family saloon car.
Sports car
aesthetics.
The emphasis is on aesthetics and performance. The car may go
very fast, look beautiful and make all the right sort of noises.
However, it is likely to be difficult to get in and out of, have little
storage space, seat only two people and have limited visibility.
The physical and functional ergonomics are not the best but the
car is exactly what the consumer is expecting of a sports car.
Ergonomics is compromised in order to achieve performance and
Family saloon car
The emphasis is on functionality and usability. The car should
first serve the needs of the family, so will have adequate seating
and storage space and be suitable for family travelling. It should
also have aesthetic appeal but there may be compromises in
design in order to provide the required levels of functionality and usability.
Working with aesthetics and ergonomics
Compromises need to be made in different ways depending
upon the product.
Where ergonomics and aesthetics meet
Clearly, many aesthetic ideas are easily combined with good
ergonomics, for example, chairs that look good and are
comfortable too; buttons on your mobile phone that give good
feedback. This Alessi corkscrew has obviously been designed to
be more than just a corkscrew, but it is extremely functional as
well.
Where aesthetics may predominate
There are other products that conflict directly with ergonomics
principles. For example, cars that go so fast they thrill you
despite (or is it because of?) the risk that you are taking.
However, whilst speed limits and traffic calming measures exist
to slow fast cars down in dangerous situations, these fast,
thrilling objects of desire are still designed and manufactured.
Another example of aesthetics having more influence than
ergonomics is shoes that are beautiful and very fashionable, but
are bad for your feet and your posture, and increase the risk of
slipping and hurting yourself. We are all educated as small
children about the need to wear well-fitting, flat shoes for
healthy feet, but we would complain if all footwear had to be
designed by ergonomic principles only.
Where aesthetics must never predominate
Conversely, there are situations where ergonomics principles
must override aesthetics, such as products that are used in
safety-critical situations. For example, equipment designed for
use in operating theatres or by air traffic controllers. There is
much legislation concerning the safety of products and
designers must work within these constraints of legislation or
their products will not be allowed to enter the market place. For
more on product safety, see the product evaluation topic.
Where to compromise
Many products are not safety-critical and the designer must
take the responsibility for balancing aesthetics and ergonomics
appropriately. Miniaturisation of products is an example worth
considering. When mobile telephones were first designed,
technology dictated that they were the size of a small
housebrick! The displays and controls were easily usable by
most people, but they considered the phones to be too large
and heavy to be very 'mobile'. Technological advances allowed
the production of smaller phones and they became truly
'mobile'; fitting easily into handbags and pockets. However, the
control and display sizes were compromised and many have
become too small for easy use. The optimum compromise was
not recognised.