From Klondike to Homing
The Product Development
Process
Project Management Process
Project Preparation
Project Planning
Project Execution
Project Adaptation
Generic Product Design Process
Research
Think
Good
Not good
What do you think about the above
process?
Winning Strategies in Klondike Game
Genuine random digging to overcome
rarity problem
Accurate judgment, shift from wandering
to homing at the right moment
Give-up homing if necessary
Is there a 1:X near/far digging contrast in
real life?
Two Kinds of Design Exploration
Klondike search
Unplanned, somewhat random search for
solution, one know only what to look for but not
where to look
Homing search
Planned, step-by-step search for solution,
optimisation
‘Design-like’ Klondike Search Behaviors
 Rarity problem – day dreaming, brainstorming,
visual thinking, free association, TRIZ, etc.
 Isolation problem – asking irrelevant questions
 Oasis and plateau problem – spending less than
necessary time on ‘decent investigation’
 Oasis and plateau problem – dropping the plan
at hand and jump to something silly
‘Design-like’ Homing Search Behaviors
 Physical qualities – Computer simulation and
virtual prototyping
 Tacit qualities – Physical prototyping, userinterface prototyping
 Complex interactions – Sensitive analysis,
FMEA, QFD, etc.
Design Project Execution
Klondike search
Homing search
More often at the beginning
of the project
More often at the end of the
project
Framing of problem, idea
generation, proposal
formation
Design development,
engineering development,
optimisation
Enhance good proposal and
Huge impact on overall result
salvage mediocre proposal
Rough and dirty modelling
Accurate CAD and
prototyping
Discussion
Do you think product design is a two-step
process (Klondike and homing), or it has
more steps?
Research
Klondike
Homing
Nothing
Not good
Good
Generic Staged Product Development
Process
From Art to Part
Knowledge
Design & Development
Manufacturing
Design
definition
Market information
Customer requests
Order
information
Business Operations
Physical
product
Design & Development
Concept
Development
Historical data
Business
strategy
No. of alternatives
Planning
System-level
Design
Detail Design
Testing &
Refinement
Production
Ramp-up
Concept review
System spec
review
Critical design
review
Time
Concept
development
System-level
design
Detail design
Production
ramp-up
pp12, Product Design and Development, K Ulrich S. Eppinger
The scatter-gather methodology
Towards the early stage
Towards the final stage
Selection process
Quick and imprecise
Lengthy and accurate
No. of alternatives
Many
Few
No. of short-listed
alternatives
One or more
One
Scope of
alternatives
Abstract and holistic
Specific and physical
10 tasks in SD2454
1. Write design brief
2. Identify stakeholders and investigation
3. Initial design ideas and developments
4. Finalize the idea
5. Engineering design
6. Preparation of 3D solid model
7. Preparation of detailed working drawings
8. Design for manufacture and assembly
9. Design for environment
10. Final design
Which is which?
Design & Development
Planning
Concept
Development
Historical data
Business
strategy
Initial
research
Concept
generation
System-level
Design
Design
evaluation &
development
Detail Design
Information
analysis
Return brief
Testing &
Refinement
Production
Ramp-up
Final
Design
Analysis
presentation consolidation visualisation
Information
analysis
Analysis
visualisation
Concept
generation
Final
presentation
Design & Development
Planning
Concept
Development
System-level
Design
Historical data
Business
strategy
Design
evaluation &
development
Initial
research
Return brief
Detail Design
Design
consolidation
Testing &
Refinement
Production
Ramp-up