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Knowledge – Based Design and Decisions: Accommodating Multidisciplined Product Development Teams

Chung, Wayne / Wang, Chun-Yen

Creating an effective work environment and process is necessary for successful product design and development. Literature and design managers explain their unique design processes in the hope of re-applying it or transferring it to others. Those who follow try to duplicate or use parts of the processes in an attempt to replicate creativity, innovation and product success. However, because all the variables cannot be taken into account, it is impossible to transplant the expert knowledge base, the experience of others, and the personal team dynamics or decisions that enabled successful product design.

Delivering good product design, at a reasonable cost, within a given timeframe has always been the challenge of most companies. With this in mind, what tools and processes are overlooked? How can industrial designers enable communication, understanding and teamwork to achieve these goals within their own organization?

The following paper proposes a specific process and communication tool that can be applied in its entirety or as components to current design development processes. The Product Development Bank, a prototype interface tool, is a visual database of text and image notation that is grouped and linked in a specific framework that mimics teamwork habits and styles. This tool recognizes that the design activity is based on one's own experience, education and history. As a legacy tool it has the propensity to become an educational or historical template while aiding the tracking of critical decision selection.

This process tool can be categorized into two general areas: human-based and technology-based.

The application of the shared knowledge-based tool utilizes both human experience and technology to draw upon expert experiences and document critical design and engineering issues for the team benefit. The design development bank's interface is tied into a relational database, Thinkmap™, to allow relevant subject matter to surface and move in proximity to the main subject matter.

This paper will focus on the explanation and implementation of the knowledge-based tool for a range of disciplines concerned with product development – design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing. The paper will specifically use the design and manufacture of computer products as a case example. The overall intent is to provide communication and education on all levels for an extended period of time, at reasonable costs, and a low barrier of entry for implementation. The end purpose of the product development bank is to enable relevant dialogue while maintaining and developing expert knowledge for improved product design.