Listening to the voice of the customer is made complicated when the roles of the customer are carried out by more than one individual or stakeholder (a stakeholder performs one or more of the decision-making roles normally enacted by a single customer). The issues surrounding multiple stakeholder requirements are examined with particular reference to small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the rehabilitation industry; this industry is concerned with products that enable the elderly and disabled to live more independently. A series of case studies has been conducted to identify the current practices of rehabilitation companies and the suitability of accepted design methods for incorporating the voice of the customer into the design process. The results of the study indicate that smaller companies within the rehabilitation industry do not use formal methods of design or market research; this is partly attributable to their limited resources and experience. An outline is given of a method developed by the CACTUS Project to enable resource-limited companies in the rehabilitation industry to incorporate the voice of the customer into their design. The method is currently being tested. It is hoped that the CACTUS approach will be applicable to other industries with similar characteristics and multiple stakeholders.

[Description taken from the abstract for this paper. Paper made available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 license.]

Architects, landscape designers, interior designers and product designers are typical designer jobs. They often develop visual themes, to position themselves and their designs in the market. Many clients purchase products of or engage these designers because their products match with the sense of their identity. For example urban planners expect the landscape designers to develop landmarks, to improve the attractiveness of the city, neighbourhood or region. In addition to the visual requirements the design should improve the liveability of the community, preserve the environment and protect sensitive areas. Requirements usually not met by the visual themes of the designer. Most design teams are not composed of visual designers only but also include marketing people, design engineers, manufacturing- and O&M specialists. The design engineers, manufacturing- and O&M specialists ensure that the product meet the criteria of professional correctness, which may be specified in professional codes and standards.

This guide explains what product design specifications (PDS) are, why they are important, and how to write one. The guide includes links to examples from a PDS written by a group of students who were specifying the design of a lawn-edge trimmer. This is a typical first-time PDS, not an ideal model. The students missed out several sections, and did not put figures on as many of their specifications as they should have done. This guide was commissioned by the SEED Curriculum Development Editorial Board.

[Description and screenshot taken from the SEED Curriculum for Engineering Design page for this guide. (c) The Design Society used under the terms of their (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) license.]

The Market Phase is the first major phase in the total design activity and is followed by the Specification Phase. Indeed, the Product Design Specification (PDS) produced during the Specification Phase may be described as a statement of market needs. It forms the essential foundation for competitive design and greatly influences the probability of a successful outcome. The PDS must itself be soundly based and this necessitates a thorough market investigation. The market phase and PDS formulation are therefore closely related, which is the justification for the title of this document. Whilst there appears to be a growing awareness of the importance of the PDS in some areas of industry and academia, the approach by which they are formulated in practice is frequently lacking in breadth and thoroughness. It is necessary to impart to students not only the importance of the PDS but also the modus operandi for creating a reliable document. The key is information and its processing.

This booklet identifies the information areas requiring exploration, and a structured, albeit flexible, approach to processing information in order to formulate a PDS. It also provides guidance on the compilation of the PDS itself. The booklet may be used as a text upon which to base lectures, for exercises in market information processing and specification formulation, and as an aid at the commencement of design projects. The approach is applicable irrespective of engineering discipline although the terminology used may vary. For example, the term ‘brief’ in civil engineering is synonymous with ‘specification’ in electrical and mechanical engineering. Hence the term ‘product’, used throughout this document, may refer to any outcome from a design project be it a civil engineering structure, chemical engineering process, mechanical engineering system, electronic circuit, on an industrial or consumer product.

The report provides an introduction, topic definition, rationale, educational aims and objectives and chapters on the market and specification phases in total design, the market phase, the specification phase, when and how taught, a demonstration exercise and references.

[Description and screenshot taken from the SEED Curriculum for Engineering Design page for this report. (c) The Design Society used under the terms of their (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) license.]