"America's schools and universities must move up to the next level in math and science. And far more people should be graduating in the "soft" sciences of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Whether it's redesigning hospitals to improve patient stays (and lower costs) or building stores to increase the experience of shopping (and raise profits), the best jobs in the future will be found in the sweet spot where design, customer understanding, and emerging technologies come together for business."

-Business Week (March 21, 2005)

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The design of artifacts is addressed from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes engineering, art, psychology, marketing, and economics. Using a decision-making framework, emphasis is placed on understanding basic quantitative methods employed by the different disciplines for making design decisions, building mathematical models, and accounting for interdisciplinary interactions throughout the design development process. Students work in teams to apply the methods on a design project from concept generation to prototyping and design verification. The course is open to all seniors and graduate students (3 or 4 credits).

COURSEWORK

The material is studied from provided instructional modules and references. Students work in teams on a design project proposed by the team or by a sponsor. Project work includes: Early prototyping for concept exploration; development of mathematical models for design decisions from engineering, economic, and marketing perspectives; use of engineering analysis tools and software, Excel-based economic analysis, and
conjoint analysis via statistical packages; conduct of scientific surveys to support user preference modeling; prototype construction to test design concept prior to finalizing the design.

Topics details...
Design development process
Product development models -- Structure of producing organizations -- Discipline interactions -- Concept generation -- Artifact creation from the viewpoints of users, producers, and society -- Business plans
The decision-making paradigm
Analytical decision making -- Decision theory and optimization -- Extensions of classical quality-function-deployment
User viewpoints
Modeling tools in mathematical psychology and marketing -- Conjoint analysis -- Kansei Engineering -- Aesthetics -- Human factors
Producer viewpoints
Microeconomic models -- Net present value -- Cost-benefit analysis -- Price-demand links -- Nash equilibrium -- Enterprise design decisions
Design in complex organizations
Design structure matrix -- Functional dependence table -- CAE and the Internet -- Hierarchical design -- Product families -- Portfolio design
Design and Society
Regulatory environments -- Ethical issues -- Social issues -- Legal issues: Patents and liability

Project work includes:

• Early prototyping for concept exploration; 
• Development of mathematical models for design decisions from engineering, economic, and marketing (user) perspectives
• Use of engineering analysis tools and software
• Excel-based economic analysis, and conjoint analysis via statistical packages
• Conduct of scientific surveys to support user preference modeling
• Prototype construction to test design concept prior to finalizing the design

COURSE CREDIT AND PREREQUISITES
The course is open to all seniors and graduate students (3 or 4 credits). ME seniors can take ME 455 either to satisfy the ME 450 requirement (must register for 4 credits and must satisfy the ME 450 prerequisites—ME 250, 350, 395) or as a technical elective (3 credits). Non-ME students can take the course as an elective (4 credits). ARTDES students should register under ARTDES 300 (4 credits) and have senior standing. Graduate students can register under Design Science 501 (3 credits). For additional requirements for graduate students contact the instructor.
The course makes use of mathematical models, so familiarity with sophomore-level mathematics knowledge typical in engineering programs is required for students seeking engineering credit. Consult the instructor, if in doubt.