Product Design & Development

Concept Generation

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 1

Generation.ppt
 Concept Generation Example:
Power Nailer
• What existing solution concepts, if any,
could be successfully adapted for this
application?
• What new concepts might satisfy the
established needs and specifications?
• What methods can be used to facilitate the
concept generation process?

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 2

Generation.ppt
 Concept Development
Process

Mission Development
Statement Identify Establish Generate Select Test Set Plan Plan
Customer Target Product Product Product Final Downstream
Needs Specifications Concepts Concept(s) Concept(s) Specifications Development

Perform Economic Analysis

Benchmark Competitive Products

Build and Test Models and Prototypes

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 3

Generation.ppt
 The Activity of Concept Generation
• A good concept is sometimes poorly
implemented in subsequent development
phases, but a poor concept can rarely be
manipulated to achieve commercial success.
• Concept generation typically consumes less
than 5% budget and 15% of the development
time
• Because the concept genaration activity is not
costly, there is no excuse for lack of diligence
and care in executing asound concept
4
generation method.
 Preliminary questions
After identifying customer needs and
establishing target product specifications, the
team should ask:
• What existing solutions could be adapted for this
application?
• What new concepts might satisfy these needs
and specifications?
• What methods can be used to facilitate concept
generation process?

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 5

Generation.ppt
 Concept generation activity
• Structured approaches reduce the
likelihood of costly problems
– Common dysfunctions during concept
generation:
– Consideration of only one or two alternatives, often
proposed by the most assertive members of the team.
– Failure to consider carefully the usefulness of concepts
employed by other firms in related and unrelated
products.
– Involvement of only one or two people in the process,
resulting in lack of confidence and commitment by other
team members.
– Ineffective integration of promising partial solutions.
– Failure to consider entire categories of solutions.
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 6
Generation.ppt
 A Five-Step Method
• Step 1: Clarify the Problem
• Step 2: Search Externally
• Step 3: Search Internally
• Step 4: Explore Systematically
• Step 5: Reflect on the Results and the
Process

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 7

Generation.ppt
 Concept Generation
Process
2. Search externally EXISTING
1. Clarify the CONCEPTS
• Lead users
problem
• Experts 4. Explore
• Understanding • Patents systematically
• Problem • Literature
• Classification tree
decomposition • Benchmarking
• Combination table
• Focus on critical
subproblems 3. Search internally INTEGRATED
SOLUTIONS
• Individual
5. Reflect on solution
• Group
and process
NEW • Constructive feedback
SUBPROBLEMS CONCEPTS
8
 The nailer: Step 1
Review assumptions underlying mission
statement
The nailer will:
– use nails (as opposed to adhesives, screws
etc.).
– be compatible with nail magazines on existing
tools.
– nail into wood.
– be hand-held.
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 9
Generation.ppt
 Customer needs
• Customer needs (for a hand-held nailer):
– The nailer inserts nails in rapid succession.
– The nailer works into tight spaces
– The nailer is lightweight.
– The nailer has no noticeable nailing delay
after tripping tool.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 10

Generation.ppt
 Target specifications
• No noticeable nailing delay after pulling
trigger
• Nail lengths from 25 to 38 mm.
• Maximum nailing energy of 40 J/nail.
• Nailing force of up to 2,000 N.
• Peak nailing rate of 12 nails/second.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 11

Generation.ppt
 Target specifications (cont)
• Average nailing rate of 4 nails/min.
• Maximum trigger delay of 0.25 second.
• Tool mass less than 4 kg
• Maximum trigger delay of 0.25 sec.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 12

Generation.ppt
 Problem decomposition

• Decompose complex problem into

simpler sub-problems. Many design
challenges are too complex to solve as
a single problem.
• Split a complex problem into simpler sub-
problems.(Problem decomposition)

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 13

Generation.ppt
 Problem decomposition

Possible submodules:
• Document handler
• Split system into modules • Paper feeder
Examples: • Image capture device
• Printing device
– document copier • ...

– paper clip More dificult to split,

but still possible...
• Many schemes
– Functional decomposition

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 14

Generation.ppt
 Problem Decomposition:
Function Diagram
INPUT OUTPUT
Energy (?) Energy (?)
Hand-held
Material (nails) Material (driven nail)
nailer
Signal (tool "trip") Signal (?)

Store or Convert
accept energy to
Energy external translational
energy energy

Apply
Store Isolate Driven
Nails translational
nails nail nail
energy to nail

"Trip" of Sense Trigger

tool trip tool

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 15

Generation.ppt
Some useful tips to get started
• Create a function diagram of an existing
product.
• Create function diagram based on an
arbitrary product concept already
generated by the team or on a known
subfunction technology. Be sure to
generalize the diagram to the appropriate
level of abstraction.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 16

Generation.ppt
 Tips to get started
• Follow one of the flows (e.g., materials)
and determine what operations are
required.
The details of the other flows can be
derived by thinking about their
connections to the initial flow.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 17

Generation.ppt
 Two other approaches
• Decomposition by sequence of user
actions.
– Move tool to approximate nailing position,
– Position tool precisely, Products with very simple
technical functions involving
– Pull trigger. a lot of user interactions

• Decomposition by key customer needs

– Fires nails in rapid succession,
– Fits in tight places, Products in which form, and
not working principles or
– Has large nail capacity. technology, is the primary
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept problem 18
Generation.ppt
 Focus on critical sub-problems
• The aim of decomposition techniques is to
split a complex problem into simpler sub-
problems, then tackle each in a focused
way.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 19

Generation.ppt
 The Nailer:
Step 2 - Search externally
• Conduct external searches to find existing
solutions to either the overall problem or a
sub-problem identified during the
decomposition step.
• Use search engines (in advanced mode)
to find existing solutions discussed on
Internet sites.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 20

Generation.ppt
 External and Internet Searches:
Hints for finding related solutions
• Lead Users • Patents
– see emerging needs – search related
before others inventions
– adopt and generate • Literature
innovations first – technical journals
• Benchmarking – conference
– competitive products proceedings
• Experts – trade literature
– technical experts – government reports
– experienced – consumer information
customers
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 21
Generation.ppt
 Patents
• Try the European patent office
• http://ep.espacenet.com
• US patent office
• http://patft.uspto.gov

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 22

Generation.ppt
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 23
Generation.ppt
 Step 3 - Search internally
• Suspend judgment
– Suspend evaluation for the days or weeks
required to generate a large set of alternatives
is critical to success.
• Generate a lot of ideas
– Most experts believe that the more ideas a
team generates, the more likely the team is to
explore fully the ‘solution space’.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 24

Generation.ppt
Step 3 - Search internally (cont)
• Welcome ideas, even if they do not seem
very feasible
– Ideas which initially appear infeasible can
often be improved, “debugged” or “repaired”
by other members of the team.
• Use graphical and physical media.
– Reasoning about physical and geometric
information with words is difficult.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 25

Generation.ppt
 Hints for Generating Solution
Concepts
• Make analogies
– Experienced designers always ask
themselves what other devices solve a related
problem.
• Wish and wonder
– Beginning a thought or comment with “I wish
we could.....” or “I wonder what would happen
if ....” helps to stimulate oneself or the group
to consider new possibilities.
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 26
Generation.ppt
 Hints (cont)
• Use related stimuli
– Most individuals can think of a new idea when
presented with a new stimulus.
• Use unrelated stimuli
– Occasionally, random or unrelated stimuli can
be effective in encouraging new ideas.
• Set quantitative goals
– Set a goal of 10 or 20 concepts.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 27

Generation.ppt
 Hints (cont)
• Use the gallery method
– Use the gallery method to display a large
number of concepts simultaneously for
discussion.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 28

Generation.ppt
 TRIZ
• In the 1990’s, a Russian problem solving
methodology called TRIZ (a Russian
acronym for theory of inventive problem
solving) began to disseminate in Europe
and USA.
• Useful in identifying physical working
principles.
• The key idea is to identify a contradiction
that is implicit in a problem.
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 29
Generation.ppt
Solutions for two of the
nailer’s subproblems

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 30

Generation.ppt
 The nailer:
Step 4 - Explore systematically
• After external and internal search there
are probably tens or hundreds of solutions
to subproblems, or concept fragments
• Navigate the space of possibilities…
– With the concept classification tree
– With the concept combination table

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 31

Generation.ppt
 Concept
classification tree
• Use it to:
– Prune less promising
branches (carefully)
– Identify related versus
independent approaches
– Highlight inappropriate
emphasis (certain
branches)
– Refine problem
decomposition.

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 32

Generation.ppt
 Refining problem decomposition
• Too much instantaneous power (~10000Watt)
for an outlet, battery or fuel cell to deliver in few
miliseconds
– Must accumulate and then trigger

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 33

Generation.ppt
 Concept combination table

• A systematic approach to combine partial solutions

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 34
Generation.ppt
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 35
Generation.ppt
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 36
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ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 37
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ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 38
Generation.ppt
 Managing the exploration
process
• Combination tables and classification trees
are not unique
– Just simple ways to organize thoughts
– Exploration step acts as a guide for further
creative thinking
• Often the concept generation phase is not
so straightforward
– In fact its almost always iterative...

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 39

Generation.ppt
Step 5: Reflect on the Results and
the Process
• Is the team developing confidence that the
solution space has been fully explored?
• Are there alternative function diagrams?
• Are there alternative ways to decompose
the problem?
• Have external sources been thoroughly
pursued?
• Have ideas from everyone been accepted
and integrated into process?
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 40
Generation.ppt
 Summary
• A product concept is an approximate
description of the technology, working
principles, and form of the product.
• The concept generation begins with a set
of customer needs and target
specifications.
• In most cases an effective team will
generate hundreds of concepts, of which 5
to 20 will merit serious consideration.
ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 41
Generation.ppt
 Summary
• The concept generation consists of 5
steps
– Clarify the problem
– Search externally
– Search internally
– Explore systematically
– Reflect on the solutions and the process

ETM 551 Lecture 5 -Concept 42

Generation.ppt