Generation of conceptual designs within Design Function Deployment

The generation of conceptual designs during product development, represents perhaps the core of the design process. It is during this phase that the greatest demand and challenge is made on the designer, and it is where there is the greatest opportunity for key improvements. In this phase, engineering science, practical knowledge, production methods, commercial and marketing considerations are brought together and accounted for in making the necessary design decisions. In this paper techniques generally adopted for generation of designs are discussed. In Design Function Deployment (DFD), significant emphasis is laid on the generation of the design solution space, both at the conceptual and detailed design stages. The approach adopted in DFD for the generation of conceptual design solutions, using the Morphological Analysis method, is also elucidated.