CASE STUDY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CUSTOMIZED CHECKLISTS
Achieving the twin goals increasing the usability while reducing the cost is neither solely a marketing problem nor solely a design/manufacturing problem.It is a product development problem involving all activities simultaneously.
Gauging User Requirements
*stiffness
*smooth shifting
*steady handling
Ease of use requirements
*comfort
*adjustability
*quick adjustment of seat height
*good shock absorption
Aesthetic requirements
*appearance
*shape
*cleanliness
*smoothness
Reliability requirements
*the bicycle should be able to function under varied road surface conditions.
*the bicycle shifting should be crisp and smooth.
*the brake cable should be sturdy
Maintainability and serviceability requirements
*low maintenance
*easy removal
*accessibility
Braking-brings the bike to a stop smoothly and predictably.If breaking is too hard it can throw a rider to the front and lift the rear wheel of the ground.Slow braking is equally hazardous.
PRODUCT AND PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS
The product features design into the bicycle.The important parts of a bicycle are the frame.,fork,wheels,drive train,and the brakes.The frame provides the structural base for the entire bike.
Development of Usability and Design Checklists
Input obtained user interaction,as outlined preceding section,was used to determine the wants and needs of customers and to obtain design/manufacturing links/determine by analysis based on usability transformation matrices.Usability and design/manufacturing information through this interaction was translated into appropriate questionnaires.
Gauging User Requirements
*stiffness
*smooth shifting
*steady handling
Ease of use requirements
*comfort
*adjustability
*quick adjustment of seat height
*good shock absorption
Aesthetic requirements
*appearance
*shape
*cleanliness
*smoothness
Reliability requirements
*the bicycle should be able to function under varied road surface conditions.
*the bicycle shifting should be crisp and smooth.
*the brake cable should be sturdy
Maintainability and serviceability requirements
*low maintenance
*easy removal
*accessibility
Braking-brings the bike to a stop smoothly and predictably.If breaking is too hard it can throw a rider to the front and lift the rear wheel of the ground.Slow braking is equally hazardous.
PRODUCT AND PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS
The product features design into the bicycle.The important parts of a bicycle are the frame.,fork,wheels,drive train,and the brakes.The frame provides the structural base for the entire bike.
Development of usability and design checklists
Input obtained user interaction,as outlined preceding section,was used to determine the wants and needs of customers and to obtain design/manufacturing links/determine by analysis based on usability transformation matrices.Usability and design/manufacturing information through this interaction was translated into appropriate questionnaires.
DATA COLLECTION
The users who participated in the study had used bicycles for at least a couple of years.All were with the use repair and maintenance of bikes.The subjects belonged to both genders.They evaluated the usability of bicycles that they used regularly for commuting or trekking. The reliability was tested by measuring the internal consistency of the score for each questionnaires.The CRONBACH coefficient alpha methods was to test for reliability.
RESULT
The cronbach coefficient alpha values for the evaluation questionnaires for usability attributes (functionality,ease of use,aesthetics,reliability,maintainability and serviceability,environmental friendliness,recycleability and disposability and customizability.)
The correlation between the average score and the overall score for each of the nine usability evaluation questionnaires was found to be significant.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Tn an increasingly competitive world,design lead time is on a continuous decline in an ever increasing push to get new products to market quicker.This means that the unos is now on the manufacturer to develop a highly usable product right,the first time.The checklist based approach provides a heuristic method to tell the designer what to expect in a product to adopt the most appropriate design and relate manufacturing process to user requirements. The cases presented in this chapter develop and tested questionnaires for each usability dimension.The practical implication of the overall usability score is that it can be used as a criterion for product selection.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The critical can opener usability features and manufacturing process necessary to achieve them are as follows:
*Ease of cutting:A hard blade makes cutting easier.The desired hardness can be achieved by proper heat treatment of the blade.
*Smoothness of lid cutting:The cutting edge should be sharp enough to rip through the can lid.This can be achieved by appropriate swaging of the blades edge.
*Slip-free operation:This characteristic depends on how tightly and smoothly the drive sprocket rolls on the outside of the can rim.
*Safety in handling:The can opener should be free from sharp edges and burrs.
*Comfortable grip:A comfortable grip is ensured by smoothening the surface of the handle and radiusing the edge.
*Appearance and durability:This depends on the surface preparation and coating.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT for the USABILITY of a TOASTER:
USER REQUIREMENTS
Some Primary usability requirements:
1.Functional requirements:
*a toaster should produce a toast of ideal golden brown.
*a toast should be uniformly browned over the entire slice on both sides.
*a toasting action should not take too long.
2.Ease of use:
*the controls such as push down lever and sliding knob should be easy to operate.
*the controls should be conveniently located(some designs,the slide down lever is placed along the slide panel.)
3.Aesthetics:
*the overall external appearance should be pleasant and stylish.
4.Maintainability
*removal of bread crumbs should be easy.
*the outside of the toaster should not stain permanently
5.Reliability:
*since a toaster is intended for daily use by the entire family,it should be sturdy enough to perform reliability.It should be durable.
6.Energy consumption:
*the electrical energy consumption should be minimized.Although a toaster does not cost too much in terms of energy cost,it does draw a fairly large amount of current.
7.Safety:
*the outside of the toaster should not be so hot as to burn the skin.
*the toaster should protect the user from being electrocuted.
8.Recyclability:
*at the end of its useful life,the toaster should be easy to dismantle and dispose of.The parts of the toaster should be recyclability.
Some of the more commonly used fastening methods include:
>Integral fasteners:this constitute formed areas of the component part or parts that function by interfering or interlocking with other areas of assembly.
>Threaded fastener:separate components having internal or external threads for mechanically joining the parts.
>Rivets:used for fastening two or more pieces together by passing the body through the hole in each piece then clinching or forming a second head on the other head on the other end of the rivet body.
>Industrial stitching and stapling:fastening methods in which U-shaped stitches are formed from a coil of steel wire by a machine that applies the stitch.
>Shrink and expansion fits:composed of two normally interfering parts in which the interference been eliminated.
>Snap fit and slide fit:commonly used in plastic parts when frequently disassembly is needed for pats replacement.
*Ease of cutting:A hard blade makes cutting easier.The desired hardness can be achieved by proper heat treatment of the blade.
*Smoothness of lid cutting:The cutting edge should be sharp enough to rip through the can lid.This can be achieved by appropriate swaging of the blades edge.
*Slip-free operation:This characteristic depends on how tightly and smoothly the drive sprocket rolls on the outside of the can rim.
*Safety in handling:The can opener should be free from sharp edges and burrs.
*Comfortable grip:A comfortable grip is ensured by smoothening the surface of the handle and radiusing the edge.
*Appearance and durability:This depends on the surface preparation and coating.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT for the USABILITY of a TOASTER:
USER REQUIREMENTS
Some Primary usability requirements:
1.Functional requirements:
*a toaster should produce a toast of ideal golden brown.
*a toast should be uniformly browned over the entire slice on both sides.
*a toasting action should not take too long.
2.Ease of use:
*the controls such as push down lever and sliding knob should be easy to operate.
*the controls should be conveniently located(some designs,the slide down lever is placed along the slide panel.)
3.Aesthetics:
*the overall external appearance should be pleasant and stylish.
4.Maintainability
*removal of bread crumbs should be easy.
*the outside of the toaster should not stain permanently
5.Reliability:
*since a toaster is intended for daily use by the entire family,it should be sturdy enough to perform reliability.It should be durable.
6.Energy consumption:
*the electrical energy consumption should be minimized.Although a toaster does not cost too much in terms of energy cost,it does draw a fairly large amount of current.
7.Safety:
*the outside of the toaster should not be so hot as to burn the skin.
*the toaster should protect the user from being electrocuted.
8.Recyclability:
*at the end of its useful life,the toaster should be easy to dismantle and dispose of.The parts of the toaster should be recyclability.
Some of the more commonly used fastening methods include:
>Integral fasteners:this constitute formed areas of the component part or parts that function by interfering or interlocking with other areas of assembly.
>Threaded fastener:separate components having internal or external threads for mechanically joining the parts.
>Rivets:used for fastening two or more pieces together by passing the body through the hole in each piece then clinching or forming a second head on the other head on the other end of the rivet body.
>Industrial stitching and stapling:fastening methods in which U-shaped stitches are formed from a coil of steel wire by a machine that applies the stitch.
>Shrink and expansion fits:composed of two normally interfering parts in which the interference been eliminated.
>Snap fit and slide fit:commonly used in plastic parts when frequently disassembly is needed for pats replacement.
Friday, January 13, 2012
DESIGN SUPPORT TOOLS AND METHODOLOGIES:
>Design for assembly
>Robust design
>Group technology
>quality function deployment
DESIGN for PRODUCIBILITY- emphasizes that design of detailed parts cannot be independent of the manufacturing process.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY for USABILITY- consist of the following distinct sections development of a set of checklist for evaluating product usability.
GENERIC CHECKLIST DESIGN:METHODS AND CASE STUDIES
The information regarding manufacturing processes that enable the designer to produce usable products are sought from numerous sources,such as users,manufacturers,manufacturing handbooks,and other published literature.
product development for the usability of a can opener
The users considered a manual can opener to be usable if the following criteria were meet:
*it easily pierced the lid
*it is easy to turn
*it is comfortable to grip
*it rolls without slipping
*it cuts smoothly and neatly
*it is durable
*it has a good appearance
poduct deployment-to translate the previously technical requirements into product specifications.
product architecture
process deployment-to determine the manufacturing processes necessary to actually produce the product by relating various product features to specific manufacturing operations.
manufacturing process-
manufacturing deployment-the various manufacturing techniques necessary to manufacture the product are related to process attributes that affect them positively or negatively.
>Design for assembly
>Robust design
>Group technology
>quality function deployment
DESIGN for PRODUCIBILITY- emphasizes that design of detailed parts cannot be independent of the manufacturing process.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY for USABILITY- consist of the following distinct sections development of a set of checklist for evaluating product usability.
GENERIC CHECKLIST DESIGN:METHODS AND CASE STUDIES
The information regarding manufacturing processes that enable the designer to produce usable products are sought from numerous sources,such as users,manufacturers,manufacturing handbooks,and other published literature.
product development for the usability of a can opener
The users considered a manual can opener to be usable if the following criteria were meet:
*it easily pierced the lid
*it is easy to turn
*it is comfortable to grip
*it rolls without slipping
*it cuts smoothly and neatly
*it is durable
*it has a good appearance
poduct deployment-to translate the previously technical requirements into product specifications.
product architecture
process deployment-to determine the manufacturing processes necessary to actually produce the product by relating various product features to specific manufacturing operations.
manufacturing process-
manufacturing deployment-the various manufacturing techniques necessary to manufacture the product are related to process attributes that affect them positively or negatively.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
4.Reliability
The reliability of a product is the probability that it will perform satisfactorily for a specified period of time under the stated set of conditions. The average of mean lifetime for a population of products, is used as the measure of reliability. Improved reliability usually is achieved through continuous improvement in materials;product design, manufacturing processes and use improvement. Reliability growth test management is a critical component of the product assurance function.
5.Serviceability and Maintainability
Maintainability or serviceability is the element of product design concerned with assuring the ability of the product to perform satisfactorily throughout its intended useful lifespan with minimum expenditure of effort and money. Maintenance can either be preventive or breakdown maintenance. Designing for good serviceability involves providing for ease of both kinds of maintenance. The availability of the product for use depends both on reliability and serviceability.
6.Environmental Friendliness
The accelerated flow of waste and emission due to the proliferation in industrial activities spurred by rising demand for consumer products is causing increased population of the ecosystem. A design that has minimal or no harmful effects during manufacture,use,and disposal is considered environmentally friendly.
7.Recyclability and Disposability
Thousand of consumer products reach the end of their useful lives and join the waste stream. Product recycling reduces the adverse impact on environment by reducing the volume of materials deposited in landfills and converses scarce natural resources.
8.Safety
The increasing number of personal injury lawsuits filed each year in courts involving consumer products indicates that safety may be the most basic consideration in product design from both the human and cost perspectives.Safety implies the absence of hazards of the minimal exposure to them during the entire life cycle of the product.
9.Customizability
Customers often are willing to pay more if their individual needs are better satisfied. Design for mass customizability is a new approach catering to an increasing variety of customer requirements without corresponding increase in cost and lead time.Providing products and services that best serve the costumers needs while maintaining mass production efficiency is a new paradigm for industry.
The reliability of a product is the probability that it will perform satisfactorily for a specified period of time under the stated set of conditions. The average of mean lifetime for a population of products, is used as the measure of reliability. Improved reliability usually is achieved through continuous improvement in materials;product design, manufacturing processes and use improvement. Reliability growth test management is a critical component of the product assurance function.
5.Serviceability and Maintainability
Maintainability or serviceability is the element of product design concerned with assuring the ability of the product to perform satisfactorily throughout its intended useful lifespan with minimum expenditure of effort and money. Maintenance can either be preventive or breakdown maintenance. Designing for good serviceability involves providing for ease of both kinds of maintenance. The availability of the product for use depends both on reliability and serviceability.
6.Environmental Friendliness
The accelerated flow of waste and emission due to the proliferation in industrial activities spurred by rising demand for consumer products is causing increased population of the ecosystem. A design that has minimal or no harmful effects during manufacture,use,and disposal is considered environmentally friendly.
7.Recyclability and Disposability
Thousand of consumer products reach the end of their useful lives and join the waste stream. Product recycling reduces the adverse impact on environment by reducing the volume of materials deposited in landfills and converses scarce natural resources.
8.Safety
The increasing number of personal injury lawsuits filed each year in courts involving consumer products indicates that safety may be the most basic consideration in product design from both the human and cost perspectives.Safety implies the absence of hazards of the minimal exposure to them during the entire life cycle of the product.
9.Customizability
Customers often are willing to pay more if their individual needs are better satisfied. Design for mass customizability is a new approach catering to an increasing variety of customer requirements without corresponding increase in cost and lead time.Providing products and services that best serve the costumers needs while maintaining mass production efficiency is a new paradigm for industry.
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING USABLE CONSUMER PRODUCTS:
1.Functionality
Most design activities are preceded by obtaining information regarding the needs of users through market research (McClelland, 1990). It involves the creation of synthesized solutions in the form of products that satisfy users perceived needs through the mapping of functional requirements in the functional domain and the design parameters in physical domain, and the proper selection of design parameters that satisfy the functional requirements. This mapping is not unique and the outcome depends on the creative process of individual designer.
Techniques to enhance the creative process:
*trigger word technique- definition statement is analyzed recursively to create different set of connotations and ides to solve the problem.
*checklist technique- consist of standard set of questions and focuses on various ways of addressing the problem.
*morphological technique- analyzing the problem to determine the independent parameters involved.
*attribute seeking technique- all essential characteristics are singled out and analyzed individually, using either the trigger word or the checklist approach.
*Gordon technique- deals with the basic underlying concepts involves in the situation, instead of considering the obvious aspects of the given problem.
*brainstorming technique- is a group-ideation technique usually consisting of six to eight individuals who are well conversant with the field.
2. Ease of operation
A product is considered user friendly if the functions allocated to humans are within the limitations of their abilities and constraints, and the product user interface is physically comfortable and mentally not stressful (Haubner 1993). The system should be easy to learn, easy to remember, and relatively error free (Neilson, 1992-1993b). As the user product interaction continues becoming less physical and more cognitive, it is essential to understand the cognition of products semantics, that is,the symbolic interaction between users and products.
3. Aesthetics
A customer's perception of a product's value is based in part on its aesthetic appeal (Logan,Augaitis, and Renk.1994). An attractive product may create a sense of high fashion,image and pride of ownership (Akita.1991). The design of products should induce a positive sensual feeling.
KANSEL ENGINEERING is a technology that translate consumers' feeling and image of a product into design elements.
KE type I -deals with design elements of new products.
KE type II - Utilizes current computer technologies,such as expert system and neural network models.
KE type III -is the mathematical logic model.
1.Functionality
Most design activities are preceded by obtaining information regarding the needs of users through market research (McClelland, 1990). It involves the creation of synthesized solutions in the form of products that satisfy users perceived needs through the mapping of functional requirements in the functional domain and the design parameters in physical domain, and the proper selection of design parameters that satisfy the functional requirements. This mapping is not unique and the outcome depends on the creative process of individual designer.
Techniques to enhance the creative process:
*trigger word technique- definition statement is analyzed recursively to create different set of connotations and ides to solve the problem.
*checklist technique- consist of standard set of questions and focuses on various ways of addressing the problem.
*morphological technique- analyzing the problem to determine the independent parameters involved.
*attribute seeking technique- all essential characteristics are singled out and analyzed individually, using either the trigger word or the checklist approach.
*Gordon technique- deals with the basic underlying concepts involves in the situation, instead of considering the obvious aspects of the given problem.
*brainstorming technique- is a group-ideation technique usually consisting of six to eight individuals who are well conversant with the field.
2. Ease of operation
A product is considered user friendly if the functions allocated to humans are within the limitations of their abilities and constraints, and the product user interface is physically comfortable and mentally not stressful (Haubner 1993). The system should be easy to learn, easy to remember, and relatively error free (Neilson, 1992-1993b). As the user product interaction continues becoming less physical and more cognitive, it is essential to understand the cognition of products semantics, that is,the symbolic interaction between users and products.
3. Aesthetics
A customer's perception of a product's value is based in part on its aesthetic appeal (Logan,Augaitis, and Renk.1994). An attractive product may create a sense of high fashion,image and pride of ownership (Akita.1991). The design of products should induce a positive sensual feeling.
KANSEL ENGINEERING is a technology that translate consumers' feeling and image of a product into design elements.
KE type I -deals with design elements of new products.
KE type II - Utilizes current computer technologies,such as expert system and neural network models.
KE type III -is the mathematical logic model.
CHAPTER 10: Design for Usability
Product design is the process of creating new and improved products for people to use. Consumer products are are designed to facilitate use by the general public, whereas commercial products are used to produced goods and services.Consumer products are different from commercial products in several respects:
>the user is generally untrained
>the user often works unsupervised
>the user is a part of a diverse population(Cushman and Rosenberg,1991).
The process of designing and manufacturing consumer products is influenced greatly by the needs and demand of the customers. In the early twentieth century,consumer products were designed primarily to provide functionality.Later,products feature,such as forms and appearance,began to emphasized. Although this resulted in good-looking products with an array of features,such products often were difficult to use (Ulrich and Eppinger, 1995).
In 1990's,designers began emphasizing the user friendliness of products.To make products usable by making them environmentally friendly,designers needs to emphasize energy efficiency,recyclability, and disposability.This calls for considering all life-cycle phase of a product simultaneously - design,product,distribution,usage,maintenance,and disposal/recycling - in determining the usability.
Of late, designers began emphasizing the customizability of products to meet demand from users to satisfy individual tastes and preferences.
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNING and MANUFACTURING USABLE CONSUMER:
*Functionality
*Ease of operation
*Aesthetics
*Reliability
*Maintainability/serviceability
*Environmental friendliness
*Recyclability/disposability
*Safety
*Customizability
>the user is generally untrained
>the user often works unsupervised
>the user is a part of a diverse population(Cushman and Rosenberg,1991).
The process of designing and manufacturing consumer products is influenced greatly by the needs and demand of the customers. In the early twentieth century,consumer products were designed primarily to provide functionality.Later,products feature,such as forms and appearance,began to emphasized. Although this resulted in good-looking products with an array of features,such products often were difficult to use (Ulrich and Eppinger, 1995).
In 1990's,designers began emphasizing the user friendliness of products.To make products usable by making them environmentally friendly,designers needs to emphasize energy efficiency,recyclability, and disposability.This calls for considering all life-cycle phase of a product simultaneously - design,product,distribution,usage,maintenance,and disposal/recycling - in determining the usability.
Of late, designers began emphasizing the customizability of products to meet demand from users to satisfy individual tastes and preferences.
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNING and MANUFACTURING USABLE CONSUMER:
*Functionality
*Ease of operation
*Aesthetics
*Reliability
*Maintainability/serviceability
*Environmental friendliness
*Recyclability/disposability
*Safety
*Customizability
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