Design brief vital in manufacturing

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 27

Design brief vital in manufacturing

A design brief should be the first step in manufacturing any product, according to the regional manager for the New Zealand Industrial Design Council in Christchurch, Mr David Hamilton. The brief needed to cover what the problem was, what solution was required and what limit designers and developers had to work under.

Mr Hamilton said that in New Zealand new products were mainly developed from three sources — copy of overseas ideas, development of an original local idea or a need for a solution to a consumer problem.

In the first case often the only design brief was the overseas sample while in the second case, design was generally developed from a “how can I do this with these using those” basis. “In the third case we do have a good chance for a good design brief because we have a problem to start with,” Mr Hamilton said.

“Good industrial design will always begin by defining explicitly the problem to be solved. Once we have this definition we can begin to build a solution,” he said.

Like computer programming, developing the brief generally means learning a lot about the systems involved in the product, in order to reach a solution.

“The designer cannot be successful if he doesn't know what he is meant to be designing any more than the builder can build a house without his plans,” Mr Hamilton said.

“Even if the boss gives you a nice-looking imported plastic beer-mug tray to copy, you should ask yourself and your team what the tray is intended to do.”

The tray may not suit New Zealand conditions. By finding a solution to this problem and incorporating it in the design, a better product will result, Mr Hamilton said.

During the development of

the design brief for a particular product the proposer’s design criteria priorities should be set.

© Does he want the product's shape to take precedence over efficiency -{this could determine whether a set of small, cheap flashlight batteries are used or a minute, high-priced lead iodide long-life battery. ® Is the weight more important than the strength? (Plastic as opposed to metal.) Another important consideration is that all parties involved in the production of the article, edit the design before the first step in investment is undertaken. “The reason for this should be obvious but very often it is not. A production supervisor whose staff is going to handle the assembly could possibly add good ideas in this area. The toolmaker who will be designing the tool or moulding die can often suggest better design factors to simplify his work," Mr Hamilton said.