Teaching Students How to Create Innovative Design Solutions Within a Product Development Context

Darren C. Olson

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Conference: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Publication Date: June 26, 2016
Start Date: June 26, 2016
End Date: June 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-68565-5
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division Technical Session 3
Tagged Division: Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation
Page Count: 36
DOI: 10.18260/p.26051
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/26051
Download Count: 718

Paper Authors

biography

Darren C. Olson Central Washington University

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Dr. Olson teaches at Central Washington University, where he is the coordinator of the M.S. program in Engineering Technology. He earned a Ph.D. in Technology Management from Indiana State University, specializing in Quality Systems. He also earned an M.Ed. from Bowling Green State University in Career and Technology Education, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University. His interests are related to innovative problem solving, technology management, and product development.

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400 E. University Way, MS 7584
Ellensburg, WA 98926

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Abstract

Students can learn to innovate on demand. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the term project in a product design and development course was used to help students develop innovative solutions to a real design challenge, based on a scenario provided by the instructor. Key concepts from the course were tied together throughout the phases of the project, which began with needs identification and progressed through the creation of design concepts, concept screening, concept refinement and selection, system-level design, component level design, and finally feasibility analysis. Students were provided with a scenario that required them to design an accessory for an existing mass-market product. The purpose of this new accessory was to provide the functionality and benefits of multiple existing accessories while avoiding some of the drawbacks posed by these current solutions. Students used a combination of tools to envision and refine design concepts, select a concept for development, and create a product design. Using stakeholder job statements as the starting point of the needs identification process, students created and prioritized a list of needs. They also created a list of contradictions among stakeholder needs, and then applied lateral thinking techniques, including inventive problem solving (TRIZ), to devise innovative solutions to design challenges and to develop initial product concepts. They screened and then refined those concepts, and then used a Pugh Matrix to select the winning concept. The leading concept was translated into system-level design requirements and then into design specifications using quality function deployment (QFD). Once a student’s design was fully developed, he or she analyzed its feasibility and further refined it based on the application of industrial design (ID), design for manufacture (DFM), robust design, and discounted cash flow analysis (DFA) concepts. By teaching students about some key concepts from a variety of related disciplines and giving them an opportunity to apply these principles in a structured assignment, the instructor was able to lead them through the process of creating an innovative product design, and help them to realize that innovation is an ability that can be developed.

Citation
Format

Olson, D. C. (2016, June), Teaching Students How to Create Innovative Design Solutions Within a Product Development Context Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.26051

TY - CPAPER
AB - Students can learn to innovate on demand. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the term project in a product design and development course was used to help students develop innovative solutions to a real design challenge, based on a scenario provided by the instructor. Key concepts from the course were tied together throughout the phases of the project, which began with needs identification and progressed through the creation of design concepts, concept screening, concept refinement and selection, system-level design, component level design, and finally feasibility analysis. Students were provided with a scenario that required them to design an accessory for an existing mass-market product. The purpose of this new accessory was to provide the functionality and benefits of multiple existing accessories while avoiding some of the drawbacks posed by these current solutions. Students used a combination of tools to envision and refine design concepts, select a concept for development, and create a product design. Using stakeholder job statements as the starting point of the needs identification process, students created and prioritized a list of needs. They also created a list of contradictions among stakeholder needs, and then applied lateral thinking techniques, including inventive problem solving (TRIZ), to devise innovative solutions to design challenges and to develop initial product concepts. They screened and then refined those concepts, and then used a Pugh Matrix to select the winning concept. The leading concept was translated into system-level design requirements and then into design specifications using quality function deployment (QFD). Once a student’s design was fully developed, he or she analyzed its feasibility and further refined it based on the application of industrial design (ID), design for manufacture (DFM), robust design, and discounted cash flow analysis (DFA) concepts. By teaching students about some key concepts from a variety of related disciplines and giving them an opportunity to apply these principles in a structured assignment, the instructor was able to lead them through the process of creating an innovative product design, and help them to realize that innovation is an ability that can be developed.
AU - Darren C. Olson
CY - New Orleans, Louisiana
DA - 2016/06/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Teaching Students How to Create Innovative Design Solutions Within a Product Development Context
UR - https://peer.asee.org/26051
DO - 10.18260/p.26051
ER -