1.4 Case Study

MUSIC ] >> WE OFTEN THINK OF DESIGN AS A SOLO PROCESS WITH ONE VISIONARY CHIPPING AWAY AT A PROJECT TO CREATE A MASTERPIECE, BUT USUALLY THE REALITY COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

DESIGN PROJECTS OFTEN REQUIRE A GROUP EFFORT WITH EACH PERSON CONTRIBUTING THEIR SKILLS TO AN OVERALL VISION, SO LEARNING TO WORK COOPERATIVELY IN GROUP PROJECTS IS ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING SUCCESSFUL DESIGN OUTCOMES.

IN THIS PROGRAM, WE WILL SEE HOW A TEAM WORKS TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL, FROM A CLIENT INTERVIEW TO THE DESIGN STAGE, PLANNING AND COMMUNICATING OF IDEAS AND RIGHT THROUGH TO PRODUCTION.

IT WILL ALSO DEMONSTRATE HOW USEFUL EVALUATION CAN BE IN MONITORING THE TEAM'S PROGRESS TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL.

WE WILL LOOK AT DESIGNING AS A TEAM, COMMUNICATING THE IDEAS, CHECKING PROGRESS, MAKING THE PRODUCT AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PRODUCT HAS MET THE DESIGN BRIEF REQUIREMENTS.

WE WILL ALSO BE GETTING SOME IDEAS FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD.

[ MUSIC ] >> AS WITH ANY TYPE OF DESIGN, GROUP PROJECTS BEGIN WITH A DESIGN BRIEF FROM THE CLIENT THAT WILL BE THE STARTING POINT TO THE TEAM.

A BRIEF CAN BE INFLUENCED BY A MYRIAD OF FACTORS, FROM CONSUMER DEMAND AND NEED TO MAINTAINING PRODUCT ADVANTAGE AND SEEKING INNOVATION.

>> WELL, A DESIGN BRRIEF'S AN INTERESTING SORT OF DOCUMENT AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO US WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT WILL HAVE AN IDEA IN THEIR HEADS, SOMETIMES IT'S WRITTEN DOWN IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WANT, IN TERMS OF A DESIGN BRIEF, BUT THE WAY THAT WE LOOK AT IT IS WE REALLY TRY TO GET, WITH OUR DESIGN BRIEF, AS MUCH OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE REALLY AFTER, WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.

>> THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT REASONS WHY A CLIENT MIGHT NEED THE SERVICES OF A DESIGN TEAM.

THEIR BRIEF SHOULD OUTLINE THESE REASONS TO HELP GIVE THE DESIGNERS AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY AIMING FOR.

>> IT'LL OFTEN COME FROM A CLIENT WHO IS ALREADY IN THE MARKETPLACE AND IS SEEKING TO IMPROVE THEIR POSITION IN THE MARKETPLACE, COMMUNICATE TO A NEW AUDIENCE IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A GRAPHIC DESIGN PROJECT, RE-BRAND OR REPOSITION A COMPANY OR A RANGE OF PRODUCTS.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT A PRODUCT DESIGN OR INDUSTRIAL DESIGN OUTCOME, THEY ARE OFTEN SEEKING TO INTRODUCE A NEW PRODUCT OR PRODUCT RANGE OR MAKE A DRAMATIC CHANGE TO AN EXISTING PRODUCT RANGE BECAUSE THEY ARE FEELING LIKE THEY'RE NOT RIGHT AT THE CUTTING EDGE COMPARED WITH COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS.

SO, THOSE FACTORS INFLUENCE THE CLIENT'S THINKING IN THE FIRST INSTANCE THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE DESIGN TO AFFECT AN OUTCOME.

>> UNDERSTANDING A CLIENT'S NEEDS WILL SAVE TIME FOR THE DESIGN TEAM AND PREVENT THE CLIENT FROM FEELING THE NEED TO MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES TO YOUR DESIGN SOLUTIONS.

THE DESIGN BRIEF SHOULD BE DRAWN UP AS A PRODUCT OF DISCUSSION WITH THE CLIENT BEFORE ANY WORK IS DONE.

THIS ENSURES THAT THE DESIGNER UNDERSTANDS WHERE THE CLIENT IS COMING FROM.

>> SO, THE BRIEF REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW DEFINED THE PRODUCT IS AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

AND WE HAVE CLIENTS THAT COME TO US RIGHT WHEN THEY-- WHEN THEY REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT, AND THE BRIEF THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE CONSTRAINED THAN IT IS EARLIER ON.

SO, IT IS A QUESTION OF CONSTRAINTS AND A QUESTION OF WHAT- OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE TRADE OFF POINTS ARE AND SO WHEN WE SIT DOWN WITH A CLIENT AND WE ARE TALKING THROUGH A BRIEF, TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, WE ARE TRYING TO PICK WHAT WE CAN SEE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WHAT WE ARE TRADE OFF'S LOOK LIKE.

COST IS A VERY TYPICAL SORT OF TRADE OFF TYPE POINT, SO AND THAT GOES IN TERMS OF THE COST OF THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR THEM AS WELL.

>> THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN BRIEF IS TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT CONSIDERATIONS, CONSTRAINTS AND SPECIFICATIONS IN DIRECTING THE DESIGNERS TOWARDS SOLUTIONS.

WORKING AS A TEAM, THE FIRST STEP SHOULD BE TO INVESTIGATE AND DESIGN PRODUCTS THAT SATISFY HUMAN NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS.

TO ACHIEVE THIS, DESIGNERS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO RESEARCH THE PRODUCT, BRAND AND THE CONSUMER.

THE TEAM CAN PUT ITS RESOURCES INTO RESEARCHING EXISTING MARKETS AND PRODUCTS OR THEY MAY GO DOWN A COMPLETELY NEW TRACK TO CREATE A UNIQUE NEW PRODUCT.

THIS CAN INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RESEARCH SOLUTIONS, FROM MARKET SURVEYS, PRODUCT ANALYSIS OR TARGET GROUP SURVEYING, TO TESTING A PROPOSED MARKET.

>> I AM ALWAYS HOLDING YOUNG DESIGNERS BACK YOU KNOW.

THEY GET A BRIEF AND THEY WANT TO GET STRAIGHT INTO IT AND MY VIEW OF LIFE IS NO, LET'S REALLY INTERROGATE THIS VERY THOROUGHLY.

LET'S DO THE PRE-RESEARCH, LET'S UNDERSTAND IT, CONTEXTUALIZE IT, DOCUMENT IT, EVEN PRESENT IT TO THE CLIENT BECAUSE IT MIGHT SHOW A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN THE CLIENT THINKS IN THE BRIEF.

AND AT THAT POINT, YOU CAN START DEVELOPING THE SOLUTION, SO YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO DISTINCT PARTS TO A DESIGN PROJECT, THERE'S THE BRIEF AND THE RESEARCH YOU KNOW ONE MIGHT COME IN PART WITH THE BRIEF, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS RESEARCH TO BE DONE AND THEN THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, REFINEMENT AND PRODUCTION I SEE AS THE SECOND PART OF THE PROJECT.

>> RESEARCH MUST ALWAYS COME BEFORE DEVELOPMENT PAVING THE WAY FOR ACHIEVABLE SOLUTIONS.

THE DESIGN BRIEF SHOULD DIRECT THE KIND OF RESEARCH THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AND ONCE EVERYTHING IS UNDERSTOOD, THE REAL WORK CAN BEGIN.

THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE A DESIGN BRIEF, FROM CONSUMER DEMANDS OR NEEDS TO MAINTAINING PRODUCT ADVANTAGE AND SATISFYING HUMAN REQUIREMENTS.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BASED ON THE BRIEF WILL REVEAL ANY CONSIDERATIONS, CONSTRAINTS, SPECIFICATIONS AND TARGET GROUPS.

[ MUSIC ] >> THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF DESIGNING AS A TEAM IS BEING ABLE TO WORK COHESIVELY, USING THE STRENGTHS OF THE GROUP TO CREATE DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR THE CLIENT.

A GOOD TEAM NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE ITS IDEAS EFFECTIVELY AND OPERATE WITHOUT CLOUDED JUDGMENT.

>> THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT GOOD TEAMS TYPICALLY HAVE IN COMMON AND EFFECTIVE TEAMS HAVE AND REALLY I GUESS THE KEY ROLE IN THAT TEAM IS REALLY THE TEAM LEADER, AND THE TEAM LEADER'S GOT TO HAVE A ROLE IN THAT WHICH IS BASICALLY A FACILITATING TYPE ROLE.

SO, YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO LEADS THE TEAM AND THEIR JOB REALLY IS TO JUST KNOCK DOWN ALL THE ROADBLOCKS THAT THE TEAM FACES, AND COORDINATE AND FACILITATE.

SO, NOT NECESSARILY TO BE THE ONE MAKING ALL THE DECISIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT OR TO BE PUSHING TEAMS IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS, BUT LEADING THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE OBSTACLES ARE UM, OVERCOME.

>> COLLABORATION IS THE KEY IN A DESIGN TEAM USING EACH INDIVIDUAL'S STRENGTHS, TO BRAINSTORM AND CREATE MIND MAPS, TO GENERATE, VISUALIZE, STRUCTURE AND CLASSIFY IDEAS.

>> COLLABORATION IS-- IN MY VIEW, COLLABORATION AND NETWORKING AND SHARING AND TEAM BUILDING IS ALL ABOUT WHAT GOOD DESIGN DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE THESE DAYS.

SO, I THINK IT IS MORE SO NOW THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN AND I SEE IT BEING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE.

>> COLLABORATION WILL ALSO AID IN MAKING MORE QUANTITATIVE DECISIONS, SUCH AS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS WHEN CHOOSING DESIGN MATERIALS.

THE CHOICE OF MATERIALS AND THEIR SUITABILITY TO THE DESIGN INCREASINGLY HAS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LIFESPAN OF THE PRODUCT, AS WELL AS ITS SUSTAINABILITY.

HAVING A TEAM OF INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGNERS WILL ALLOW A WIDER ARRAY OF IDEAS TO FLOW THROUGH TO THE COMMUNICATION STAGE.

>> I THINK SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TEAMS, TOO, FROM A DESIGN PROJECT POINT OF VIEW, ARE ONES THAT ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY, PEOPLE WHO CAN UNDERSTAND OR CONCEPTUALIZE THINGS IN DEPTH, BUT ALSO HAVE A VERY WIDE VIEWPOINT AS WELL.

>> ALTHOUGH DESIGN OVER THE LAST TEN OR SO YEARS HAS BEEN RELIANT ON COMPUTERS TO CREATE INITIAL DESIGN IDEAS, TRENDS ARE CHANGING.

THESE DAYS, IT IS ACCEPTED THAT CREATING SOLID 3D OR 2D PICTURES (OR MOCKUPS ) ALLOWS FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY ALL AROUND.

CREATING REAL LIFE MODELS ESPECIALLY ONES THAT TEST THE CHOSEN DESIGN MATERIALS LETS THE DESIGNERS CHANGE TANGIBLE ASPECTS OF THE DESIGN MORE READILY THAN THEY CAN ON A COMPUTER SCREEN.

IT WILL ALSO HELP THE CLIENT GET A BETTER PICTURE OF THE FINAL PRODUCT, BUT AS WITH ALL TEAMWORK, CONFLICT CAN ARISE OUT OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND DIVERSITY OF IDEAS.

SO, A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DESIRED APPROACH TO A SOLUTION MUST BE ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE.

>> BUT, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH WHEN YOU ARE WORKING IN THAT TEAM SORT OF ENVIRONMENT ON DESIGNING THINGS IS THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE FAVORITES IN THERE, AND YOU REALLY GO TO FOCUS ON NOT WORRYING ABOUT KILLING THEM OFF.

I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE IT IS SOMEONE'S FAVORITE IDEA DOESN'T MEAN IT IS THE BEST IDEA.

AND THERE IS A LOT OF THAT HOLDING ON LIKE I SAID, SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO KILL OFF YOU KNOW THE DARLING IDEA THAT EVERYONE THINKS 'OH WOULDN'T BE GREAT,' BUT YOU KNOW FOR SOME REASON IT IS NOT FEASIBLE.

>> DECIDING HOW TO COMMUNICATE IDEAS EARLY ON IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE A SMOOTHER WORK PROCESS LATER.

DOES THE TEAM CONTRIBUTE IDEAS ONE AT A TIME OR ALL AT ONCE?

LET THE GROUP COME TO CONSENSUS ABOUT THE PROCESS AND BE SURE TO STICK WITH IT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROJECT.

WORKING IN A GROUP CAN CREATE THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE RESULTS ON ANY JOB.

SO, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT IT IS DONE PROPERLY.

WORKING COHESIVELY AS A GROUP IS ESSENTIAL WHEN COMMUNICATING IDEAS.

WITH THE HELP OF A TEAM LEADER OR FACILITATOR, BRAINSTORMING AND CREATING MIND MAPS ARE TOOLS THAT CAN ENSURE THE SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION OF THE GROUP.

INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGNERS ADD A LOT TO A TEAM.

ONCE FORMED, THE TEAM CAN DECIDE ON DESIGN MATERIALS FOR THE PROJECT AND THE BEST WAY TO CONTRIBUTE AND CONVEY IDEAS.

[ MUSIC ] >> AS THE PROJECT ROLLS ON, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSTANTLY ANALYZE THE TEAM'S PROGRESS AND CHECK WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

THERE ARE A FEW WAYS OF DOING THIS, BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IS TO KEEP REVISITING YOUR ORIGINAL DESIGN BRIEF.

DOING SO IS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVEN'T VEERED TOO FAR FROM WHAT THE CLIENT ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED.

THE BRIEF SHOULD BE USED TO CREATE A SET OF DESIGN CRITERIA FROM WHICH YOU CAN MEASURE THE PROGRESS OF YOUR PROJECT.

>> YOU'RE GOING TO FORM A SET OF GOALS THAT YOU HAVE GOT TO START THE PROJECT THAT RELATE TO THE BRIEF, AND THEY'LL VARY FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT AND BRIEF TO BRIEF, SO YOU HAVE GOT TO KEEP MEASURING WHAT YOU ARE DOING AGAINST THOSE GOALS, BUT THEN PROJECTS TEND TO MOVE SOMEWHAT, THEY CHANGE FOCUS, THE BRIEF MAY IN FACT CHANGE QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY DURING A PROJECT.

SO, YOU KNOW IN THE END THE PERSON WHO IS WORKING ON A DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AS A YOUNG DESIGNER NEEDS TO BE USING MEASUREMENT CRITERIA TO SEE WHETHER THE CON- EACH OF THE CONCEPTS THEY ARE DOING IS PRACTICALLY MEETING THOSE GOALS AND IF THEY ARE NOT, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME CONTINUING TO PURSUE THEM.

>> THE CLIENT SHOULD ALSO BE INVOLVED IN EVALUATION AND TAKEN THROUGH THE PROCESS.

UNDERSTANDING WHY YOU MADE DECISIONS YOU DID ON ANY GIVEN DESIGN WILL GARNER THE CLIENT'S SUPPORT FOR THE END PRODUCT.

KNOWING THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE CLIENT AND THE TEAM WILL HELP AVOID UNNECESSARY CONFLICTS LATER ON.

>> I THINK THE BEST THING TO DO IS REALLY IS TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS WITH THE CLIENT. DON'T ASSUME THAT THEY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS QUESTION, YOU KNOW, AND TRY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

IT IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT IS DIFFICULT WORKING WITH NEW PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

SO EVERY TIME YOU'RE A NEW TEAM OR YOU'RE WORKING WITH NEW PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE GOT TO SORT OF GET THOSE EXPECTATIONS RIGHT AMONGST THE TEAM AND THAT TAKES SOME WORK.

ONCE YOU HAVE WORKED YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE WORKING AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH THE SAME TEAM IT JUST BECOMES A NATURAL PART OF HOW THE TEAM WORKS.

>> ONE OF THE MORE EFFECTIVE EVALUATIONS TO PERFORM IS DETERMINING HOW THE TEAM WORKS TOGETHER.

TRACKING PROGRESS THROUGH ACTUAL CHECKLISTS OR SOME OTHER FORM OF WRITTEN RECORD HELPS TO VISUALIZE AND DOCUMENT PROGRESS.

A MIND MAP IS A USEFUL TOOL TO TRACK THE GROUP'S PROGRESS.

IF THE TEAM DOES NOT WORK WELL TOGETHER, YOU MAY LOSE TIME, MONEY AND POSSIBLY THE CONTRACT.

>> THE EVALUATION, AND THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT, FOR THE TEAM TO BE WORKING REALLY WELL, IT IS GOT TO BE A NO-EGOS ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS, SO WHEN YOU COME IN TO THE DESIGN OFFICE OR THE CONSULTANCY, ITS EGO'S ON THE FRONT DOORSTEP AND YOU ARE IN THERE TO ADD VALUE, ADD YOUR BEST VALUE ON EXPERTISE AND ADVICE.

>> MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TEAM CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS HAVING AN OPEN FORUM WHERE MEMBERS CAN HAVE THEIR SAY ABOUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T.

IT CAN ALSO BE DONE THROUGH OBSERVATION.

ALTHOUGH INTERNAL FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT, GETTING EXTERNAL INPUT CAN GIVE YOU A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE DESIGN OR PRODUCT WHICH IS INVALUABLE AT THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE.

>> FEEDBACK IS VERY IMPORTANT.

TRADITIONALLY, THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE FEEDBACK WITHIN THE TEAM THAT IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT, BUT THEN THE TEAM REALLY NEEDS TO SAND OUT OTHERS, SO, THERE ARE OTHERS IN CLIENT ORGANIZATIONS, THERE ARE OTHERS IN SUPPLY ORGANIZATIONS.

THERE'S OTHERS, YOU KNOW, IN THE MARKETPLACE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO SAND OUT COMPETITORS, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS CUSTOMERS, ULTIMATE CUSTOMERS.

SO, ANY OF THAT FEEDBACK IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHERE THAT RESEARCH NEVER REALLY STOPS.

YOU'RE ALWAYS TAKING THAT FEEDBACK THROUGH.

>> THERE ARE MANY METHODS IN EVALUATING YOUR PROGRESS AND THEY MAY NOT SEEM TOO IMPORTANT AT FIRST, BUT KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON HOW YOUR PROJECTS IS COMING ALONG WILL SURELY BOOST YOUR LONG TERM PRODUCTIVITY AND KEEP YOUR CLIENTS HAPPY.

IN EVALUATING YOUR PROGRESS CONSTANTLY ANALYZE THE PROJECT AND BE SURE TO REVISIT THE BRIEF.

CREATE A SET OF CRITERIA FROM WHICH YOU CAN MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS.

INCLUDE THE CLIENT ALONG THE WAY, ENSURE THERE ARE NO EGOS CONTROLLING THE GROUP, OBSERVE HOW THE TEAM WORKS AND CREATE AN OPEN FORUM FOR ANY PROBLEMS.

TRY TO GAIN SOME EXTERNAL FEEDBACK.

[ MUSIC ] >> ONCE THE DESIGN PHASE IS COMPLETE AND THE WHOLE TEAM AND THE CLIENT IS ON BOARD WITH THE FINAL DESIGN, WE MOVE ON TO THE PRODUCTION PHASE.

THIS IS WHERE ALL THE HARD WORK AND ALL THE IDEAS BECOME REALITIES, BUT JUST WHERE EXACTLY DO WE START?

>> AS YOU MOVE INTO A PRODUCTION PROCESS, GENERALLY, THERE IS SOME ELEMENT OF THAT THAT REQUIRES MOST MANUFACTURING PROCESSES OF THE DESIGN TO BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE.

SO, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT MAKING PLASTIC PARTS, THEN YOU MAKE PLASTIC PARTS IN AN INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE.

SO, THE INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES ARE DESIGNED TO TAKE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS AND THEY HAVE A CERTAIN INTERFACE, SO WHAT YOU ARE DOING THERE IS YOU ARE BUILDING TOOLS TO MAKE THE PLASTIC PARTS THAT FIT IN THE STANDARD INJECTED MOLDING MACHINES.

SO, YOU KNOW THERE IS TOOLING THAT YOU NEED, THERE IS DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU NEED, BASICALLY, WHERE YOU ARE TRYING TO HEAD TOWARDS IS THAT ONCE YOU HAVE GOT THE DESIGN DONE, YOU ARE LOOKING AT ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO START THE PRODUCTION PROCESS AND THEN YOU KNOW, PILOT-RUN TYPE PRODUCTION PROCESSES.

>> EVERYTHING LEADING TO THIS STAGE OF A PRODUCTION RUN NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED UPON BY THE WHOLE TEAM.

THE SKILLS OF THE GROUP NEED TO BE PUT TO BEST EFFECT TO ENSURE THAT WHAT IS PRODUCED MEETS THE CRITERIA SET BY THE TEAM FROM THE ORIGINAL BRIEF.

>> YOU NEED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU'VE REALLY GOT A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE DESIGN IS GOING TO BE LIKE BEFORE YOU IMPLEMENT IT, SO THEN WHEN YOU ARE IMPLEMENTING IT, YOU KNOW, IF IT IS PRINTING-TYPE PROJECT, WELL OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE LOOKING AT A MACHINE SAMPLE-- MACHINE PROOFS, AND YOU'RE KIND OF MAKING SURE THE COLORS ARE RIGHT AND THERE IS NO ISSUES WITH THE .CAD FILE THAT'S GOING TO THE PRINTER OR, YOU KNOW, WITH AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, THE SAME SIDE KIND OF THING, WITH THE WEB YOU MIGHT LOAD THE WEB UP ONTO A SERVER AND GIVE SELECTED PEOPLE TO ACCESS THE SERVER TO MAKE SURE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WORKS.

SO, THERE IS TESTING AND THEN THE BUTTON IS PUSHED, THE TOOLS CUT, THE TOOLS HARDENED AND THE PRODUCT'S IN PRODUCTION.

>> PRODUCTION IS NOT THE END OF THE DESIGN TEAM ROLE IN THE PROJECT.

INSTEAD, IT IS ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN MEETING THE CLIENT'S NEEDS.

IN FACT, DESIGN COVERS THE ENTIRE LIFESPAN IN THE GENESIS OF A PRODUCT.

>> THEY'RE ROLE IN DESIGN-- WE'LL OFTEN GET INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THE TOOLING.

WE DEFINITELY HAVE A ROLE IN TERMS OF AS THE PRODUCT COMES OUT OF THE TOOL, DOES IT MAKE THE DESIGN? YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A ROLE IN THAT AND CHECKING THINGS AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS RIGHT.

>> THERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO CHECK THE END PRODUCT, AS THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT CAN BE ASSESSED DURING THE DESIGN PHASE.

HAVING A FULL-SCALE MOCK- UP WILL MAKE ANY PROBLEMS OR POSSIBLE CHANGES IMMEDIATELY CLEAR TO THE DESIGN TEAM AND ALSO TO THE CLIENT.

>> AND I GUESS WHEN THE PRODUCT'S IN PRODUCTION IN AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN SENSE, YOU'RE GOING TO PRODUCE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PRODUCT AND YOU'RE GOING TO TEST THOSE, SO IT IS BEYOND THE PROTOTYPE.

IT IS THE FIRST PRODUCTION RUN BEFORE THERE IS A FINAL COMMITMENT MADE.

FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'VE HARDENED THE TOOLS, YOU'RE TESTING IT ALL AND YOU MIGHT END UP MAKING SOME CHANGES FOR VARIOUS REASONS THAT YOU DID NOT ANTICIPATE.

>> RECORDING THE PRODUCTION STAGE INCLUDING ANY CHANGES MADE IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF THE RECORDING OF THE PROGRESS OF THE WHOLE PROJECT.

KEEPING TRACK THROUGH RECORDING EVERYTHING ALLOWS YOU TO EASILY TRACE THE PROCESS FROM BEGINNING TO END.

>> THE WAY THAT WE SORT OF RECORD OUR DESIGNS IS AN ONSLAUGHT APPROACH. SO BASICALLY, WE TAKE A STAGED APPROACH TO OUR PROGRAMS, SO WHEN WE ARE GIVEN A BRIEF WE LOOK AT IT AND WE SAY, WE WILL DO THIS IN A NUMBER OF STAGES, AND IN THOSE STAGES HERE IS THE SCOPE OF WORK AND THE WORK ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE.

AND AT THE END OF THAT STAGE WHAT WE WILL PRESENT TO YOU IS WE WILL PRESENT THESE DELIVERABLES.

SO, THE RECODING TENDS TO BE FOCUSED AROUND THOSE MILESTONES, THOSE DELIVERIES, THOSE END-OF-STAGE TYPE THINGS.

>> ONCE THE PRODUCTION PROCESS HAS BEEN REFINED, THE PRODUCT CAN STAND ALONE AND CAN FINALLY BE PRESENTED AS A FINISHED PIECE TO THE CLIENT.

AFTER THE DESIGN IS COMPLETE AND AGREED UPON BY ALL PARTIES, WE ENTER THE PRODUCTION PHASE WHERE THE DESIGN IS IMPLEMENTED AND MACHINE PROOFS ARE CREATED.

THIS INITIAL PRODUCTION RUN CAN HELP IDENTIFY ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEMS OR ERRORS IN THE DESIGN AND ENABLE CHANGES TO BE MADE.

THIS WHOLE PROCESS SHOULD ALSO BE RECORDED.

[ MUSIC ] >> ONCE THE PRODUCT IS COMPLETE, THE DESIGN TEAM SHOULD BE TAKING A CAREFUL LOOK AT THE OUTCOME.

THERE SHOULD BE ANALYSIS OF THE METHODS USED INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLABORATIVELY TO MANAGE THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES AND THE PROJECT'S OUTCOMES.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT IS A TESTAMENT TO HOW WELL THE GROUP WORKED TOGETHER.

>> IT IS ALL ABOUT WHAT IT DOES FOR THE CLIENT IN THE MARKETPLACE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE DESIGNED-- YOU KNOW YOU HAVE DESIGNED A, YOU KNOW A PRODUCT, LIKE AN IPHONE FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MANY HAS IT SOLD? WHAT WAS THE TARGET SALES VOLUME FOR IT?

HOW IS IT PERCEIVED IN THE MARKET? DAH, DAH, DAH.

SO, IN EFFECT IT'S-- DESIGN IS A PART OF THE BUSINESS CYCLE, AND THEY SHOULD BE BE MEASURING THEIR SUCCESS ABOUT-- ALL ABOUT HOW THE OUTCOMES ARE PERFORMING IN THE MARKETPLACE.

>> MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF THE PRODUCT BY HOW WELL IT DOES IN THE MARKETPLACE CAN HELP THE DESIGN TEAM IDENTIFY ITS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, HOWEVER, IT IS THE CLIENT WHO WILL BE YOUR MOST RELIABLE INDICATOR.

>> AND IT IS A GAMBLE-- IT IS A GAMBLE GAME, SO THAT IS WHERE YOU ARE REALLY LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE MINIMIZING YOUR RISKS AS YOU GO THROUGH.

SO, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS.

THAT IS WHERE I GET BACK TO THE STORY, I GUESS.

I MEAN, I MEAN, IT MIGHT NOT BE A SIMPLIFIED WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, BUT IF WE HAVE WORKED THROUGH A THING THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, REALLY LOVE, AND ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH, WHATEVER DECISION THEY MAKE, I FEEL THAT THEY'RE MAKING IT FROM A GOOD POINT AND FROM MY GOOD PERSPECTIVE AND YOU KNOW, IF IT GETS TO THE MARKET AND IT DOESN'T SELL WELL, OKAY, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD.

>> IF THE PRODUCT IS INEFFECTIVE AND PRODUCT IS FRAGILE AND DOESN'T DO THE JOB PROPERLY, PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO BUY THEM.

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE-- I FIT'S NOT GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE MARKETPLACE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN UNHAPPY CLIENT, SO I TRY AND KEEP THE JUDGMENTS AWAY FROM AESTHETICS, BUT IT'S ABOUT HOW DOES IT WORK IN THE MARKETPLACE?

>> IDENTIFYING THE LIFECYCLE OF THE PRODUCT WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE BY LOOKING AT THE MARKET'S REACTION TO YOUR PRODUCT LAUNCH.

THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF A PRODUCT OVER TIME IS AN INDICATOR OF HOW WELL YOU HAVE MET THE BRIEF REQUIREMENTS.

>> THERE'S VARIOUS STATISTICS AROUND.

I MEAN, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW TWO OR THREE PRODUCTS IN TEN BEING SUCCESSFUL.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS, BUT NOT EVERY PRODUCT IS SUCCESSFUL.

NOT EVERY PRODUCT THAT WE DESIGN EVER EVEN GETS TO MARKET, SO YOU KNOW IT MIGHT GET TO THE POINT OF PROTOTYPE, AND AH YEAH, TAKE THAT PROTOTYPE, IS ANYONE REALLY INTERESTED IN TAKING THAT FURTHER? NO, WELL WE'LL SHELF THAT, OR THE MARKET'S CHANGED OR YOU KNOW SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED.

SO, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOU DEVELOP A PRODUCT, IS THAT ONE DAY THAT PRODUCT IS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTE, SO, YOU TRY AND GET IT TO THE MARKET AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.

>> A HAPPY CLIENT AND A SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT ARE THE GREATEST MEASURES OF YOUR TEAM'S WORTH.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OPINIONS AND INPUT ARE VALUABLE NO MATTER HOW UNUSUAL THEY MAY SEEM.

IN FACT, SOME OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST DESIGNS HAVE COME FROM IDEAS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY REJECTED BY CONSERVATIVE THINKERS.

THERE IS A LOT TO CONSIDER WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGN.

WORKING IN A TEAM TO ACHIEVE A SPECIFIC OUTCOME CAN BE STRESSFUL, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE A FUN EXPERIENCE WHEN THINGS GO RIGHT.

>> I THINK IT IS GOT TO BE FUN.

IT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THE PEOPLE INVOLVED ENJOY, WHICH MEANS, ALSO, I THINK ENJOYMENT COMES A LOT FROM ACHIEVING THINGS, SO YOU DO HAVE TO-- LIKE, BUILD THE EXPECTATIONS IN THE TEAM RIGHT TO START WITH SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW THEY DEFINE SUCCESS, THAT'S WHAT THE TEAM'S SUCCESS WILL BE, IF IT CAN ACHIEVE THOSE SORTS OUTCOMES IN THIS SORT OF WAY.

>> IN THE END NO MATTER WHAT DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, OR HOW THE DESIGN HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME, THE PROOF WILL BE SEEN IN HOW WELL THE PRODUCT PERFORMS AND HOW HAPPY THE CLIENT IS WITH YOUR TEAM'S WORK.

>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE BOTTOM LINE.

HOW DOES IT WORK? WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT CONFER ON THE END USER?

AND THEN YOU GOT YOUR-- IF THEY'RE MEASURABLE, AND THE PRODUCT OR OUTCOME IS SUCCESSFUL, YOU'VE GOT A HAPPY CLIENT AND DESIGN-- SUDDENLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ANOTHER CASE STUDY THAT SAYS DESIGN IS WONDERFUL.

>> AND IN DESIGN THAT IS THE BEST OUTCOME THAT YOU CAN HOPE FOR.

ONCE THE END PRODUCT HAS BEEN CREATED, TAKE A CAREFUL LOOK AT IT.

ANALYZE THE METHODS USED INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLABORATIVELY TO MANAGE THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES.

LOOK AT THE END PRODUCT'S SUCCESS IN THE MARKETPLACE AS WELL AS THE PROJECTED LIFE CYCLE OF THE PRODUCT, COMBINED WITH THE CLIENT'S LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AND HOW WELL YOU MET THE BRIEF REQUIREMENTS TO MEASURE THE PROJECT'S OVERALL SUCCESS.

[ MUSIC ] >> DESIGNING IN A TEAM IS MUCH LIKE ANY OTHER TEAM ACTIVITY.

IT REQUIRES PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, AND A GROUP EFFORT TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED OUTCOME.

LEAVING YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR AND SUPPORTING THE PROJECT AND EACH OTHER CAN AVERT MANY COMMON GROUP WORLD PROBLEMS.

KEEPING BOTH THE CLIENT AND THE TEAM HAPPY CAN BE A TRICKY BALANCING ACT, BUT WITH A SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT UNDER YOUR BELT, ANY DIFFICULTIES YOU HAVE COME ACROSS WILL BE WELL WORTH THE HARD WORK AND EFFORT.

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