DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Design is the conceptual, functional, and physical structure of a system or product. In the past, designs were inflexible, offering the customer few options. Today, however, designs increasingly offer customers more options. The availability of these options is due to new, basic design-principles, which are helpful to anyone developing a process, procedure, product, or system—regardless of industry.

A well-designed item has several characteristics. It is highly modular, meaning that the parts are distinct components, and the interfaces between the components are standardized and simple. Key components make up the structural integrity of the overall item, and each part is defect-free prior to its union with the overall item.

Applying these basic design principles offers several benefits. The principles allow for reusability of components for building other processes, procedures, products, or systems. By allowing a mix and match capability, they also provide flexibility in responding to the customer’s needs. Further, they not only guarantee a high level of quality through the use of tested parts, but they also allow the collection of metrics to measure quality and overall performance.

for Design Principles

• Define the customer’s requirements.
• Determine the overall components, keeping modularity in mind.
• Determine the interfaces between the components (e.g., exchange of data).
• Document the relationship and interfaces among the components.
• Ensure each component and its interfaces have been tested for reliability.
• Develop standard characteristics and formats for components and interfaces.
• Identify the key components and interfaces.
• Develop alternative designs for meeting the customer’s requirements.