Chapter 6: Concept Generation

Product Design and Development Fourth Edition by Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger

Session Outline
Introduction to Concept Generation Review of the Concept Generation Method Principles and Caveats Concept Generation Exercise and Discussion

Note: Get hooked on to the method (not the specific example here) and apply to your projects and other product development initiatives.

Objectives
Concept generation activity of concept development

The main message (as always)

the benefits of a structured process and the value of multiple perspectives in the process.

NOTE: although concept generation is a creative activity, it also requires structured exploration and investigation through many sources.

Introduction
Concept generation: An integral part of concept development process (Exhibit 6.2) For the relationship with other front-end activities Relatively inexpensive and has a huge impact on product quality
But most organizations fail to dwell on this activity

Exhibit: 6.2

Concept Development Process

Mission Statement

Identify Customer Needs

Establish Target Specifications

Generate Product Concepts

Select Product Concept(s)

Test Product Concept(s)

Set Final Specifications

Plan Downstream Development

Development Plan

Perform Economic Analysis Benchmark Competitive Products Build and Test Models and Prototypes

Is concept generation necessary?

Note: Thorough exploration of alternatives early in the development process greatly reduces the likelihood of downstream hurdles. Such as:
Team stumbling upon a superior concept late in the development process Competitor introducing a product with dramatically better performance than the product under development

Concept Generation Example: Power Nailer

Exhibit: 6.1

Mission: Alternative product concepts (assuming conventional nails as fasteners) After specifying a set of customer needs and establishing target product specs:

What existing solution concepts, if any, could be adapted for this application? What new concepts might satisfy the established needs and specifications? What methods can be used to facilitate the concept generation process?

Structured Approaches Reduce the Likelihood of Costly Problems

Common dysfunctional practices of teams:
Consideration of only one or two alternatives, often proposed by the most assertive members of the team. Failure to consider carefully the usefulness of concepts employed by other firms in related and unrelated products. Involvement of only one or two people in the process, resulting in lack of confidence and commitment by the rest of the team. Ineffective integration of promising partial solutions Failure to consider entire categories of solutions.

Important Note on Structured Method

A structured method also provides a step-by-step procedure for those members of the team who may be less experienced in design-intensive activities, allowing them to participate actively in the process. All members of the team and all others involved in concept generation should be well versed with the associated customer needs.
Imagine: You (as a marketing major) working for a supplier to Maruti. To what extent marketing is involved in the concept generation activities? Do you see a scope w.r.t to the SAE Seminar posted on the course web? Can you extract value out of their investments in the engineering deptt?

Concept Generation Process

Step 1: Clarify the Problem
Problem Decomposition
Exhibit: 6.3

Step 2: External Search

Lead Users Experts Patents Literature Benchmarking

Step 3: Internal Search

Individual Methods Group Methods

Step 4: Systematic Exploration

Classification Tree Combination Table

Step 5: Reflect on the Process

Continuous Improvement

Exhibit: 6.3

Your Project: This approach can be applied to any product (could be overall product concepts, sub-systems, or even specific components)

Principles and Caveats

Functional Decomposition
Complex problems must be broken down into simpler constituent sub-problems. This strategy is also useful for simple problems. The function diagram is useful for documenting this step. Note that function diagrams are not unique; several decompositions may be found for a given problem.

Explore Solutions for the Sub-problems

It is generally helpful to consider solutions to the sub-problems in addition to (or instead of) the entire problem at once. This strategy allows solutions from various sources and related problem domains to be incorporated.

Explore Externally
It is essential to search for solutions from sources outside the team, such as lead users, experts, patents, literature, and competitive products.

Principles and Caveats (contd.)

Internal Concept Generation
BRAINSTORMING for idea generation Analogies, wish and wonder, related stimuli, unrelated stimuli, goals, and the gallery method.

Balance Individual and Group Search

It has been shown that individuals generate ideas more quickly than groups do, so we recommend that teams devote some time to generating solutions individually. However the group interaction is critical for refinement, combination, and critique of the solution fragments. Group sessions should therefore be a major part of the concept generation activity for improvement of the concepts and for building team consensus that the solution space has been adequately explored.

Quantity Breeds Quality

The teams best ideas are not likely to be found within the first few solutions considered. Rather, the best ideas are probably distributed uniformly over time. The selected concept is just as likely to be found among the second 20 solution concepts as within the first 20.

Principles and Caveats (contd.)

Overlapping and Iteration
NOTE: The concept development process appears purely sequential, In practice some of these steps either overlap or are iterative For instance, parts of the concept generation process beginning during customer needs analysis. (For example, external search may involve collecting ideas from lead users and other customers during the customer interviews.) Conversely, the customer needs list may perhaps require modification on the basis of new capabilities considered during concept generation. Also, the concept selection process may involve substantial refinement of the concepts, thus repeating some portion of the concept generation activity.

Systematic Exploration
This step is particularly valuable when the problem has been successfully decomposed into sub-problems. However, for some simple or highly integrated products, the team may find it more useful to consider entire concepts from the start, rather than combining solution fragments. Systematic exploration (as illustrated in Exhibits 6-7 to 6-13)

Reflection
Encourage teams to reflect upon the process used and to improve upon it. Continuous improvement is an essential part of the product development process.

Concept Generation Exercise: Vegetable Peelers

Step 1: Clarify the problem
Design a better vegetable peeler One kitchen store employee says: None of the peelers works for everyone in every situation

Concept Generation Exercise: Vegetable Peelers

Vegetable Peeler Exercise: Voice of the Customer

"Carrots and potatoes are very different." "I cut myself with this one." "I just leave the skin on." "I'm left-handed. I use a knife." "This one is fast, but it takes a lot off." "How do you peel a squash?" "Here's a rusty one." "This looked OK in the store."

Vegetable Peeler Exercise: Key Customer Needs

1. The peeler peels a variety of produce. 2. The peeler can be used ambidextrously. 3. The peeler creates minimal waste. 4. The peeler saves time. 5. The peeler is durable. 6. The peeler is easy to clean. 7. The peeler is safe to use and store. 8. The peeler is comfortable to use. 9. The peeler stays sharp or can be easily sharpened.

Develop a function diagram

Function: Peel produce for household food preparation Note: document assumptions Limit problem scope to hand-powered devices

Problem Decomposition: Function Diagram

Exhibit: 6.4: Function diagram of a hand-held nailer arising from a functional decomposition: (a) overall black box (b) refinement showing subfunctions
INPUT Energy (?) Material (nails) Signal (tool "trip ") Hand-held naile r OUTPUT Energy (?) Material (driven nail) Signal (? )

Energy

Store or ac cept ex ternal energy

Convert energy to translational energy Apply translational energy to nail

Nails

Store nails

Isolate nail

Driven nail

"Trip " of tool

Sense trip

Trigger tool

Other approaches apart from functional decomposition: Decomposition by sequence of user interaction Decomposition by key customer needs

Develop a function diagram

Function: Peel produce for household food preparation
Whole Vegetable Manipulate Vegetable Separate Skin Discard Skin Peeled Vegetable

Hand Power

Apply Hand Power

Note: Only the functions. No specific technological working principle for the product Choose a subset of sub-functions upon which to focus concept generation. Manipulate vegetable Apply (hand) power Separate skin

External Search:
Hints for Finding Related Solutions
Lead Users
benefit from improvement innovation source

Benchmarking
competitive products

Experts
technical experts experienced customers

Patents
search related inventions

Literature
technical journals trade literature

Exhibit: 6.5: Concept from motordriven double-flywheel nailer patent (U.S. Patent 4,042,036). The accompanying text describing the patent is nine pages long.

Internal Search:
Hints for Generating Many Concepts
Suspend judgment Generate a lot of ideas Infeasible ideas are welcome Use graphical and physical media Make analogies Wish and wonder Solve the conflict Use related stimuli Use unrelated stimuli Set quantitative goals Use the gallery method Trade ideas in a group

See Exhibit: 6.6 for some of the solutions to sub-problems of (1) storing or accepting energy, and (2) delivering translational energy to nail

Systematic Exploration:
Exhibit: 6.12

Concept Combination Table

Accumulate Energy Apply Translational Energy to Nail single impact

Convert Electrical Energy to Translational Energy rotary motor w/ transmission

spring

linear motor

moving mass

multiple impacts

solenoid

push nail

rail gun

Appendix-I
Systematic exploration (as illustrated in Exhibits 6-7 to 6-13)

Exhibit 6.7: A classification tree for the nailer energy source concept fragments

Benefits: 1. Pruning of less promising branches 2. Identification of independent approaches to the problem 3. Exposure of inappropriate emphasis on certain branches 4. Refinement of the problem decomposition for a particular branch

Exhibit: 6.8: A new problem decomposition assuming an electrical energy source and the accumulation of energy in the mechanical domain

Exhibit 6.9: Concept combination table for the hand-held nailer

Exhibit 6.10: In this concept, a solenoid compresses a spring and then releases it repeatedly in order to drive the nail with multiple impacts. [See text for configuration]

Exhibit 6.11: Multiple solutions arising from the combination of a motor with transmission, a spring, and single impact. The motor winds a spring, accumulating potential energy which is then delivered to the nail in a single blow. [See text for configurations]

Exhibit 6.12: Solutions from the combination of a motor with transmission, a spring, and multiple impacts. The motor repeatedly winds and releases the spring, storing and delivering energy over several blows. [See text for configurations]

Exhibit 6.13: Solutions from the combination of a linear motor, a moving mass, and single impact. A linear motor accelerates a massive hammer, accumulating kinetic energy which is delivered to the nail in a single blow. [See text for configurations]

Capture Innovation from Lead Users: Utility Light Example

Appendix-II

Date 21 September 2011 (Wednesday; Week 9)

MID-COURSE FEEDBACK [Discussion w.r.t your projects]

KAUSHIK SAHU, Ph.D. Professor, School of Management KIIT University Bhubaneswar, India
36

Outline
Back drop: Your project presentations

PDD
Computer-Aided Concept Generation & Discussion Exploring the concept space for generating concepts (w.r.t Chap 6)
Concept classification Concept combination

Convert your projects into CAD-reps using CATIA [Start now. This work will be filtered in to the course-page showcase]

Passion
Relating PDD with PLM Pursuing your Goals (with Passion) Till industry feeds into the TM program, be proactive in making your work available online [filters will be applied to the showcase]

Concept Generation
W.r.t How have you addressed this in your project? your project?

To what extent have you been able to apply the structured methods? Concept classification? Concept combination? Refer Chap 6 slides [for examples]

Exercise 6.1: Decompose the problem of designing a new barbecue grill. Try a functional decomposition as well as a decomposition based on the user interactions with the product.

Concept Generation
Exercise 6.1: One possible solution
W.r.t your project?

Concept Generation
W.r.t your project?

How have you addressed concept generation w.r.t subproblems?

Exercise 6.2: Generate 20 concepts for the sub-problem "prevent fraying of end of a rope" as part of a system for cutting lengths of nylon rope from a spool.

Concept Generation
Exercise 6.2: Few concepts W.r.t your project? 1. Tape the end of the rope. 2. Use a torch to melt the end of the nylon rope. 3. Press fit a plastic cap. 4. Dip end of rope into a glue. 5. Tie end of rope in a knot. 6. Use a machine that clips the rope while at the same time applies heat to the end of the rope. 7. Dip the end of the rope into paint. 8. Shrink wrap plastic around the end of the rope. 9. Use a process similar to that used for the end of a shoelace. 10. Attach a steel ring around the rope. 11. Apply a twisting action to the end of the rope to create friction/heat that will ultimately melt the separate strands together. 12. Use an ultrasonic welding process to melt the ends of the rope together. 13. Use a laser to melt the ends of the rope 14. Braid the strands of the rope back into the rope. 15. Use a clothes-pin-like design to clamp the ends of the rope. 16. Wrap a steel wire around the ends of the rope. 17. Wipe a tar-like substance around the circumference at the end of the rope. 18. Design a rope that does not fray. 19. Investigate different types of cutting motions/angles that decrease the probability of fraying to some acceptable limit. 20. Insert the end of the rope into an aluminum sleeve. 21. Tie a piece of fine string, such as fishing string, around the end of the rope. 22. Dip the end of the rope into hot plastic and then into a cooling bath. 23. Attach a rubber band to the end of the rope.

Concept Generation
W.r.t your project?

How have you taken the help of computers in generating concepts?

Thought Question 6.1: What are the prospects for computer support for concept generation activities? Can you think of any computer tools that would be especially helpful in this process?

Concept Generation
W.r.t your project? Aim for concept generation using computer support within the bounds set by your process capabilities

Computer support for concept generation can take on many forms. Computer-access databases, which provide an invaluable source of information including patents, vendors, customers, literature, etc. Design researchers in several disciplines have been working for the past 20 years (past few decades) on problems related to creativity and concept design.
Researchers have applied search techniques, pattern recognition tools, functional decomposition, and various artificial intelligence ideas to the problem of automatic, computer-based concept generation. So far, researchers have only been able to solve very simple and well-structured problems, such as generating exhaustive lists of permutations and narrowing choices based upon multiple decision criteria.

However, since computers are very good at solving well-structured problems, one research approach would seem to be to develop methods to define concept generation sub-problems in appropriately structured forms.
Perhaps this can be done automatically using computers or by humans with computer assistance.

Concept Generation
W.r.t your project?

How have you taken the help of computers in generating concepts?

Thought Question 6.3: For what types of products would the initial focus of the concept generation activity be on the form and user interface of the product and not on the core technology? Describe specific examples.

Concept Generation
W.r.t your project?

The concept generation method involves decomposing the overall problem into sub-problems.
dividing a complex problem into several simpler functional units. each unit tends to focus on a single technology or process required for the product.

In some cases functional decomposition may not be appropriate.

Especially true for products that are not technology driven or Those containing simple, well understood working principles.

For such products, the problem may be decomposed into a series of user interactions and/or key customer needs.
Example: Modern calculators (internal functions vs. external form) Other examples: a garlic press, the desk lamp, a computer mouse

Most successful products take both the form and the function into account in the design phase

Concept Generation
[HC] Course page

More TQs:

Thought Question 6.2: What would be the relative advantages and disadvantages of involving actual customers in the concept generation process? Thought Question 6.4: Could you apply the five-step method to an everyday problem like choosing the food for a picnic?

References
Prescribed text by Ulrich & Eppinger