Design

3. The Specification

Creating a good design specification is critical to the success of the project. A design consultant can help you avoid making expensive mistakes during this process (see 5).

Different types of design present different opportunities and problems. Some of the main issues to consider are outlined below.

3.1 What benefits is the design expected to deliver?

• What market needs will products and services satisfy?How will they be distinguished from competing products and services?
• Who is involved with work processes and what are their requirements?

3.2 What are the key features and functions of the design?

• What does it do and how does it do it?What performance levels must it achieve?
• How durable must it be?What will the product's working life be?
• How will the product be constructed?What materials will it be made from? Can it be recycled?

3.3 What does its visual appearance say?

• What image are you trying to create?Are your company image and the image of each of your products or services consistent?
• Does the standard of your marketing materials match your corporate image?

3.4 What quality standards must you achieve?

• Can you design products and production processes to minimise the percentage of faulty goods?
• Are there any formal quality standards or regulatory requirements you must meet?

3.5 How will the design be tested?

• Will you develop a single design or several alternative versions?How will you choose between designs (eg by testing prototypes with customers)?
• Do you need to carry out a technical feasibility study before you go ahead?Are there any technical problems that you need to overcome?