Characterization of design situations and processes and a process module set for product development

Challenging boundary conditions, an increasing complexity of products and other factors demand for the support of product development processes by methods and tools. In order to shorten the duration of processes, to lower costs and to increase product quality, design engineers need systematic guidance for navigating unerringly through the design process. In this contribution, a classification of design situations and design processes is presented. This classification builds the basis for a concept towards situational support of individual designers dealing with particular tasks and specific boundary conditions. Moreover, a set of general process modules is described, which was developed in order to allow for a systematic process analysis and process planning. Student design projects were analyzed with respect to process steps, input and output of processes, and method application, and a standardized form of process documentation was created. With the presented classification, the process module set and the stories extracted from the student project analysis, new possibilities for a situational access to relevant design knowledge arise.