If product design is a decision-centric process, it can be helpful to consider what types of decisions need to be made. The overall type of design activity strongly influences the type of decision a designer will need to make. While designing a product, engineers will often utilize many of the following types of design activities. However, it is often the case that one primary type of activity dominates. The specific order sequence of decisions, the type of tools and best practices, and some of the goals will be different depending on the type of design activity.

Selection Design

Selection design is a type of product design that involves choosing and combining components from existing catalogs, rather than creating new ones from scratch. Selection design can reduce the cost and time of product development, as well as ensure compatibility and reliability of the components. However, selection design also requires careful analysis of the requirements and constraints of the product, as well as evaluation of the available components in terms of their performance, quality, and cost. An example of selection design is designing a bicycle by selecting and assembling different parts from various suppliers, such as the frame, wheels, brakes, gears, and so on.

Variant Design

Variant design is a product design method that involves choosing the best options from a set of alternative sub-assemblies to meet the customer’s requirements. Variant design allows the designer to create different versions of a product that share some common features but differ in others. For example, when building a custom desktop computer, the designer can use variant design to select the best combination of components such as CPU, RAM, GPU, motherboard, storage, etc. based on the customer’s needs and budget. Variant design can reduce the design time and cost by reusing existing sub-assemblies and avoiding unnecessary changes.

Assembly or Packaging Design

Assembly or packaging design is a type of product design that involves the integration of the components specifically to meet high level functions. For example, in a smartphone, the assembly or packaging design determines how the processor, memory, battery, camera, and other components are arranged and connected inside the phone case. Assembly or packaging design can affect the performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability of the product. Therefore, it requires careful consideration of various factors such as the materials, geometry, interfaces, connections, and environmental conditions of the components and the product as a whole. Assembly or packaging design also involves trade-offs between competing objectives such as minimizing weight, maximizing strength, optimizing heat transfer, and reducing noise and vibration.

Novel Design

Novel design is a term used to describe a design that is original and not primary derived from an existing solution. Novel design often involves technology push, meaning that a new technology is developed or adapted to meet the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. Technology push can create new opportunities but faces challenges such as aspects of feasibility, usability and acceptability are typically unknown beforehand. A novel design should balance the benefits and risks of technology push with the requirements and preferences of the users and other stakeholders. Often, the first company to introduce the novel design has an advantage.

Redesign

Redesign is a type of design that builds on existing solutions rather than creating new ones from scratch. It is often driven by market-pull, which means that there is a demand or an opportunity for improvement in the current market. For example, a redesign project might be initiated when there are changes in the market conditions, such as new competitors, customer preferences, or regulations. Alternatively, a redesign project might be triggered by the identification of a new stakeholder or an unmet need that was not addressed by the original solution. Redesign involves analyzing the existing solution, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and proposing modifications or enhancements that can increase its value, usability, or performance.