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Design

Design is description and desire for how something can and should be. Draw lines and curves (form). Fill with atoms (composition). Symbolize ideas (abstraction). Plan cause-effect possibilities (interactive potential).

Resources

The Design of Everyday Things - Revised and Expanded Edition (Book, 2013, Don Norman)

The Design of Future Things (Book, 2009, Donald A Norman)

Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics (Book, 2021, 5th Edition, Gavriel Salvendy and Waldermar Karwowski)

Human Engineering: MIL-STD-1472, archived on EVERYSPEC

Electrical-Part Testing: MIL-STD-202

Stories

Name Description Discussion
The Maintenance Race 1968 Golden Globe Race (sail around the world) HackerNews
HUDS and GUIS Next-Gen UI Examples HackerNews
Can't Unsee Aesthetic Intuition Practice

Guiding Ideas

Design Finality: Making design decisions that survive to commercial production (ideally survives forever).

Absolute Quality Score (X / 5): The general measure of quality of a product or service.

  • 5/5 = one of the best possible designs based on leading-edge technologies with zero false-tradeoffs and zero relevant-errors
  • 4/5 = excellent design with significant optimizations, no major errors or false-tradeoffs
  • 3/5 = good design; no major errors affecting primary requirements, optimized
  • 2/5 = sufficient design; no significant errors, mostly unoptimized, clear unrealized-potential
  • 1/5 = barely functional; significant errors, generally unoptimized, clear unrealized-potential
  • 0/5 = does not meet functional requirements

Incremental Quality Score (X + I): An additive measure of each meaningful improvement on top of the base design as marked by +1 score (ex. +3 for a batch of 3 improvements). The base design is the existing design (for design revisions) OR the simplest possible design (for new designs).

Example: The design of scissors. Consider 2 thin steel blocks with sharpened inner edges and holes, held together by a locknut and bolt (absolute 0/5, incremental X). Add rounded edges and simple finger-slots on the holding-end (1/5, X+2).

Unlimited Possibility Space: The idea of a space where absolutely anything can happen. The greater your imagination, the greater fraction of this space is thinkable.

Available Possibility Space: What is possible in the world within a certain timeframe, from a collective or individual perspective.

Design Goals: The abstract and specific reasons for considering a design space in the first space.

General Branching: Grouping similar design possibilities under a single keyword/concept. Remove bad branches from the design space. Avoid tunnel visioning into a good branch where other good, perhaps better, branches also exist.

False Tradeoffs: Where normally an improvement in A causes a worsening in B, a new approach that allows a pure improvement in A. Ideally discover all false tradeoffs and accordingly apply all pure improvements possible.

Prioritization: Deciding the best design balance of strengths and weaknesses, supported by a deep understanding of the goals, and required by the existence of true tradeoffs.

Specific Completion: Finalizing all design details required to build a prototype or produce at scale with perfect clarity.

Design Goals

Basic 1: Safety, Performance, Reliability, Durability, Longevity

Note: durability means it does not break easily, longevity means it generally works for a long time, reliability means it consistently works (during its specified lifetime, even if non-critical parts break easily). Something can be reliable and fragile/short-lived.

Basic 2: Size, Weight, Form, Noise, Power, Functional Efficiency (input-output)

Lifecycle: Design for... Manufacturing, Transportation, Storage, Assembly, Deployment, Configuration, Customization, Maintenance, Repair, Removal, Recycling

Environment: Design for... Temperature (ex. thermal expansion), Ingress/Submersion (ex. dust/dirt/sand/water), Condensation, Erosion (natural/artificial), Corrosion, Sunlight (ex. UV exposure), Precipitation (avoid standing water, assess drip dynamics for externalities), Pressure (atmospheric/special)

Safety

Safety Methods: Danger Removal, Danger Reduction, Shielding, Lockout, Signaling, Intuitive Interface (subconsciously guide safe user experience), Instructions

Failure Planning: Self-Test (Start-up, Dynamic), Pre-Failure Signals/Mechanisms, Graceful Failure, Human Error Tolerance, Blackbox Logging (identify root cause, improve next version)

Functional Safety: IEC 61508 (industrial), ISO 26262 (automotive), IEC 60730 (household)

Common

Common Events: Impact Test (random shock), Compression Test (random weight), Drop Test (avoid damage/injury/shatter/chip)

Dynamic Environment: Rolling Stopper (Recovery from Fall on Angled Surface), Relatively-Distinct Color (Lost-and-Found Detection)

Cleaning: Smooth Surfaces, Hand-Fitting Internal Volumes, Compatible with Water Immersion and Spray, Minimal Contact with Floor, Easy-Clean Exterior (non-magnetic, non-adhesive, cleaning-chemical-compatible), Low-Splash Surface, Acceptable-Splash-Angle Surface

Optimization

Speed: Motion, Data Transmission, Data Processing, Chemical Reaction Rate

Usability

Constrained Use: One-Handed Use, Independent Use, Low-Tactile-Sense Use, Color-Blind Use, Impaired Vision Use, Impaired Hearing Use, Long-Distance Use, Awkward-Angle Use

Ergonomic Methods: Rounded Corners and Edges (Comfortable Handling), Handle (Intuitive Carrying), Grab Points (Non-Slip Lifting), Low Thermal Conductivity (Warm Handling), Tactile Feedback (Correct-Input Signal)

Intuitive Sequence: Left-to-Right, Top-to-Bottom

Reliability

Automotive Part Standards: AEC Qualification

Temperature: operating range, derating, cycling before use, cycling during use, freeze-thaw resistance, flame retardance (UL94)

Maintenance

Signals: Maintenance Reminder, Problem Warning, Maintenance Guiding

Special: Spare Parts Inside Product (Useful Unity), First-to-Fail is Easiest-to-Replace (Zero Maintenance Damage Mitigation), On-Part Info Sticker/Engraving (ex. Company Name, Part Number)

Durability

Resistance: Scratch, Chip, Dent, Vibrate, Fatigue, Shock, Ingress (assume it happens), Chemical, Galvanic Corrosion

Size, Weight, Form

Fit Through: Standard Door, Garage Door, Car Door, Spiral Corridor,

Fits Inside: Car Trunk, Car Seat, Backpack, Pocket

Special: Stackable Storage, Stackable Operation, Stands Upright Independently, Table Function (Large Flat Top), Floor Weight (High-Traction, High-Weight), Step-Stool (Small Flat Top, High-Stability)

Mechanical Unity: consistent physical connectivity; ex. car gas-cap is tethered

Electrical

  • Lightning Resistance
  • ESD Resistance
  • Overvoltage Protection (OVP)
  • Overcurrent Protection (OCP)
  • Reverse Polarity Protection (RPP)
  • Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)