How to: The Concept Combination Table
The "Concept"
What is it?
- A tool for systematic exploration
- In this table, solutions for each of the sub-problems of a design are combined
- Using a structured process to examine possible combinations of subproblem solutions ensures good solutions aren't left out of possible designs
- Concept tables offer a variety of designs that can be combined to make the best solution available
For example:
- Concept Combination Tables allow for the "mix-ing" and "matching" of multiple design ideas
Why is it important?
- Provides a way to observe combinations of solution fragments in order
- Columns in the table correspond to the sub-problems identified for the specific design
- Since they lose usefulness when the number of columns exceeds three or four, it keeps aspects simple
Problems with Concepts?
Downfalls of the usage of the Combination Concept Table:
- determining the most important attributes to include in the design
- implementing each solution
- trying not to get discouraged when a design doesn't work :(
References
- "High School Engineering/The Design Process in Action."- Wikibooks, Open Books for an Open World. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
- Jackson, Peter Lawrence. Getting Design Right: A Systems Approach. Boca Raton, FL: CRC, 2010. Print.
- Stoll, Henry W. Product Design Methods and Practices. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1999. Print.
Conceptual Engineers
Why should Engineers use this table?
- Every combination of ideas takes the creator down a different design path
- Offers fresh and varying approaches to problems; helps to not get stuck behind a "mind block" when creating
- Suggests different ways of approaching the overall design
- The table helps lead to a final integrated design with, hopefully the best outcome
Here's the how to,
so you can do it too!
1. Decompose the problem of design into sub-problems (what needs to be done?)
2. Identify and select the critical sub-problems
3. Develop alternative physical solutions for each important sub-problem
4. Narrow the list to the most prominent choices
5. Develop design ideas by visualizing different combinations of the sub-solutions using a matrix