Date: December 7, 1999
Speaker: Tom Cocklin — Hewlett Packard
From product concept to implementation can take on many forms and many practitioners have struggled with creating the right methodology to smooth the transition. While implementation is staid in the physical, mechanical and electrical, concept work relies on a blend of intuitive, empirical and sometimes magical translation of user needs into design requirements. And whether requirements are a recasting of mature technologies or an embarkation into virtual new ones, the burning question from investor to engineer is, “Do I have the right mix of features that customers want and need?” The methodology discussed can be used to unravel the more stochastic and problematic design equation and, so, shed some light on the answer. We will discuss this not-so-new form of needs analysis in terms of design management and render a specific example to explore its value to design and process.