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Even if manufacturers use the most efficient processes, they can't change lead to gold without good product design. Manufacturing managers and design engineers need to work together from the start.

Examines the research of integrated product design. Several design strategies and methodologies have been proposed, yet none of them is particularly suitable for small‐to medium‐sized enterprises. Develops strategies of integrated product design for small‐ to medium‐sized companies through the studies of the Hong Kong toy manufacturing industry. These include strategies for the product design, the assembly system design and computer‐aided tools. Uses a case study to illustrate some of the concepts of the integrated product design. Finally, discusses the application and limitations of the proposed integrated product design methodology.

The purpose of this paper is to implement the modeling of the design process in response to volatile market demands. It mainly focuses on design activities for product development towards the early stage.

This paper describes the system of products from the systems engineering point of view, analyzes the attributes of products and components, studies the environment and its input/output relationship and implements product formal representation, respectively. This paper gives product structure and component connections, describes the process of structure generations and product decomposition by set representation, calculates the number of component connections and density of components; also it presents product module division and coupling degree analysis in accordance with axiomatic theory; coupling degree is calculated by considering the correspondence ratio and the cluster independence.

It describes the product as an engineering system, and analyzes product systems and product structures through using systems theory. Design process modeling is analyzed, and a strategic approach to decomposing product structure and calculating modularity is adopted for product development.

Accessibility and availability mainly focus on product system development.

The paper offers useful advice for the modeling process of product conceptual design.

The new approach to conceptual design is based on set representation and systems analysis as well as axiomatic theory. The paper is aimed at understanding evolution mechanism of complexity product systems.

Reports on research based on the results of a survey of design management in the UK mechanical engineering industry. Considers the issue of which aspects of production were considered in the design of products and when. Demonstrates that at the prototype stage production aspects became the most important. This shows that the manufacturability of the product is not considered until after it has been designed. Concludes that the effective and efficient manufacture of the product is not given sufficient attention by mechanical engineering firms. Also investigates the involvement of production personnel in the design process. Finds that production engineering was more extensively involved in the design process the closer it moved towards manufacture. Points to further research which hopes to address this lack by providing practical tools for the application of concurrent engineering.

Since inputs, manufacturing processes, distribution, use and disposal methods are decided during the design stage, any company venturing out with a green marketing program must start with green design. Presents source reduction and waste management strategies to cut down wastes, and also presents a method to compare green design alternatives which can provide designers with guidance to select superior designs. As a product must meet several criteria, suggests a concurrent rather than sequential product development approach. Concludes with tips for top management to improve green design in their organizations.

Examines the conceptual design of robotic assembly systems in conjunction with the analysis and optimization of the product and process design. Explains how an integral assembly model is utilised to study the relationships between assembly variables which play a role in each stage of the design process. Outlines the characteristics and benefits of the concentric design process and explains the total productivity concept. Concludes that the integral assembly model, which underlies the concentric design process, provides the opportunity to store product, process and system data and can therefore be considered as a reference model for product development and process planning as well as for the design and analysis of assembly systems.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of design for lean six sigma (DFLSS) on operational functions of the innovation management model by appraising an innovation management assessment framework.

An empirical approach for evaluating causal relationships among various constructs in the model phases that identify optimum pathways in achieving commercial success was adopted. A quantitative analysis of survey data were collected from large, medium and small organiations, including incubators in ANZ (Australia, New Zealand) and TMSV (Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam).

The structural equation modelling recursive path analysis results of the model provide empirical evidence and pathways through the various constructs considered in the model. All these pathways lead to delivering optimum commercialization success (CS). Furthermore, DFLSS is confirmed as an enabler and has direct one-to-one and indirect influence on all the operational function constructs of the model including commercial success.

This study had a relatively small sample size of completed responses obtained from the population and a constrained ability to compare commercialization success (CS) between the two regions in the dataset. Future studies could be conducted on a global scale to increase responses.

The research findings enabled the development of important and practical guidelines for managers and innovation practitioners engaged in planning and management of innovation.

This research offers a holistic approach for integrating DFLSS with stage gate phases of innovation management assessment framework, supported by empirical evidence, to aid organizations in effectively managing the innovation process and achieving greater success in commercialization.

Front-of-packaging (FOP) is a critical branding tool that uses “cues” to communicate product attributes and establish distinct brand images. This paper aims to understand how food brands utilize cues and their relative proportions to hierarchically communicate brand image and belonging to particular subcategories.

A content analysis is used for analysing 543 food FOPs sold in Australia (breakfast cereals, chips, snack bars). Samples are collected and classified into product sub-categories defined by ingredients, consumer-audience and retail placement. A novel 10 × 10 coding grid is applied to each FOP to objectively analyse cue proportion, with statistical comparison undertaken between sub-categories.

Results reveal intrinsic cues are favoured over extrinsic cues, except for those in the eatertainment sub-category. Hierarchies are evidenced that treat product and branding cues as primary, with health cues secondary. Statistically significant differences in cue proportions are consistently evident across breakfast cereals, chips and snack-bar FOPs. Clear differentiation is evidenced through cue proportions on FOP for health/nutrition focused sub-categories and eatertainment foods.

“Cue utilization theory” research is extended to an evaluation of brand encoding (not consumer decoding). Design conventions reveal how cue proportions establish a dialogue of communicating brand/product image hierarchically, the trade-offs that occur, a “meso-level” to Gestalt theory, and achieving categorization through FOP cue proportions. Deeper understanding of packaging design techniques provides inter-disciplinary insights that extend consumer behaviour, retailing and design scholarship.

THE increasing pressure of national and international competition is forcing firms to rationalise even further, especially in the field of assembly. In order to perform assembly tasks with the least possible expenditure of time, assembly facilities, space requirements and personnel, it has become necessary to include these objectives in the development stage of the product. Therefore, assembly‐oriented design now provides a good opportunity for rationalisation.

The purpose of this paper is to propose that high quality innovations benefit both companies and customers. Most businesses have formal systems to ensure benefit to company, and weaker, informal systems to retain or add value to customers. This paper aims to provide a way to formally apply heuristics designers use (“design thinking”) to maintain a line‐of‐sight to company and customer needs in all decisions from concept through production. This approach should result in offerings that are compelling to customers and are profitable to companies.

The paper has developed a concept to maximize the contribution of relatively few people in organizations with design thinking heuristics expertise. The concept was developed within Hewlett Packard (HP), and by studying the roles of customer experience, marketing and design organization in other companies. The approach has been validated through establishing new roles on pilot projects and is the basis for architecting the design practice at HP.

Although similar methods may be employed, insights from design research differ from findings yielded from market research. Design research is optimized for designing offerings and market research is often optimized for marketing a product. Design research is the basis on which design thinking works. The role for design planning and applied design (both rely on design thinking) varies, depending on the type of innovation that best suits a business' strategy.

The quality of innovations can be improved by leveraging the design thinking heuristics from designers, and first applying the design thinking to solving business issues and frame opportunities, then to inform decision‐making related to the ensuing offerings via applied design.