Tu February 9

Concept Generation

Required Reading:

U&E Chapter 6

Flip through this summary of research and concepts for a project on espresso done at Smart Design. This will give you a good idea of how teams convey insights and then build concepts through sketching, whether the sketches are refined or simple. Espresso_insights-concepts.pdf

Reference material (optional):

ch2 from Why Not.pdf 

Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas (book by James L. Adams) 

Assignment Due:

1. If you only submitted 5 opportunities last week, make sure you have 10 now. If you have new ideas or improvements, add them. Remember your peers (and professor) are rating your ideas!
2. Rate at least 50 opportunities submitted by your peers. Do this by MONDAY. This will probably take about an hour. The Darwinator has been set up to allow you to rate all of the opportunities submitted by the class (~300), but you are required to rate only 50. Feel free to do more. (Note that the Darwinator can get slow when used by many people simultaneously. Please plan ahead and avoid trying to do this MONDAY afternoon.)
3. By TUESDAY go back to the Darwinator and and do an initial review of the ratings and feedback you have received so far. Consider which of your opportunities seem to be your best (focus on no more than 2-3) and begin thinking of ways to improve them. 

Class Preparation:

1. Begin to explore and improve your leading opportunities. Use any feedback you received to improve the opportunities. Sketch several alternative concepts that could fulfill each leading opportunity. Bring some sketches of your concept(s) to class. We will be brainstorming and working on developing your concept(s) further in class, so make sure you bring your sketches to get the most out of the session!

2. Create a user task analysis (function diagram) for one of your concepts. Diagram the steps of using the product, from beginning to end. What are the major points of interaction with the device, and the main challenges? NOTE: This is a version of the function breakdown in your book, but looked at from the point of the user. We will work on these further in class.

Slides from class: CB_OPIM415_Class4.pdf