Reading Assignment #9

Read Stage 7: Production 169-186

This chapter deals with the final stage in design process, "Production". At this point there are final decisions to be made and it is important that a designer establish dialogue with their production team to ensure the best results. This is where a designers knowledge and background in communication comes in handy. Working in a team, designers will most likely encounter others who have experience in areas that they, themselves do not have so it is vital to be open to receiving outside information and be able to have a clear and rational discussion on the subject. As I've learned in class, teamwork goes a long way. Everyone brings something to the table and when we work as a team instead of individually, we get a lot farther, faster.

Another aspect of this stage is prototyping and testing. "Prototyping is the creation of a model or mock-up of a design to test various aspects of the idea" (Aspelund 175). There are different types of prototyping such as concept prototyping, which is a rough representation of the idea, throwaway prototyping, which is used to test a specific aspect of the design, and evolutionary prototyping, which as the book states, serves as a work in progress where you can make changes as you go. This in my opinion is the most important part of the design process. Speaking from experience, as I studied aeronautical engineering for four years, you can learn a great deal from protoypes and working models. Any errors or miscalculations are immediately seen and because you are looking at the design in its entirety, it allows for a full evaluation of the concept where you can pinpoint exact areas that may need attention.

Lastly, as part of the final decision making process, you must take into account certain factors now that your design has become reality. These are budget, scheduling, materials & aesthetics, and sustainability. For example, budget deals with the cost which will allow you to make a profit. Scheduling comes into account on how long it will take you to produce a finshed product within the budget. The longer you take, the higher the overhead is going to be and the less profit you make. Materials and aesthetics again fall into the catergory of costs. You want to produce the best product you can using good materials but, without blowing your budget. Lastley, sustainability. If your design and product do not last, whether it be by design, or whether we are taking about lasting as being successful, it again affects your profit. All of these factors are integrated and are important in the final decision.