The Information Seeking Practices of Product Designers During the Early Stages of Product Design
June 2012 – October 2012
Initial Report Last Modified: 09/26/2012
1.
For how many years have you been involved in engineering design ?
#
Answer
Bar
Response
%
1
Less than 5 years
23
43%
2
From 5 years to less than 10 years
14
26%
4
More than 15 years
10
19%
3
From 10 years to less than 15 years
6
11%
Total
53
Statistic
Value
Min Value
1
Max Value
4
Mean
2.06
Variance
1.32
Standard Deviation
1.15
Total Responses
53
2.
What type of information sources do you normally seek during early product design
?
#
Answer
Bar
Response
%
14 Other
4
9%
2
8
18%
12 Non-digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which have to be physically procured)
Institutions and societies (e.g. Malta standards authority, chamber of engineers, society of manufacturing engineers etc.)
9
20%
6
9
20%
13 Patents
13
29%
3
Human experts outside the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field who reside outside the company)
14
31%
5
Digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which is available in a digital format e.g. company database, on-line sources etc.)
18
40%
10 Indirect competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of an indirect competitor)
19
42%
9
Direct competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of a direct competitor)
24
53%
4
Digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which can be obtained in a digital format e.g. from company database, on-line sources etc.)
25
56%
1
Internal technical reports (e.g. technical documentation of past designs, lessons learned etc)
26
58%
7
Physical samples of materials and/or components
27
60%
11 Human experts within the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field which reside within the company)
29
64%
8
35
78%
Non-digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which have to be physically procured)
Meetings and brainstorming sessions which may include : design sketches, pictures, power-point slides, written notes etc.
Other Car manufacturers specs the product itself & design reviews past knowlage Brief frm the customer. Size, Function etc Statistic
Value
Min Value
1
Max Value
14
Total Responses
45
3.
Rank the information sources selected in Q2 by frequency of use 0 = Very Low Frequency - 100 = Very High Frequency
#
Answer
Min Value
Max Value
Average Value
Standard Deviation
8
Meetings and brainstorming sessions which may include : design sketches, pictures, power-point slides, written notes etc.
Responses
10.00
100.00
68.57
24.87
35
Human experts within the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field which reside within the 11 company)
20.00
100.00
71.48
22.48
27
7
Physical samples of materials and/or components
10.00
100.00
60.77
27.41
26
1
Internal technical reports (e.g. technical documentation of past designs, lessons learned etc)
20.00
100.00
64.00
25.17
25
4
Digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which can be obtained in a digital format e.g. from company database, online sources etc.)
10.00
100.00
61.25
23.46
24
9
Direct competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of a direct competitor)
10.00
100.00
62.17
25.75
23
10 Indirect competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of an indirect competitor)
10.00
100.00
53.16
30.19
19
5
Digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which is available in a digital format e.g. company database, on-line sources etc.)
20.00
100.00
61.67
21.21
18
3
Human experts outside the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field who reside outside the company)
10.00
80.00
47.86
25.77
14
13 Patents
10.00
100.00
53.08
29.83
13
12
Non-digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which have to be physically procured)
30.00
90.00
46.67
20.62
9
6
Non-digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which have to be physically procured)
10.00
80.00
52.22
29.49
9
2
Institutions and societies (e.g. Malta standards authority, chamber of engineers, society of manufacturing engineers etc.)
0.00
70.00
33.75
25.04
8
50.00
90.00
80.00
20.00
4
14 Other
4.
What type of barriers do you encounter when searching for information sources ?
#
Answer
Bar
Response
%
5
Time required to obtain the required information
33
77%
2
Lack of appropriate information
18
42%
4
Cost incurred in order to obtain the required information
11
26%
1
Lack of people who can direct me to the appropriate information source
9
21%
3
Lack of human experts
5
12%
7
Other
4
9%
6
Lack of computer support
2
5%
Other Changes when design is nearly ready no barriers allmost never Knowledge about "Is the information already in the company or not and if yes, where is it?" Statistic
Value
Min Value
1
Max Value
7
Total Responses
43
5.
From the barriers selected in Q5, which of these barriers are the most common ?0 = Very Uncommon - 100 = Very Common
#
Answer
Min Value
Max Value
Average Value
Standard Deviation
Responses
5
Time required to obtain the required information
30.00
100.00
66.67
20.10
33
2
Lack of appropriate information
20.00
80.00
52.78
20.52
18
4
Cost incurred in order to obtain the required information
30.00
90.00
61.82
26.76
11
1
Lack of people who can direct me to the appropriate information source
20.00
100.00
53.33
27.84
9
3
Lack of human experts
10.00
90.00
52.00
31.94
5
7
Other
10.00
80.00
32.50
33.04
4
6
Lack of computer support
20.00
40.00
30.00
14.14
2
Other Statistic Total Responses
Value 43
6.
Please enter details below
Company/Academic Institution
Country
Position
company
uk
managing director
Royal Institute of Technology
Sweden
PhD Candidate
University of Malta
Malta
Masters by research Mechanical Engineering Student
University of Malta
Malta
Visiting Assistant Lecturer
Toly Products
Malta
Design
TOLY Products
Malta
Junior Concept Designer
TOLY PRODUCTS
MALTA
DESIGNER
Toly Products
Malta
Innovation Engineer
Toly
Malta
Group Head of Product Design
Toly
Malta
Product Design Engineer
Seifert / Baxter
Malta
R&D Engineer
Methode Electronics Malta Ltd.
Malta
Manufacturing Engineering
Methode Electronics Malta Ltd.
Malta
Principal of Laboratory Systems
Methode Electronics Malta Ltd.
Malta
Lab Jig Design
Methode Electronics Malta Ltd
Malta
Senior Eng. Manager
Methode Electronics Malta
Malta
Product Development Engineer
Methode Electronics
Malta
Designer
Methode Electronics
Malta
Product Development Engineer
Methode Electronics
Malta
Electrical Technican
Methode
Malta
Design
Methode
Malta
Technician
Methode
Malta
Product Development Engineer
Methode
Malta
Product Development Engineer
methode
malta
tool design
Methode
Malta
Leader
Baxter Malta
Malta
Snr. R&D Engineer
Baxter
Malta
R&D Engineer
Methode Electronics MiddleEast
Lebanon
Electronics Engineer
Methode Electronics Middle East
Lebanon
Team Leader-Mechanical
Methode Electronics Middle East
Lebanon
Electronics Engineer
Methode electronics middle east
Lebanon
Mechanical engineer
Methode Electronics
Lebanon
Mechatronics Engineer
Methode Electronics
Lebanon
Eng. Team Leader
Methode
Lebanon
Mechanical Engineer
methode
lebanon
engineering
Research Institute
Germany
Project Engineer
Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)
Germany
Scientific Assistant / Phd student
Chair of Engineering Design, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Germany
Assistant Teacher
Academic Institution
Germany
Researcher/Design Engineer
Race Furniture
England
Design Assistant
Manufacturing
Denmatk
Designer
Siemens
Denmark
Manager
Statistic Total Responses
Value 42