Survey Report

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