Concept Generation

 A product concept is an approximate description of the technology,

working principles and form of the product
 It is a concise description of how the product will satisfy the customer needs

 Expressed as a sketch or a rough 3D model with a brief textural description

 Concept generation is an integral part of the concept development phase

 The successful commercialization of the product and the customer

satisfaction depends on the quality of the underlying concept

Mission Development
Statement Identify Establish Generate Select Test Set Plan Plan
Customer Target Product Product Product Final Downstream
Needs Specifications Concepts Concept(s) Concept(s) Specifications Development

Perform Economic Analysis

Benchmark Competitive Products

Build and Test Models and Prototypes

 Concept Generation Process
 Clarify the Problem
 Understanding
 Problem Decomposition
 Focus on critical sub-problems
 External Search
 Lead Users
 Experts
 Patents
 Literature
 Benchmarking
 Internal Search
 Individual Methods
 Group Methods
 Systematic Exploration
 Classification Tree
 Combination Table
 Reflect on the Process
 Continuous Improvement
Concept Generation Exercise: Vegetable Peelers
Step 1. Clarify the Problem
Problem Statement
 Design a better vegetable peeler
 None of the available peelers works for everyone in every situation
Vegetable Peeler : Voice of the neighborhood
(Customer statements)
 "Carrots and potatoes are very different."

 "I cut myself with this one."

 "I just leave the skin on."

 "I'm left-handed. I use a knife."

 "This one is fast, but it takes a lot off."

 "How do you peel a squash?"

 "Here's a rusty one."

 "This looked OK in the store."

 Vegetable Peeler : Key Customer Needs
"Carrots and potatoes are very
1 The peeler peels a variety of produce.
different."
2 "I cut myself with this one." The peeler is comfortable to use.

3 "I just leave the skin on." The peeler creates minimal waste.

4 "I'm left-handed. I use a knife." The peeler can be used ambidextrously.

5 "This one is fast, but it takes a lot off." The peeler saves time.

6 "How do you peel a squash?" The peeler is easy to clean.

The peeler stays sharp or can be easily
7 "Here's a rusty one." sharpened.
The peeler is durable.
8 "This looked OK in the store." The peeler is safe to use and store.
 Vegetable Peeler : Function Diagram
Main function :
 Peel produce for household food preparation
Sub-functions:
 Manipulate vegetable
 Apply (hand) power
 Separate skin
 Vegetable Peeler Exercise (Contd)
Step 2. External Search
 Appropriate types of lead users
 Eg: good cooks, professional chefs, vegetarians etc.,

 Related technologies
 Eg: how peaches are peeled for canning etc.

 Experts
 Eg: in food technology

 Literature
 Eg: catalogs, food journals, etc.
 Vegetable Peeler Exercise (Contd)
Step 3. Internal Search

 Split the team into sections for each of the important sub-functions developed

 Individually generate 10 concepts for their assigned sub-function

 Concepts are usually expressed using a short (2-3 words) title and a simple
sketch

Step 4. Systematic Exploration

 Combine some of the interesting sub-functions into product concepts

 Sketch a few of the concepts

Step 5. Process Reflection

 Reflect on the method and the solution concepts developed
 Concept Generation Example – Power Nailer
 Design a better hand-held roofing nailer
Assumptions:
 The nailer will use nails (as opposed to adhesives, screws, etc.)
 The nailer will be compatible with nail magazines on existing tools
 The nailer will nail through roofing shingles into wood
 The nailer will be hand held
 Power Nailer Example
 Customer needs are identified as:
 The nailer inserts nails in rapid succession
 The nailer is lightweight
 The nailer has no noticeable nailing delay after tripping the tool

 Target product specifications include :

 Nail lengths from 25mm to 38mm
 Maximum nailing energy of 40 joules per nail
 Nailing forces of up to 2000 N
 Peak nailing rate of one nail per sec
 Average nailing rate of 12 nails per minute
 Tool mass less than 4 kg
 Maximum trigger delay of 0.25 sec.
Concept Generation Method
 Power Nailer Example (Contd)
Function diagram after a functional decomposition

Overall “black box”

Refinement showing sub-functions

External Search : Hints for Finding Related Solutions
 Lead Users
 benefit from improvement
 innovation source
 Benchmarking
 competitive products
 Experts
 technical experts
 experienced customers
 Patents
 search related inventions
 Literature
 technical journals
 trade literature
Internal Search: Hints for Generating Many Concepts
 Suspend judgment
 Generate a lot of ideas
 Infeasible ideas are welcome
 Use graphical and physical media
 Make analogies
 Wish and wonder
 Solve the conflict
 Use related stimuli
 Use unrelated stimuli
 Set quantitative goals
 Use the gallery method
 Trade ideas in a group
Some of the solutions
generated by a
company through
internal search
Systematic Exploration: Concept Combination Table
Concept Classification Tree for the Nailer Energy Source
 Focus on a new sub-problem assuming an electrical energy
source and accumulation of energy in the mechanical domain
 A solution concept in which a solenoid compresses a spring and then
releases it repeatedly in order to drive the nail with multiple impacts
Multiple solutions arising from the combination of a motor with
transmission, a spring, and single impact. The motor winds a
spring, accumulating potential energy which is then delivered to
the nail in a single blow.
Systematic Exploration: Concept Combination Table
 Reflect on the solutions and the process
 Even though the reflection step is shown at the end in this presentation,
it should be performed throughout the whole process

 Questions to ask include:

 Is the team developing confidence that the solution space has been fully explored?

 Are there alternative function diagrams?

 Are there alternative ways to decompose the problem?

 Have external sources been thoroughly pursued?

 Have ideas from everyone been accepted and integrated in the process?