IT-Based Tools to Support New Product Design: A Case Study of a Design Consultancy Firm - Information Technology and Product Development - page 65

years later (Queensbury Hunt Levien). In 1982, the company Ideal Standard Ltd.
commissioned Queensberry Hunt Levien to design a range of sanitary ware.
Up until this point many sanitary ware manufacturers had not considered the
design of a bathroom as a complete design in which all the elements complimented
and harmonized with one another. Prior to this concept becoming main stream, the
various products within the bathroom at this level in the market would bear little
relation to each other in terms of form. Levien's designs had a transforming effect
on the whole industry as other manufacturers adopted a similar holistic approach to
their product ranges.
Since then Levien has built a worldwide reputation for excellence in design,
establishing his own design consultancy, Studio Levien, in 1999. The company now
employs a core team of full-time product designers, model makers, support staff,
and freelance designers and consultants working on individual products, including
tableware, sanitary ware, and other consumer products.
While all design consultancies are unique in terms of their internal design pro-
cesses and the nature of the information technology systems they adopt, there are
some common elements of the processes and the IT systems that can be identi-
fied. Specifically, there are some recognized stages in the design process that can be
supported with the use of IT systems. Studio Levien provides a useful example to
illustrate how IT systems can be used by a design consultancy and offers valuable
insights on how IT systems add value to the design process.
Next, we describe the design process at Studio Levien. Figure 4.1 provides a sim-
plified overview of the design process with the various IT systems used to support
it. All projects at Studio Levien begin with a contract between the client and the
consultancy firm. Project management software is used to keep track of the project
from the contract signing stage through to its conclusion.
4.3 The Studio Levien Product Design Process
It may be that a manufacturer wishes to invigorate a product range or per-
haps their competition has developed a new range of products that challenge the
client's position in the marketplace. The manufacturer looks for a design consul-
tancy company, beginning with an examination of the consultancy's portfolio of
clients and successful product designs. An initial dialogue may lead to the com-
pany commissioning the design consultancy to undertake the design of a new
product.
The design process begins with the development of a design brief. The brief may
be developed in consultation with the design consultancy. The document may be
highly detailed or may be deliberately vague and open. A typical design brief will
contain information about the manufacturing company, a statement setting out the
problem, information about the various constraints the new product has to meet, and
an approximate budget and timescale. The brief may contain additional information
regarding risks and benefits. In the best case scenario, the design brief is developed