IT-Based Tools to Support New Product Design: A Case Study of a Design Consultancy Firm - Information Technology and Product Development - page 69

Fig. 4.2 Virtual design environment and design process
4.4.1 “Design Brief” Analysis Tool
The environment contains a brief analysis tool. Keywords in the design brief docu-
ment can be identified automatically by the software, using an algorithm, which is
then used to search a database. The brief analysis tool was initially designed to work
automatically; however, it was subsequently found that better results were achieved
if the designer identified the keywords manually. The tool helps the designers iden-
tify the main points in the design brief by locating related Web-based resources
based on the keywords that they have identified.
The core of the analysis tool is founded on a database derived from the TRIZ
algorithm. The Russian problem solving technique of TRIZ ( http://www.mazur.net/
triz /) aims to create an algorithmic approach to the invention of new systems and the
refinement of old systems. In practice, TRIZ provides a large body of proven design
heuristics, which offer set ways of transforming problems, and therefore, a sound
basis for creative idea generation.
The tool integrates the TRIZ algorithm into a portable version of Open Office
Writer, which combined with a C++ based agent running in the background,
searches the Web allowing users to access a variety of third party online resources
based on their inputs (keywords) as illustrated in Fig. 4.3.