The Design Process - Medical Device Design: Innovation from Concept to Market - page 35

Creative thought Method

Product

Need

Conceptual
design

Detailed
design

Clarification Embodiment

Figure 3.8
Design process versus effort.

and the whole process is dominated by creative thought. You need to be thinking creatively to
produce options; you must behave creatively to identify and research options. However, soon
the options will dry up and the hard work of selecting a front-runner and then making the
front-runner work begins. This is now method dominated and you will find yourself following
well-trodden paths.

We now take this model one stage further and look at ideas. Figure 3.9 illustrates this
graphically. At the start you will have some initial thoughts about the final outcome. In itself this
is dangerous and is called the sacred cow syndrome . The sacred cow syndrome is named after
the belief in India that cows are sacred and must not be harmed. Often a designer will have an
idea that becomes a sacred cow: no matter what happens that idea is predominant and nothing
will move it. Some call this strength of will , but as designers that sacred cow comes out of the
end of the process once we have proved it is the best, not from some belief at the very start.

The number of ideas generated peaks just before the start of the constriction of the funnel;
that is because the funnel is supposed to demonstrate how the design process works. At the