The design loop consists of 9 steps to solving a problem.
Engineers, Architects, Designers, Planners, Software Programmers, Inventors, amongst others use this method. It is a “mind-map” on how to think problems through.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
The process of designing begins when there is a need.
Example Problem: In making the new game “Mouse Trap 2” we need to make a series of contraptions that would trigger a mousetrap after 60 seconds.
Step 2: Framing a Design Brief
The second step in the process is one of clarification and specification . Here you will need to detail exactly what it is you intend to do. This can be difficult, and a good starting point is to ask yourself a number of questions.
Example:
Design and build a paper track that would make a ball travel 5 seconds
Step 3: Research and Investigation
Investigation and research is the start of your solution. Few solutions are new. Even most inventions involve many previously known principles and concepts.
Effective designing means looking at existing devices and systems, ‘as well as existing knowledge and solutions as a source of ideas for new solutions
Step 4: Generation of Alternative Solutions
Generating a number of alternative solutions is one of the most important steps and often the most difficult to do. Although it seems to be human nature to latch on to your first idea and try and make it work, designers know that the more ideas they have, the more likely it is that one of them will be a good one.
The generation of ideas for solutions is sometimes referred to as brainstorming
Step 5: Choosing the Best Solution
Choosing the best among a number of ideas is less straightforward than it may appear.
Sometimes you must weigh various solutions carefully.
Step 6: Developmental Work
This step requires you to come up with a plan to construct your product. It requires the use of technical drawings. Technical drawings are much more detailed that sketches. In fact they use mechanical tools or Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) to complete.
Technical Drawings are working “blueprints” of your plans. They use drawings types such as isometric, oblique, perspectives, and orthographic to convey your ideas on paper.
Step 7: Modeling and Prototyping: Construction
Construction is taking your plans and making something of substance from it.
It is a model representation of your ideas and your solution up to this point.
Step 8: Testing and Evaluating
When the modeling or prototyping is completed, the testing and evaluation of the design solution begins. This may be as simple as applying the specifications to the end product to see if it does all the things that it is supposed to do.
This phase is important to the design process, because it tells you how well you have accomplished your goal and whether more development work is needed
Step 9: Redesign
After you have tested and taken data to see if your solution was successful, this is the part where you rethink and redesign to compensate for your design flaws.
After you have figured out the weaknesses and strengths of your solution, you can now go back to the beginning of the design loop to redesign your solution.