Product Development by Deterministic Design

In the MIT Mechanical Engineering course, Introduction to Design and Manufacturing (2.007), students learn Deterministic Design, a design process similar to the scientific method approach to solving problems in the natural world. Deterministic Design merges qualities of the scientific method with the business focus of risk assessment and countermeasures, and schedules.

We call it Deterministic Design because the method seeks to minimize unknowns, and to map out a solution path and implementation plan. We practice it with the use of a Peer-Review Evaluation Process (PREP). Idea development is a sequence of three stages: Strategies, Concepts and Modules. At each step of creating (strategy, concept, and modules) a deterministic process occurs. Individuals create (and write down their ideas), PREP, and then brainstorm.

It is with this crucial process, we can virtually guarantee underrepresented people will be drawn in as fully contributing members of design teams.