When Global Design Meets European Global Product Realisation- Design Techniques and Challenges
Year: 2014
Editor: Erik Bohemia, Arthur Eger, Wouter Eggink, Ahmed Kovacevic, Brian Parkinson, Wessel Wits
Author: Advani, Resham; Frost, Katherine; Gwashavanhu, Elton; Linda, Sara; Rane, Sham; Read, Matthew; Samatar, Mohamoud; Shafiq, Sultan; Sharif, Mohammed
Series: E&PDE
Institution: City University London, United Kingdom
Section: International Collaboration
Page(s): 492-497
ISBN: 978-1-904670-56-8
Abstract
This paper explains the effect of group collaboration via distance communication with the emphasis on designing a new product. It furthermore highlights the challenges and barriers encountered during the design phase following the Tuckman model and the methods taken to overcome these challenges. As a part of the European Global Product Realisation (EGPR) project students were placed in groups to conduct a project with the cooperation of three Universities: City University London with Engineering Design (ED) Students, University of Strathclyde with Product Design (PD) students and the University of Malta with ED students. Project participants were given the task of designing, building and testing an innovative airplane tray table while collaborating in virtual teams. The primary aim was to enhance student’s team building experience and communication in order to provide an insight of real life work when undertaking a multidisciplinary design task.
Throughout the project, management and communication were closely recorded; various phases of the project had to be conducted to successfully solve the problem. The phases comprise of research, conceptualisation, detailed design, prototyping and testing. Through each phase students had to exchange knowledge and skills, by exchanging their design tools from their academic orientation leading to an application of combination of tools. This consequently caused some members to fall out of their comfort zone when utilizing unfamiliar processes.
Keywords: Design process, product design (PD), engineering design (ED), European Global Product realisation (EGPR)