C1.1 Design Specifications

Introduction

Although the work of a product designer relies heavily on imagination and creativity, it differs from the work of an artist in that a product designer typically has functionality or marketability in mind. An artist may have the freedom to put together any combination of materials, colors, and textures formed into any size or shape to create an end product without regard to function. A product designer, in contrast, must work within multiple constraints and must constantly focus on both the form and function of the final product to ensure that the final design meets all of the requirements necessary to make the product successful.

Engineers use a written document, called a design specification, to clearly define the features and performance needed in order for a design to successfully solve a problem. Writing a design specification occurs as soon as the problem has been defined and is essential to the process of generating potential design solutions. The design specification explicitly states the criteria that the final solution must meet and the constraints that will be imposed on the design solution.                                    

You have already written a Problem Statement and a Statement of Purpose. Based on this work and your research, you will create a design specification for your product.