The Rational Model of Designing

The Rational Model of Designing

A design is usually a description or a blueprint for the construction or the implementation of some act or procedure, the outcome of which is the intended object or machine, or even in the shape of some physical object or machine. The word ‘design’ is derived from the Greek ‘design” and “us” – design being the aim of the activity of ‘designing.’ The word “design” is therefore used to describe the conscious intent behind an invention, discovery or modification.

Designing is a systematic process and the output depends on the inputs considered in the whole range of processes during design development. It thus includes a large number of activities. Designing involves the selection of appropriate materials, working tools, working procedures, and other appropriate physical and electrical equipment, and their arrangement in a specific design according to the goal of the activity. After such an activity is completed, the product design needs to be tested for its suitability under the conditions defined by the designer. Finally, a rational model is developed, based on the desired output, by the designer and his/her team of experts, who in turn have to prove its usefulness to a manufacturing industry by building, shipping, using and selling the product.

Designing is an important process in engineering design. Many design goals are defined by an organization, and these goal can be related to practical objectives within the organization, such as cost reduction, increase in functionality, improvement in performance, etc. Such objective oriented objectives are known as functional objectives, while non-specific objectives are called functional objectives, hence the term ‘designing processes.’