DESIGN CONSTRAINTS

Constraint Types

Limitations to the design Required parameters that have to be

met

Technical Constraints

Size and shape of the object Materials that should be used

Legal Constraints

Make sure your design meets laws and regulations

Ensure the design does not violate existing patents

Time Constraints

Limits to the amount of time that the design process can take

Financial Constraints

The costs of the design (also called Design Budget)

Designer must take into account the cost and amount of profit they want to make once the invention is manufactured

Production Constraints

Restrictions on how the device can be built

The designer must look at the tools and materials available to decide these constraints

Design Briefs

A document that contains: The Problem Statement List of the designer’s criteria List of the designer’s constraints

The document must be reviewed to see if information needs to be added.

I give you one ahead of time, but you must create your own and add your own problem statement, criteria, and constraints.

Reviewing Design Briefs

You should ask yourself these questions when reviewing your design brief: Does anything need to be added to the

problem statement? Is this statement clear? Does it state the problem? Is the problem open-ended? Are the criteria clear? Was anything left out? Are there more requirements or

constraints?

Example Design Brief