The Information Seeking

Practices of Product Designers

During the Early Stages of

Product Design

June 2012 – October 2012

1. For how many years have you been involved in engineering design ?

Initial ReportLast Modified: 09/26/2012

1 Less than 5 years 23 43%

2 From 5 years to less than 10 years 14 26%

4 More than 15 years 10 19%

3 From 10 years to less than 15 years 6 11%

Total 53

Min Value 1

Max Value 4

Mean 2.06

Variance 1.32

Standard Deviation 1.15

Total Responses 53

# Answer Bar Response %

Statistic Value

2. What type of information sources do you normally seek during early product design?

14 Other 4 9%

2 Institutions and societies (e.g. Malta standards authority, chamber of engineers, society of manufacturing engineers etc.) 8 18%

12 Non-digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which have to be physically procured) 9 20%

6 Non-digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which have to be physically procured) 9 20%

13 Patents 13 29%

3 Human experts outside the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field who reside outside the company) 14 31%

5 Digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which is available in a digital format e.g.company database, on-line sources etc.) 18 40%

10 Indirect competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of an indirect competitor) 19 42%

9 Direct competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of a direct competitor) 24 53%

4 Digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which can be obtained in a digital format e.g. from company database, on-linesources etc.) 25 56%

1 Internal technical reports (e.g. technical documentation of past designs, lessons learned etc) 26 58%

7 Physical samples of materials and/or components 27 60%

11 Human experts within the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field which reside within the company) 29 64%

8 Meetings and brainstorming sessions which may include : design sketches, pictures, power-point slides, written notes etc. 35 78%

Car manufacturers specs

the product itself & design reviews

past knowlage

Brief frm the customer. Size, Function etc

Min Value 1

Max Value 14

Total Responses 45

# Answer Bar Response %

Other

Statistic Value

3. Rank the information sources selected in Q2 by frequency of use 0 = Very LowFrequency - 100 = Very High Frequency

8 Meetings and brainstorming sessions which may include : design sketches, pictures, power-point slides, written notes etc. 10.00 100.00 68.57 24.87 35

11 Human experts within the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field which reside within thecompany) 20.00 100.00 71.48 22.48 27

7 Physical samples of materials and/or components 10.00 100.00 60.77 27.41 26

1 Internal technical reports (e.g. technical documentation of past designs, lessons learned etc) 20.00 100.00 64.00 25.17 25

4 Digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which can be obtained in a digital format e.g. from company database, on-line sources etc.) 10.00 100.00 61.25 23.46 24

9 Direct competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of a direct competitor) 10.00 100.00 62.17 25.75 23

10 Indirect competitor products (e.g. images and specifications of an indirect competitor) 10.00 100.00 53.16 30.19 19

5 Digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which is available in a digital formate.g. company database, on-line sources etc.) 20.00 100.00 61.67 21.21 18

3 Human experts outside the company (these are people who are considered to be experts in a particular field who reside outside thecompany) 10.00 80.00 47.86 25.77 14

13 Patents 10.00 100.00 53.08 29.83 13

12 Non-digital handbooks (these sources contain technical data and information pertaining to a specific field, which have to be physicallyprocured) 30.00 90.00 46.67 20.62 9

6 Non-digital component catalogues (these are component catalogues which have to be physically procured) 10.00 80.00 52.22 29.49 9

2 Institutions and societies (e.g. Malta standards authority, chamber of engineers, society of manufacturing engineers etc.) 0.00 70.00 33.75 25.04 8

14 Other 50.00 90.00 80.00 20.00 4

# Answer MinValue

MaxValue

AverageValue

StandardDeviation Responses

4. What type of barriers do you encounter when searching for information sources ?

5 Time required to obtain the required information 33 77%

2 Lack of appropriate information 18 42%

4 Cost incurred in order to obtain the required information 11 26%

1 Lack of people who can direct me to the appropriate information source 9 21%

3 Lack of human experts 5 12%

7 Other 4 9%

6 Lack of computer support 2 5%

Changes when design is nearly ready

no barriers

allmost never

Knowledge about "Is the information already in the company or not and if yes, where is it?"

Min Value 1

Max Value 7

Total Responses 43

# Answer Bar Response %

Other

Statistic Value

5. From the barriers selected in Q5, which of these barriers are the most common ?0= Very Uncommon - 100 = Very Common

5 Time required to obtain the required information 30.00 100.00 66.67 20.10 33

2 Lack of appropriate information 20.00 80.00 52.78 20.52 18

4 Cost incurred in order to obtain the required information 30.00 90.00 61.82 26.76 11

1 Lack of people who can direct me to the appropriate information source 20.00 100.00 53.33 27.84 9

3 Lack of human experts 10.00 90.00 52.00 31.94 5

7 Other 10.00 80.00 32.50 33.04 4

6 Lack of computer support 20.00 40.00 30.00 14.14 2

Total Responses 43

# Answer Min Value Max Value Average Value Standard Deviation Responses

Other

Statistic Value

6. Please enter details below

company uk managing director

Royal Institute of Technology Sweden PhD Candidate

University of Malta Malta Masters by research Mechanical Engineering Student

University of Malta Malta Visiting Assistant Lecturer

Toly Products Malta Design

TOLY Products Malta Junior Concept Designer

TOLY PRODUCTS MALTA DESIGNER

Toly Products Malta Innovation Engineer

Toly Malta Group Head of Product Design

Toly Malta Product Design Engineer

Seifert / Baxter Malta R&D Engineer

Methode Electronics Malta Ltd. Malta Manufacturing Engineering

Methode Electronics Malta Ltd. Malta Principal of Laboratory Systems

Methode Electronics Malta Ltd. Malta Lab Jig Design

Methode Electronics Malta Ltd Malta Senior Eng. Manager

Methode Electronics Malta Malta Product Development Engineer

Methode Electronics Malta Designer

Methode Electronics Malta Product Development Engineer

Methode Electronics Malta Electrical Technican

Methode Malta Design

Methode Malta Technician

Methode Malta Product Development Engineer

Methode Malta Product Development Engineer

methode malta tool design

Methode Malta Leader

Baxter Malta Malta Snr. R&D Engineer

Baxter Malta R&D Engineer

Methode Electronics MiddleEast Lebanon Electronics Engineer

Methode Electronics Middle East Lebanon Team Leader-Mechanical

Methode Electronics Middle East Lebanon Electronics Engineer

Methode electronics middle east Lebanon Mechanical engineer

Methode Electronics Lebanon Mechatronics Engineer

Methode Electronics Lebanon Eng. Team Leader

Methode Lebanon Mechanical Engineer

methode lebanon engineering

Research Institute Germany Project Engineer

Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) Germany Scientific Assistant / Phd student

Chair of Engineering Design, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Germany Assistant Teacher

Academic Institution Germany Researcher/Design Engineer

Race Furniture England Design Assistant

Manufacturing Denmatk Designer

Siemens Denmark Manager

Total Responses 42

Company/Academic Institution Country Position

Statistic Value