Abstract:
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Designers have always faced the problem of decision making. Before a product is produced, many things have to be specified: what dimensions it will have, what target group it will approach, what is the best production technique, what is the ideal retail price… amongst many others. This paper presents a methodology for dealing with decision-making problems in product design. The purpose of this study is to establish steps for the design of a product, from its early stages of innovative thinking, to its production and recycling process. Concurrently to the general product designing theory, a case study will be conducted; an office chair is examined in detail in order to make appropriate decisions for its design. Nowadays, ergonomic issues in office chairs are taken into consideration and furniture is built to be secure, as well as comfortable. Nevertheless, offices are full of standard, assembly-line produced chairs. Most of them look quite similar and they lack innovation and charm. This is why creating an innovative office chair, as well as making sure it is still fully ergonomic and functional, is a challenge that can be reached by means of decision-making techniques. |