there are a number of techniques to help you evaluate ideas and designs. Try the ones listed below to find out which one works best for you.

What is evaluation?

In design when when we evaluate we judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of a product, system or environment. We also can evaluate the results of an experiment.

Why Do We Evaluate?

we evaluate designs to determine if they solve the required problem. It is possible to complete evaluations at all stages of a design process.

  1. Pre-Design
    1. research
    2. mindmapping
    3. brainstorming
  2. During initial Design stage, developing design ideas,

    1. thumbnail sketching
    2. doodling
    3. block models
    4. paper models
  3. During iterative development, refining a design, Concept development
    1. concept sketching
    2. rendering
    3. prototyping
    4. user testing
  4. Post Design
    1. full working prototypes
    2. manufactured products
    3. user testing
    4. customer feedback

Evaluation can Help by determining:

  • how people currently interact with the design problem
  • what is needed to produce a solution.
  • requirements of the product
  • who uses the design and how they use it 
  • best solution
  • if the concept is valid
  • a list of problem areas at the concept level
  • have we solved the problem
  • have we met user expectation
  • if you have met the criteria for sucess

Evaluation can help you come up with new ideas.



pluses minuses and interesting


pro’s, con’s and questions


strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats 

SWAT can be used both internally in organizations and externally in looking at their position in the market place; it can be used for any size of business from the sole trader to the multi-national conglomerate and is also quite useful for designers to use when developing products.

•    Strengths usually cover factors such a s product or services quality, lower costs than the competition, effective processes and well trained staff, what you are good at that you can use to your advantage during you product development
•    Weaknesses also tend to be internal to the organization such as relative size compared to the competition, size of operation, amount of experience in particular geographic region when looking at new markets. What skills you have, materials available, access to materials, time constraints, financial considerations.
•    Opportunities are usually derived from factors outside of the organization such as new export market opportunities, difficulties that competitors face, new manufacturing materials, techniques and technologies for example 3 dimensional printing.
•    Threats are also external in nature and often take the form of competitor actions such as launch of new products rendering your goods obsolete or unfashionable.

information edited from: http://www.essentialtoolsseries.com/details/toolbox/554133/SWOT_Analysis.html

Leave a Reply
