A framework for optimal product concept generation

Concept design is the most critical step in product development. To a large extent, its quality determines the fate of the product. Support for concept generation is mainly intuitive beside few recent attempts to develop concept generation support methods. In this paper, we review and exemplify the importance of quality product concepts and the available literature on concept generation. We present a framework that is simple yet comprehensive for generating optimal concepts in diverse disciplines. The framework rests on a method for optimal concept generation that has sound mathematical foundation. The method has been evolved and refined over years of practical experience and research. The present version has been used in numerous successful real projects. We illustrate the use of the framework in two case studies and explain the sources of its generality. The framework is flexible thus can accommodate diverse design concerns as well as model concept design in the context of new business practices such as outsourcing.