Acumen Engineering/Analysis, Inc.

Concept Generation and Selection

Concept Generation

In the concept generation phase, we explore a wide range of design approaches to meet the product specification. The purpose of this step is to put as many ideas on the table as possible without judging the feasibility of any one concept.

acumen facilitates concept generation precisely because we are “outside the box” from the beginning. We bring concepts from other industries and applications and are not constrained by “the way we always did it.” We have found that good ideas usually grow symbiotically from a small group of creative individuals. Thus, we typically organize concept generation meetings attended by individuals from a variety of disciplines including acumen personnel, outside consultants with relevant expertise and, at your discretion, representatives from your marketing or engineering departments. At the conclusion of this step, we compile a list of promising concepts for further development and selection.

Concept Selection

The objective of the concept selection phase is to eliminate all but the most promising concepts developed in the previous step. This is done by developing a preliminary design for each concept to the point that it can be objectively assessed within the context of the product specification. The concepts are then ranked according to the degree to which they can be made to meet the specification or the difficulties faced in meeting the specs.

acumen provides the objectivity needed to insure that the best concept is selected. We don’t hold preconceptions or preferences for one concept and we quickly focus on the critical specifications and essential design features for each concept. Typically, we analyze each design in enough detail to eliminate all but a few concepts and present those conclusions to you and your staff. At the same time, we facilitate the final selection by your staff through a variety of decision-making algorithms.

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Last Updated: March 6, 2006