Design Checklist

These are helpful checklists to ensure you have thought through many of the problems your design might encounter and environmental assessments. It comes from my book, Intense Design: Product Design Lessons From Cold War Era Skunk Works.

I would be happy to send you these as Excel files if you email me at task@pct.edu

Form 1
Design Considerations

Likelihood of Associated Problems

Definite        Possible      Unlikely      Never

Strength

Fatigue

Stress Concentration

Impact

Vibration

Buckling

Thermal Expansion

Corrosion

Material Compatibility

Environment

Temperature

Humidity

Sunlight

Ice

Snow

Wind

Dust and sand

Hail

Lightning

Insects

Long nights

Monsoon Rains

Temperature Swings

Body heat

Pressure Difference

Misuse

Vandals

Children

Infants

Inexperienced Users

Irrational Users

Modifications/Hacks

Emergencies

Form 2

Environmental Report Form

Initial Sensory Perceptions

1.      Initial reaction words

(What are the first three words that come to mind?)

2.      Dominant visual

3.      First color observed

4.      Dominant color

5.      Dominant sound

6.      Dominant smell

Human Observations

1.      Density (crowded, intermediate, sparse)

2.      Traffic flow or patron movements through the environment

3.      Patrons’ age

4.      Patrons’ attire

5.      Patrons’ activities

6.      Employees’ attire

7.      Employees’ activities

Environmental Perceptions

1.      Lighting (sources, intensity, color)

2.      Air movement (velocity, sound, temperature, humidity)

3.      Background sounds (music, type of noise)

4.      Flooring (type, color, texture)

5.      Ceiling (type, color, texture, height)

6.      Walls (type, color, texture)

7.      Architectural features

8.      Furnishings

Other Observations and Perceptions