05 Solution Design

🎯 Session Objectives

• Translate customer needs into technical specifications.

• Learn and apply Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and the House of Quality.

• Establish the technical requirements for your MVP.

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🧠 Theoretical Content

1. The Gap Between User Needs and Engineering

Often, what the customer asks for ("I want it fast and cheap") is not an engineering specification. Innovation Management requires bridging this gap.

2. Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

QFD is a structured approach to defining customer needs or requirements and translating them into specific plans to produce products to meet those needs.

The primary tool of QFD is the House of Quality.

3. Creating Functional Specifications

Before writing any code (Arduino, Python) or building physical prototypes, the team must define:

• Functional Requirements: What the system must do (e.g., "Must read temperature every 5 seconds").

• Non-Functional Requirements: How the system should behave (e.g., "Must have 99% uptime", "Must weigh under 500g").

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🛠️ Class Activity: Technical Requirements Matrix

Goal: Map your chosen client's requirements to engineering variables.

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1. Voice of the Customer (VOC)

List 5 key things the company expects your solution to achieve.

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2. Translation

For each VOC item, create at least one measurable Technical Specification.

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3. Relationship Mapping

Does improving Specification A negatively affect Specification B (e.g., increasing battery life usually increases weight)?

Example partial matrix:

Customer Requirement (WHAT)	Technical Spec (HOW)	Target Value
"Needs to be portable"	Total unit weight	Less than 1.5 kg
"Must run all day"	Battery capacity	10,000 mAh minimum
"Easy to monitor"	Web Dashboard latency	< 2 seconds refresh

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📚 Assignments

• Matrix Delivery: Complete the Requirements vs. Client Needs matrix.

• Preparation: Review your TS/CI report, IP strategy, and Technical matrix. Next week is the Cut 1 Evaluation presentation!