Customer optimization route and evaluation (CORE) for product design

To date many general procedural models to formulate the design process and to assess the quality of design have been described by industrialists and researchers. Despite similarities, all suggested methodologies contain various types of information that provide few possibilities for practitioners to consider users' reactions towards product attributes. Therefore, in practice and in a majority of cases, designers and manufacturers, while deploying huge investments in research and development in product design, are still bemused by the complexity of preferences by customers. The model presented in this paper, Customer Optimization Route and Evaluation (CORE), addresses the need for interactions between design and market needs. A method to translate customers' qualitative requirements into design technical attributes is introduced in CORE. Cutomer's satisfaction level for each product attribute is then evaluated, offering guidelines to designers for improvement in product design. This model is applied to a real example in the service industry offering Intranet services. Results of the study are analysed and proposals are given to improve the present product.