Exploring Design - The Design Triangle
Design is an art that brings together many complex factors to produce a practical, usable product or service. Here we look at designing products and services around three variables that change for different customers.
Regardless of the type of market an organisation brings its value to, these variables will determine whether customers and investors are satisfied and find value in what the organisation provides.
The three variables are:
The goal is to provide something that meets a need, that can do that for a long as required (sustainable) and with minimal effort on the part of the recipient. These goals are represented at the centre of the triangle.
The variables of cost, use and reliability have to be designed into the product or service to make it valuable to the recipient. Remember that these must reflect what people value as explored in the Value hexagon. Building this value into the design looks like this:
Regardless of the type of market an organisation brings its value to, these variables will determine whether customers and investors are satisfied and find value in what the organisation provides.
The three variables are:
- Cost. Regardless of any other needs or priorities, this is a factor that will not go away. There are very few situations where cost is no object.
- Reliability. If a product or service cannot consistently and reliably satisfy a need then people will not find value in it. Reliability can range from a short-term outcome, like a meal, to a long term product, such as a house.
- Use. If a product or service is of no use to people then they will get no value from it.
The goal is to provide something that meets a need, that can do that for a long as required (sustainable) and with minimal effort on the part of the recipient. These goals are represented at the centre of the triangle.
The variables of cost, use and reliability have to be designed into the product or service to make it valuable to the recipient. Remember that these must reflect what people value as explored in the Value hexagon. Building this value into the design looks like this:
- Cost:
- Resources - What resources will it consume, eg. money, fuel, personnel?
- Effort - How much effort will it take to use, eg. demands on time, upkeep, automation?
- Reliability:
- Maintenance - How much maintenance and care does it require, eg. easily deployed, storage, durable components?
- Results - How consistently does it create the intended value, eg. consistent outcomes, quality results?
- Use:
- Ease - How easily can it be used, eg. with little training, conveniently, compatibility with other activities or assets?
- Applicable - How well does it address the need, eg. matches expectations, requires little or no adaptation, fits the context and operating conditions?
A look at the car industry is an easy way to see how design elements vary to suit customers.
Most cars are using the same core technology they used 100 years ago: an internal combustion motor, a cabin, four wheels, steering wheel, gears and head lights. Of course there have been technological improvements along the way in terms of efficiency as well as design differences such as rear wheel, front wheel and four wheel drive. The key is, at any point in time, the technological difference between most cars on the market is not huge. Emerging technologies, like hybrid electric cars only account for a small part of the market. Yet there are still many models and designs available.
The difference in cars can largely be explained as designs to suit different consumer needs. A farmer in a remote area needs a reliable, strong, four wheel drive utility. An suburban worker needs a small, economical run about. But it is more complex than this. An inner city professional might bypass the small car for an expensive four wheel drive that never goes off road. They may be after safety features for their family which, for them, are worth more than the extra running costs of the vehicle. Their colleague in the office next door might by a small, sporty car because they have no family and they like the image and prestige that they project onto the vehicle. The outer suburb family, on the other hand, might look for a practical, multi-purpose vehicle and so buy a station wagon.
Knowing the different things people value, as explored using the Value Scale, translates into design options using the Design Triangle.
Resources - Money is no object for the urban professional after prestige but it is a big factor for the outer suburbs family.
Effort - The farmer wants a utility that will reduce effort and handle rough terrain. They will look for different attributes in their four-wheel drive to the city family after safety features.
Ease - A manual gear shift will suit the farmer who wants more control over their load compared to the suburban worker who prefers an automatic transmission for the stop-start movement of peak hour traffic.
Applicable - All of the consumers were looking for features that apply to their driving conditions and social goals.
Results - The suburban family might judge results on fuel economy whereas the urban professional with the sporty car might judge results on the number of complements received.
Maintenance - The target is probably low maintenance for all of the consumers above but if we think of the car enthusiast with the classic vehicle, they might even enjoy high maintenance as they tinker with the vehicle that gives them such aesthetic pleasure.
Most cars are using the same core technology they used 100 years ago: an internal combustion motor, a cabin, four wheels, steering wheel, gears and head lights. Of course there have been technological improvements along the way in terms of efficiency as well as design differences such as rear wheel, front wheel and four wheel drive. The key is, at any point in time, the technological difference between most cars on the market is not huge. Emerging technologies, like hybrid electric cars only account for a small part of the market. Yet there are still many models and designs available.
The difference in cars can largely be explained as designs to suit different consumer needs. A farmer in a remote area needs a reliable, strong, four wheel drive utility. An suburban worker needs a small, economical run about. But it is more complex than this. An inner city professional might bypass the small car for an expensive four wheel drive that never goes off road. They may be after safety features for their family which, for them, are worth more than the extra running costs of the vehicle. Their colleague in the office next door might by a small, sporty car because they have no family and they like the image and prestige that they project onto the vehicle. The outer suburb family, on the other hand, might look for a practical, multi-purpose vehicle and so buy a station wagon.
Knowing the different things people value, as explored using the Value Scale, translates into design options using the Design Triangle.
Resources - Money is no object for the urban professional after prestige but it is a big factor for the outer suburbs family.
Effort - The farmer wants a utility that will reduce effort and handle rough terrain. They will look for different attributes in their four-wheel drive to the city family after safety features.
Ease - A manual gear shift will suit the farmer who wants more control over their load compared to the suburban worker who prefers an automatic transmission for the stop-start movement of peak hour traffic.
Applicable - All of the consumers were looking for features that apply to their driving conditions and social goals.
Results - The suburban family might judge results on fuel economy whereas the urban professional with the sporty car might judge results on the number of complements received.
Maintenance - The target is probably low maintenance for all of the consumers above but if we think of the car enthusiast with the classic vehicle, they might even enjoy high maintenance as they tinker with the vehicle that gives them such aesthetic pleasure.
Reinforcement actions are events or processes taken to strengthen your people and organisation. They help people learn and develop effective outcomes for the organisation.
Some actions that can help strengthen design are:
Remember that the Design Triangle can apply to internal processes and production relationships as well as external customer needs. Many benefits can be obtained from understanding how one unit serves the needs of another in the production chain or other corporate processes.
The effectiveness of the Design Triangle can be magnified by using it in tandem with the Engagement function of the Performance Panel. Effective consultation and the involvement of stakeholders can accelerate the development of new and better product and service design.
Some actions that can help strengthen design are:
- Consultations and processes to review existing troubles, bottlenecks and practices that interfere with the production of good products and services.
- Analysis and research of customer feedback and industry trends.
- Think tanks and project groups that deal with opportunities for the organisation to get better results.
- Business planning processes for groups looking for ways to improve their performance, products and services.
- Business case and proposal development for new initiatives seeking investment and commitment from decision makers.
Remember that the Design Triangle can apply to internal processes and production relationships as well as external customer needs. Many benefits can be obtained from understanding how one unit serves the needs of another in the production chain or other corporate processes.
The effectiveness of the Design Triangle can be magnified by using it in tandem with the Engagement function of the Performance Panel. Effective consultation and the involvement of stakeholders can accelerate the development of new and better product and service design.
The description section above introduced some questions you can use to explore elements of design. This exercise helps you to explore your products and services. You can also adapt these questions to internals business processes, looking at how units work together and rely on each others outputs.
Cost
Resources
Effort
Use
Ease
Applicable
Reliability
Results
Maintenance
Cost
Resources
- What can be done to reduce resource consumption by your products and services?
- How can you reduce production and delivery costs?
- How can you reduce ongoing costs for customers/investors who adopt your products and services?
Effort
- How can you reduce the effort it takes to provide or use your products and services?
- How can you reduce the time and effort that must be devoted to accessing and applying your product or service?
Use
Ease
- How can you make your products and services more user friendly?
- What can be done to make it foolproof and less effort for people using it?
Applicable
- What can you do to make sure your products and services apply to people's needs?
- How can you clarify these needs and improve the effectiveness of your products and services to meet them?
Reliability
Results
- What can you do to ensure your products and services consistently get the results they are meant to?
- How can you make sure they meet the expected levels of quality?
Maintenance
- How can you make your products and services low maintenance?
- What can be done to increase their durability?
Design principles are often associated with graphic arts but are also relevant to industrial design. Dieter Rams' 10 design principles of innovative design are perhaps the most well known and include: open to innovation, provide a useful product, understandable, durable and others. Service design principles are also developed for IT software and architecture design.
Here we focus on the organisation's role creating value for others. It not only draws on design principles but also other disciplines, such as project management and sales. The focus is on a simple set of principles leaders and teams can apply to a range of situations and get value creating results for their customers and investors.
Here we focus on the organisation's role creating value for others. It not only draws on design principles but also other disciplines, such as project management and sales. The focus is on a simple set of principles leaders and teams can apply to a range of situations and get value creating results for their customers and investors.