A systematic problem analysis network for product conceptual design

Problem analysis is a starting point of product development. The effective problem analysis can narrow the scope of potential problems and improve design efficiency. Although different methods have been proposed for the design problem analysis, the existing tools of the problem analysis are not systematic and effective. This paper presents a product design problem analysis and solution method based on problem networks. The proposed method conducts the problem decomposition, derivation and solving by considering the problem generation, exploratory and hypotheticals. Computer-aided analysis tools are integrated to improve reproducibility of the analysis solution and reduce the workload of designers. The method is applied in developing a new type of the charging gun cable with a granted patent. Feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are proved.