As design becomes a crucially influential factor in product success, the proper design decision-making has been considered as one of major jobs of senior management in a corporation. A group design decision-making is adopted increasingly by a corporation in order to choose the most suitable design from a number of alternatives as well as to minimize trial-and-errors which bring the waste of time and money. It, however, is very difficult to select best design among alternatives unanimously in the group decision-making process because a variety number of participants from various fields, e.g., CEO, a product champion, engineers, marketers, and others, join together.
Nevertheless, even a fundamental concept on the group design decision-making has not been established yet. Sometimes design decision-making has been confused with the concept of design evaluation and design problem-solving. Researches on the subject has been misunderstood as developing analytic and/or systematic evaluation methods for aiding decision-making between designers.
This study aims to establish the body of knowledge on the group design decision-making for new product development. It also aims to identify means for improving efficiency of the process. Firstly, the nature of the group design decision-making for new product development has been studied through a course of literature surveys. Then, the current state of design decision-making in major Korean corporations has been identified through field studies. Finally, the study suggests the ways for improving efficiency of the decision-making.
Major findings of the study can be summarized as follows: First, the more influence of designers on the group design decision-making, the higher confidence of non-designers as well as designers with the decision. Second, the proper handling of mutual conflicts between interested parties in the process can enhance the quality of the decision. It means that well-qualified group leader, suitable physical environment, and compatible skills are basic ingredients for the effective decision-making. Third, support from top management in terms of maintaining appropriate organizational conditions is needed for the successful group design decision-making.
