Title: An integrated design framework for mass customisation in the consumer electronics industry

Authors: Hassan Abdalla, Tun-Hsueh Chan

Addresses: Design and Innovation, College of Art and Design, UOS, P.O. Box 27272, UAE. ' Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Product and Spatial Design, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK

Abstract: This paper investigates a framework for Mass Customisation (MC) in the consumer electronics industry. While personalisation is motivating the adoption of MC, providing adequate options for matching consumer needs remains a major challenge. This challenge can be conquered by applying scenario planning, product family architecture and a product styling platform. Simultaneously, introducing Web3D-based consumer co-design, enterprises can understand user preferences and then improve design concepts. An integrated framework and Agile Design Process (ADP) are proposed for achieving multi-disciplinary collaboration by these methods. Pilot surveys participated by design personnel indicate that the framework and ADP have high potential for harnessing MC.

Keywords: mass customisation; design process; product families; product architecture; scenario planning; Web3D; product styling; co-design; product development; collaboration; consumer electronics; agile design; collaborative design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2011.038549

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2011 Vol.40 No.1/2, pp.37 - 52

Published online: 10 Feb 2011 *

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