Abstract
An educational approach of design methods at the University of Tokyo is presented in this paper. Design methods taken up in this approach include Semantic differential (SD) method, Quality Functional Deployment (QFD), Design Structure Matrix (DSM), Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ), Taguchi Method, Value Engineering (VE), etc. Those methods are well used in the real design work but are not often taught in the design education at a mechanical engineering school of Japan. In order to deepen students understanding of these methods, exercise style is introduced. Students apply those methods to a problem and discuss about the result. They also discuss about characteristics of those methods. It is important to understand that these design methods do not automatically solve a problem but the result may be different depends on an application, a design strategy, a target customer etc. An experience of applying them helps students to understand these characteristics. Advantages of this approach are shown by a result of questionnaire survey.
