User-centred machinery design for a small scale agricultural-based community using Quality Function Deployment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Design Thinking is a user-centred framework that captures unmet needs of users and generates ideas for sustainable solutions. Quality Function Deployment is a tool that translates the voice of customers into engineering attributes required for product and process design. Both concepts are globally adopted in various fields including but not limited to; manufacturing industries, business and service sectors, education, research, health care and social innovation. This study aims to propose a methodological framework that combine principles from user-driven ideation and customer-focused product/process design for the development of a sustainable solution in the context of small-scale agricultural community. The framework is validated with a case study at a learning community centre in Thailand. The machine was built with functions that allowed it to shred plants and mix the fertiliser simultaneously which was well accepted and sustainably used in the community. A policy recommendation based on this study is when working with community-based problems, the designers should immerse themselves with the community to completely understand the problem and solution context. A co-creation between the designers and the community users is encouraged to obtain impactful solutions. Local resources and accessible technology should be taken into account to reassure an effective and sustainable solution.