Collaborative Quality Function Deployment. A Methodology for Enabling Co-design Research Practice

The Quality Function Deployment, was born in Japan around 1965 as a method to deploy functions forming quality and measurable parameters concerning products, service or processes based on user needs. QFD is normally used in business contexts by multidisciplinary teams that, after significant training, collaborate to compile and to interpret user requirements embedded in a matrix with characteristics and attributes. However, the design discipline is changing, along with methodologies, approaches, multidisciplinary teams and working practice. The rise of recent co-designed methodologies, flexible and holistic approaches in to design research lead to a decreased use of QFD among new designer generations. It has been noticed that when people are not adequately trained, and there is no opportunity to have face to face meetings, some methodological issues can arise while using QFD. The aim of this explorative work is to investigate the key factors that limit the use of QFD in the current multidisciplinary design research practice. A methodological literature review along with holistic experience fostered the development of a manifesto for a collaborative QFD methodology that stimulates collaborative multidisciplinary design research. This research impacts on developing a stimulating approach in to design research and practice, which shall be collaborative, inclusive, flexible, adaptable and open source, following the recent paradigms in cross-disciplines research practice.