Category:Decision and selection

From WikID

This article is part of the Bachelor design guide; the original version can be found at page 164.

Design is a process of diverging and converging. The design of a product grows from a product idea via solution principles, con­cepts and preliminary designs to a detailed definitive design. Design is also a process of working from large number of ideas to a single detailed design. Designing without intuitive decisions is inconceivable. But for new, complex or unknown decision problems intuitive decision making is not always succesful. Decision methods aim to help people in making a decision.

In decision methods, one compares alternatives on predefined criteria. One looks at how well an alternative performs ‘on the criteria’ and assigns a value to this performance. By bringing together the totality of the values of each of the criteria, one calcu­lates an overall score of the alternative. Calculating the overall scores of each of the alternatives and comparing the alternatives facilitates a decision making process. This is what decision methods are about.

The manner in which the overall score of an alternative is calculated is called the value function, or decision rule. However, these functions and rules are full of fallacies and pitfalls. Therefore, in using a certain method, one should really see whether the specific decision problem does indeed answer those assumptions, for only then does it make sense to use this method. Decision methods do not quarantee a sound answer! They are mere aids in the process of coming to a sound and well-thought decision. The deci­sion maker should always reflect on the reached verdicts/ decisions with the initially stated goals and aims of the projects in mind.