Modelling design development performance

Abstract

Begins with a brief review of research in the area of performance, with particular emphasis on design and product development, highlighting the main weaknesses in work to date. Then presents a fundamental and generic model of performance, related to knowledge‐based activities in design, which describes performance in terms of its key elements, efficiency and effectiveness, and provides a basis for modelling performance across different process levels. Evolves this model further to describe performance measurement and management in design development. Concludes that it is not possible to distinguish the efficiency of the design activity from that of design management, and that, in addition, efficiency appears to be inherent to an activity, but is difficult to measure.