Step 0:Identify the Customers Every design must serve a practical need of one or more end-users or "customers".There may be several levels of customers/stakeholders with very different interests. It is the desire of the customer that drives the development of the product,NOT the engineer's vision of what the customer should want. Some questions to be asking: What is the target market for the product?Who is the consumer for the product?Who will buy the product (and tell other consumers about the product and its quality)? Who are the stakeholders in the product?What roles will management,SPONSORS,manufacturing personnel,sales staff, service personnel hold?Are they also customers? Shanghai Jiao Tong University 15Shanghai Jiao Tong University 15 Step 0: Identify the Customers n Every design must serve a practical need of one or more end-users or “customers”. There may be several levels of customers/stakeholders with very different interests. n It is the desire of the customer that drives the development of the product, NOT the engineer’s vision of what the customer should want. n Some questions to be asking: n What is the target market for the product? Who is the consumer for the product? Who will buy the product (and tell other consumers about the product and its quality)? n Who are the stakeholders in the product? What roles will management, SPONSORS, manufacturing personnel, sales staff, service personnel hold? Are they also customers?