The process of conceptualizing innovative designs is multifaceted and inherently difficult to perform successfully. It is largely characterized by the designer’s capability to find solutions to design problems beyond existing norms. General agreement suggests this process should entail a holistic approach for conceiving new ideas, which are expanded, assessed, developed, refined, and implemented as part of an iterative problem solving cycle. Suitable design procedures and skills are therefore vital as most of the final cost of a product or system is committed within the early conceptualization stage.
This paper builds on engineering design techniques previously developed by the author, namely the Design Process Framework in conjunction with the Concept Assessment Taxonomy (CAT) at the heart of concept development [1]. The main emphasis of the work presented herein is the application of said framework to a new design challenge in order to further test and demonstrate its practicality in a real world context: the conceptual development of an innovative, modular, hybrid-electric powertrain for two-wheelers.