1. Design specifications: why and how?

A design project begins with a request expressed in the design specifications document (CDCD). The CDCD covers both the functional and perceived specifications of the product/service to be designed. It includes not only objective characteristics (usage functions, shape, texture, color), but also subjective criteria linked to consumer perception (semantic, sensory, emotional). When design is highly formalized, as in the automotive design or interaction design sectors, transmission of the CDCD can be associated with the creation of a working group at the start of the design project. This working group includes business players such as design, innovation and purchasing managers, designers, eco-design or process engineers, and marketers. The CDCD is a document that formalizes and shares the project's objectives. Interpretation of this document leads to a collective exploration to define the...