DESIGN PROCESS

What is the Design Process? The design process is a set of six steps that people use when solving a problem. The six steps do not have a set structure and evaluation is used throughout the entire design process to assess what is happening in each step. The six steps of the design process are:

1.Problem- Identify the Problem

2.Possible Solutions- Generate possible ideas

3.Research- Locate information related to the subject area

4.Create Solution- Decide on a final design/solution

5.Manufacture- Create the product

6.Evaluate- Review what worked and what didn't

1. Problem- Identify the Problem

The chef’s restaurant needs a new and innovative desert item to complete their new menu. The desert menu currently, does not have a cake product and will need one to finish the menu.

2.Possible Solutions- Generate possible ideas

Chef will brainstorm ideas, possibly with other chefs of the restaurant, and create rough recipes and test dishes.

3.Research- Locate information related to the subject area

A chef’s background knowledge and skills help towards their research, as they will already have the means of creating new dishes. If they are new to being a pastry chef they can easily research different ideas through the Internet, talk to other chefs, ask family and friends what they would like to see.

4.Create Solution- Decide on a final design/solution

Through a chef’s testing a research, they can decide on a finalised dish to add to the menu.

5.Manufacture- Create the product

The chef will produce a recipe for other chefs in the kitchen to follow. They may also provide a description of the dish to add onto the restaurants menu.

6.Evaluate- Review what worked and what didn't

Over time, customer feedback and sale figures will determine whether the dish was a success or not to be continued onto the next menu of the restaurant. Restaurants can also receive customer reviews or can arrange press reviews to be published by seasoned food reviewers. The chef can then take all this different information on board for the next dish that he or she designs.

Food Designers would use the six steps listed above in order to create not only the dessert dishes for their menu, but every other dish that will be sold within their restaurant. Some famous dessert food designers, better known as pastry chefs, include: Heston Blumenthal, Graham Hornigold and Duff Goldman.

A chef may use the design process in this way to solve a problem.