Design for X (DFX)

A foundational model in marketing, the 4Ps framework classifies the key elements a business uses to promote its brand or product. It consists of Product (the item or service), Price (the cost to the consumer), Place (where it's sold), and Promotion (the advertising and sales activities). These four variables are controlled by the company to influence consumer demand.

The use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software allows product designers and engineers to create precise 2D and 3D models, replacing manual drafting. This technology dramatically increases productivity, improves the quality of design, and facilitates better communication through detailed visualizations and simulations.

Molecular electronics explores using individual molecules or nanoscale molecular collections as fundamental electronic components. This approach aims to build circuits at the ultimate limit of miniaturization, far beyond traditional silicon-based technology. Key components include molecular wires, switches, and rectifiers, leveraging quantum mechanical properties like electron tunneling through molecular orbitals for their function.

Concurrent engineering, also known as simultaneous engineering, is a design philosophy that emphasizes the parallelization of tasks. Instead of a sequential process where design is completed before manufacturing is considered, it involves a team-based approach where designers, manufacturing engineers, and other stakeholders work together from the outset. This overlap significantly reduces product development time and improves design quality.

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a systematic methodology for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. This "cradle-to-grave" or "cradle-to-cradle" analysis considers raw material extraction, processing, manufacturing, distribution, use, repair, maintenance, and final disposal or recycling. It quantifies inputs like energy and raw materials and outputs like emissions to air, water, and soil.

The three pillars of sustainability, also known as the triple bottom line, is a framework that posits true sustainability requires balancing three main dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. Environmental sustainability focuses on preserving natural resources and ecosystems. Social sustainability addresses equity, community well-being, and human rights. Economic sustainability ensures long-term financial viability without compromising the other two pillars.

The Deborah number is a dimensionless quantity in rheology, used to characterize the fluidity of materials. It is the ratio of the relaxation time, which is an intrinsic property of the material, to the characteristic time scale of the experiment or observation. The formula is [latex]De = \frac{t_c}{t_p}[/latex], where [latex]t_c[/latex] is the relaxation time and [latex]t_p[/latex] is the observation time.

CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) is the dominant technology for constructing integrated circuits. It uses complementary pairs of p-type and n-type MOSFETs to build logic gates. Its primary advantage is very low static power consumption, as one transistor in the pair is always off during steady state, resulting in minimal current flow except during switching transitions.

Passive solar design is a building design strategy that uses a building's components—walls, floors, windows, and orientation—to collect, store, reflect, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. Unlike active solar heating systems, it does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.

The Finite Volume Method (FVM) is a dominant numerical technique in CFD for solving partial differential equations. It discretizes the domain into a mesh of control volumes and applies the governing equations in their integral form to each volume. By converting volume integrals to surface integrals using the divergence theorem, it focuses on calculating the flux of conserved properties across cell faces.

Relationship marketing is a strategic approach that shifts the focus from individual transactions to building long-term customer loyalty and engagement. It emphasizes customer retention, satisfaction, and lifetime value over short-term sales goals. Key tactics include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, loyalty programs, and personalized communication, aiming to create a strong, emotional connection between the brand and the customer.

A design philosophy and iterative process where the needs, wants, and limitations of end-users are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process. UCD aims to create products that are highly usable and accessible by involving users throughout the design cycle through research, testing, and feedback, rather than relying solely on designer assumptions.

LCA system boundaries define which life cycle stages are included in the assessment. A "cradle-to-grave" analysis covers the entire product life, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and final disposal. In contrast, a "cradle-to-gate" assessment is a partial LCA that ends when the product leaves the factory gate, excluding the use and disposal phases.

Viral marketing describes any marketing strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message from person to person. It is a form of amplified word-of-mouth, often facilitated by the internet.