Ever look at a common device and wonder what goes into the design? Donald Norman wrote a best selling book called “The Design of Everyday Things”. There are certain steps involved when it comes to functional design.
Forming a goal
What is it that I want to Achieve?
Forming the intention
How would this improve every day lives or boost productivity?
Specifying an action
What does the process involve? What are the requirements?
Executing the action
Gather the materials. Put pieces together. Following through with specified actions
Perceiving the state of the world
Decide how this is marketable. Specify how it is useful
Interpreting the state of the world
Is it relevant to today? Has the market changed since you started your design? Have you had user trials? Are there any improvements that need to be made? Any copyright issues?
Evaluating the outcome
Did you achieve your goal? Does it serve its purpose? Track success rate.
This is just a general overview but as you get more involved into design, you will discover that there are far more details and considerations to keep in mind.
Iteckat's Blog 
Alex Said:
on May 14, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Sometimes a general overview is just what you need — a cheat sheet, so to speak. Thanks for putting this together.