Creating Alternatives through Design and Technology Innovation

End products in all industries are increasingly dependent upon a highly innovative design and technology to meet their ultimate goal of development. In particular, the advent of design and technology has made a critical improvement to components that are expected to function properly in order to contribute to high performance products. As expectations and demands rise, scientist and technologist are focusing on product quality improvement and thus achieving higher levels of design and technology availability by re-examining current processes and procedures to create alternatives that are more ideal and optimum. Furthermore, product innovation has been seen as idea generation in the creativity stage, formalization processes and the successful application of concept in terms of output. The value of a ‘thing’ can be measured from how well the ‘thing’ performs its designated functions and achieves its purpose. Since identifying functions enables us to propose alternative ways to perform those functions in the act of idea generation, an ‘extended function’ will set a new context (purpose and goal) of a system. It also leads to an improvement of products. The ability to consider alternative ways or processes that could perform the same set of tasks with added benefit stimulates inquiry and explores further the original ideas. This season, we are pleased to present ten selected papers dedicated to design and technology improvement in various areas. With this theme, the issue discuses creating alternatives based on improving selected critical factors or variables to boost product or process performances.