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Quality during Design

Quality during Design

Written by: Dianna Deeney
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Hosted by Dianna Deeney, Quality during Design is the place for product design engineers to use quality thinking throughout the design process to create products others love, for less. Each week we talk about ways to use quality during design engineering and product development. Join the conversation at QualityDuringDesign.com.© 2023 Deeney Enterprises, LLC Economics
Episodes
  • Cut Through The Design Fog
    Jan 22 2026

    Early concept development often fails because teams lack clarity and alignment, leading to wasted time and resources. Discover the structured approach needed to cut through the "design fog" and ensure your team is building the right product from the start.

    In this episode:
    • The Concept Space Model defines the fundamental questions teams must align on before diving into technical details.
    • The ADEPT Team Framework provides a five-part method for effective co-creation and structured ideation.
    • Learn how brainwriting and ensuring common understanding lead to actionable design inputs.

    Do you want next steps? Are you ready to pierce your design fog? Here is how to get started:

    1. Listen to the free podcast series. Get the list at PierceTheDesignFog.com
    2. Read the book, Pierce the Design Fog. It contains detailed templates, facilitation guides, and case studies.
    3. Work with me. I help teams implement these frameworks. Visit DeeneyEnterprises.com

    Ready to apply this to your project?
    → Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

    Want insights like this?
    → Subscribe to my newsletter: qualityduringdesign.substack.com

    Learn the full framework:
    → Get the Book: Pierce the Design Fog

    ABOUT DIANNA
    Dianna Deeney is a quality advocate for product development with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, which helps organizations and people improve engineering design.

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    8 mins
  • The Design Fog is Derailing Your Project
    Jan 8 2026

    Your team spent six weeks on a feature that got rejected in the demo. Your engineers built a prototype that totally missed the mark. This misalignment is the design fog, and it’s where most product failures are born in the uncomfortable space of the fuzzy front end.

    In this episode:
    • Learn why jumping to prototypes introduces fixedness, robbing your team of the chance to define true user requirements.
    • Understand the symptoms of the design fog, including the silent assumptions problem and the premature precision trap.
    • Discover how the Concept Space Model and the ADEPT Team Framework act as the rope and torches you need to pierce the design fog and align your team in a matter of hours, not weeks.

    Subscribe at qualityduringdesign.substack.com so you don’t miss the framework that stops the cycle.

    Ready to apply this to your project?
    → Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

    Want insights like this?
    → Subscribe to my newsletter: qualityduringdesign.substack.com

    Learn the full framework:
    → Get the Book: Pierce the Design Fog

    ABOUT DIANNA
    Dianna Deeney is a quality advocate for product development with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, which helps organizations and people improve engineering design.

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    11 mins
  • Expected Value Makes Uncertainty Manageable
    Dec 25 2025

    Ever face a late-stage design decision where your gut says “maybe,” finance says “no,” and the schedule says “hurry”?

    We unpack a simple way to make those calls with more clarity: using expected value to connect confidence, upside, and downside into one sober view of net benefit. No jargon, no spreadsheets required—just a clear framework that helps you see when a $50,000 test buys real certainty, and when the right move is to ship.

    Still, numbers don’t get the final say. The goal isn’t to pick the biggest EV; it’s to choose the most balanced, actionable, project-aligned option.

    If this approach helps you navigate the gray areas between risk and reward, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Got a decision you’re wrestling with? Send it our way—we’ll feature it in a future breakdown.

    This blogpost: https://deeneyenterprises.com/qdd/podcast/expected-value-makes-uncertainty-manageable/

    Facing a really complicated and nuanced decision? Try this Method to Help with Complex Decisions (DMRCS)

    Ready to apply this to your project?
    → Schedule a free discovery call: Dianna's calendar

    Want insights like this?
    → Subscribe to my newsletter: qualityduringdesign.substack.com

    Learn the full framework:
    → Get the Book: Pierce the Design Fog

    ABOUT DIANNA
    Dianna Deeney is a quality advocate for product development with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, which helps organizations and people improve engineering design.

    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
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