- Concept Design
- Research and Development
- Print Design
Modular design architecture, combined with modular product architecture, equips companies with the tools to design, iterate, and deliver products to market faster. By leveraging pre-designed building blocks for agile development, modularity has become a cornerstone of modern, robust product creation.
However, achieving the right balance between pre-defining a product’s architecture and creating it as needed remains a complex challenge. A hastily defined foundation increases the risk of failure, while overly strict and time-intensive planning can delay production and postpone product launches. Additionally, rigid foundations may hinder the ability to adapt to future changes and evolving market needs.
This thesis investigates how modular design architecture can accelerate the product design and development processes for web-based products. Drawing from extensive research, it explores insights and theoretical frameworks around modularity, software development, and product design. It also delves into teamwork dynamics and best practices in product development to uncover strategies for success.
The research employed grounded theory methodology, with benchmarking as the primary data collection method. Data coding techniques from grounded theory were used to analyze and categorize findings, leading to a comprehensive understanding of modular design architectures. The study introduces a novel framework that synthesizes these insights, addressing the interconnections among definitions, elements, and categories within modular design systems.
By presenting this framework, the thesis offers a new approach to modularity that not only enhances design efficiency but also ensures long-term adaptability. It aims to guide teams and organizations in striking the optimal balance between planning and agility, fostering innovative and scalable web-based products.
Abstract
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter introduction and overview
“Product design is a process by which a product is conceptualized, designed, and created.”
A common perception between components, modules, and systems.
A general theory of modular systems adapted from Melissa Shilling’s work.
A breakdown of a “design system”
A typical structure and content of a visual language.
A quick introduction to component and pattern libraries.
Four different coding phases and methods applied in grounded theory.
Menu – export or print data or compare this journey against other journeys
What defines a good website?
Testing a web-based product’s modularity.
The open coding process was conducted using paper and writing materials.
The axial coding phase.
A collage of notes, source codes, and layouts that guided the research process.
Insights
The research findings discovered four levels of modular design architecture: foundations, formations, categories, and themes.
Personal insights based on research findings.
Summary and final words.
Scrutinizing major UI structures.
Works cited
A close-up of SoundCloud’s wireframes.
A close-up of Deezer’s structure and wireframes.