Boothroyd and Dewhurst Method as a creative tool to support design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA) students engineering design teams

The field of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) presents unique challenges, particularly due to the lack of creative tools that facilitate concurrent and collaborative engineering design. Effective collaboration among engineering teams necessitates tools that enable diverse groups to innovate collectively. This study hypothesizes that the Boothroyd and Dewhurst method can effectively promote collaborative creativity and innovation within engineering teams. To test this, we examine its application across five student engineering design projects, assessing its effectiveness in fostering teamwork and creativity. Our findings reveal that the Boothroyd and Dewhurst method not only helps students optimize engineering designs but also stimulates collaborative creativity by enhancing curiosity, critical thinking, and collaborative design thinking. These results indicate that, while the method was originally designed for systematic product optimization, it also significantly supports co-creative thinking, co-innovation, and collaborative skills among engineering student groups.