Abstract: To better understand product design, it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of design and evolution of its methodology. Traditional sequential product development is lack of global considerations and information exchanges among the perspectives from different fields. It results in design corrections and takes long time and huge resources. Concurrent engineering aims at integrated and concurrent product and process design. Product optimization is achieved by teamwork and process reengineering. Virtual manufacturing emphasizes improving product design by virtual models before production. Based on these requirements, three feasible product design methods are proposed. Product overall – balancing design method pays attention to the oriented design method and the virtual one, and satisfies requirements of product life cycle development more flexibly by both inherent and external mechanism. The end is that TQCS demands are met. On the other hand, it lays theoretical foundation on establishing software architecture for product design.

Key words: Automation, Computer applications, Design, Machinery, Methodology