3.21 Morphological Matrix

Morphological: the form and structure of an organism considered as a whole.

Morph: as a verb, it means to transform, to be transformed.

A Morphological Matrix is a tool used to generate design concepts.

The Morphological Matrix provides an overall approach and widens the area of possible solutions to a design.

The Morphological Matrix is designed to force divergent thinking to safeguard against overlooking solutions to a design problem.

The Morphological Matrix is a tool used to create something new from many things that exist – by combining features to create new configurations.

The matrix has a list of parameters, approximately seven, plus or minus two.

Each parameter has parameter components, which are alternate solutions to what was stated in the parameters.

The layout of a Morphological Matrix:

Define the parameter characteristics that must be considered for any possible alternative design solutions.
List a wide range of solutions (parameter components); an alternate means of satisfying each parameter characteristic.
The parameter characteristics each with its own set of alternative components (parameter components), are read horizontally.
Each alternative solution to the problem situation is indicated by different colored lines connecting different solutions to a design problem.

Examples

Points for Selecting Parameters:

They must be essential to any of the proposed solutions.
They must be formulated so that they are independent of each other.
The total parameters must be inclusive of all parts of the problem
The parameters must be on the same level of importance of the relationship and investigation.

In the product development process, more information parameter components have increases the validity of the parameter.

Morphological Matrix

Is your closet a Morphological Matrix?

Morphological Matrix Example:

In addition to the main Morphological Matrix, there could be a sub-matrix where one of the parameter components becomes a parameter.