A novel integrated MADM method for design concept evaluation

Design concept evaluation plays a significant role in new product development. Rough set based methods are regarded as effective evaluation techniques when facing a vague and uncertain environment and are widely used in product research and development. This paper proposed an improved rough-TOPSIS method, which aims to reduce the imprecision of design concept evaluation in two ways. First, the expert group for design concept evaluation is classified into three clusters: designers, manufacturers, and customers. The cluster weight is determined by roles in the assessment using a Multiplicative Analytic Hierarchy Process method. Second, the raw information collection method is improved with a 3-step process, and both design values and expert linguistic preferences are integrated into the rough decision matrix. The alternatives are then ranked with a rough-TOPSIS method with entropy criteria weight. A practical example is shown to demonstrate the method’s viability. The findings suggest that the proposed decision-making process is effective in product concept design evaluation.