What Makes a Good Solution Element?

General
The Solution Element is a temporary document designed to provide a mechanism for recording ideas that is easy to use, to the point, and thorough. Its three major parts, Description, Properties and Features, focus attention on what is most necessary to capture an idea. A well-written Solution Element is of great help during the interaction process when Solution Elements are evaluated for their support or obstruction of Functions, and greatly simplifies the task of final description of System Elements derived from it.

Status
A check in the appropriate box should be made to indicate whether the Solution Element already exists E, has been modified from an existing source M, or is speculative (wholly new) S. If it exists or has been modified from an existing entity, the source should be given (see below).

Originator, Contributors and Dates
Names and dates must accurately reflect the development of the Solution Element's content, and the last date should agree with the version date at the bottom of the form. The Date of First Version at the bottom of the form should be the date when the form was originated.

Description
The Description should be general. In the Properties and Features sections, specific aspects of the idea can be developed in enough detail to take care of specific questions about what it is or what it does. A good format for Description begins with a nominative clause that would finish a sentence beginning "X is _", e.g., A probe able to sense temperature and consistency of food, coupled with... This may be sufficient. If not, another clause or sentence may be added, but the whole description should not require more than four or five lines.

Source
Necessary only for Existing or Modified Solution Elements, the Source identifies manufacturer, author and document or other original producer of the idea. If the source is a company or organization, its name, address and (if possible) telephone number or web site should be listed. If the source is an author, a complete bibliographic entry should be given as for Source/s listed on Defining Statements and Design Factors. As a general rule, Source information should include everything necessary to find the existing material.

Properties
Properties are what it is. In this section short phrases are used to single out components of the concept and their characteristics. The purpose is to high light what must be designed, assembled or integrated to bring the concept into being. When writing Properties, the analyst should think of how an engineering department would react to them - Properties are prescriptions for what must be produced.

In form, Properties should be described with bullet noun phrases. Short in length, direct and well-suited to eliciting images, bullet noun descriptions fit significant detail into a small space.

Features
Features are what it does. Like Properties, Features are described with short phrases. Unlike Properties, the phrases should be bullet verb phrases because Features are operational descriptions. The verb phrase is better for describing what the concept is intended to do in operation.

To tie Features and Properties together, a parenthetical reference should be included at the end of a Feature giving the title of the particular Property or Properties responsible for the Feature. If no reference is present, the assumption is that the Feature is one operational characteristic of the Solution Element as a whole.

Associated Functions
Associated Functions are those which the Solution Element fulfills wholly or in part. When the Solution Element is first written, they will most likely be those on the Design Factor document that suggested the Solution Element originally. When the Action Analysis process is finished and the Function Structure is complete, all Functions should be considered for whether they are associated with each Solution Element.

Titles of Associated Functions should be exactly as appear elsewhere in the system: on Activity Analysis forms, the Function Structure, Design Factors and System Elements.

Source Design Factors
Like Associated Functions, Source Design Factors establish links between the Solution Element and those Design Factors where it appears as a solution response to the Design Factor's insight. As always, titles should appear exactly as given on other forms.