Dianna Deeney, Author at Deeney Enterprises

Define Kill Criteria to Avoid Zombie Projects

Engineers are masters at defining success. We establish “go criteria” based on user needs, requirements, and performance requirements that our product must meet. Take, for example, Tesla’s battery development program, which aimed for aggressive targets like a 56% reduction in battery cost per kilowatt-hour and a 54% increase in vehicle range. To meet such targets…

Confidence Is A Dial: Turn It With Evidence, Not Guesswork

We turn late-stage design surprises into a strategic plan by assigning explicit confidence levels, stacking evidence, and using the three-dial model of time, cost, and confidence boost. We show how to work backward from a system test to cheaper steps that drive faster, clearer decisions. • applying the three dials of time, cost, confidence •…

Raise Your Confidence by Strategically Stacking Evidence

Late-stage design just hit a snag—now comes the moment that separates guesswork from great engineering. We walk through a clear, repeatable method to investigate unexpected failures and make high-impact decisions with confidence. Instead of hunting for a perfect test, we set a confidence target and stack multiple forms of imperfect evidence until we close the…

Stop Risk Theater, Start Real Decisions

We break down why risk analyses often become risk theater and replace them with a simple, practical impact vs likelihood matrix that guides action. From quick wins to high-stakes unknowns, we show how to calibrate effort, buy the right learning, and move with confidence. Transcript Expand Here is the corrected and formatted transcript for a…

How to Choose Risk Tools That Actually Help Decisions

If you reach for the nearest “risk” template, it might cause more problems. There are two very different jobs we ask risk tools to do. In this episode, we talk about how to pick the one that actually moves your project forward. identification tools for unknown unknowns (like FMEA and preliminary hazard analysis) that systematically…

Beyond Requirements: How Quality Methods Provide Actionable Design Inputs

We explore the critical transition from concept development to engineering solutions in product development, highlighting quality tools that bridge the gap between customer needs and technical design inputs. • Quality engineering tools help translate concept development insights into design requirements • Results from concept development help focus engineering efforts on what matters most • The…

Map the User Journey: Design for Seamless Experiences

Brilliant engineering means nothing if users don’t understand it. Even at concept stage, to map the user journey can prevent costly redesigns and frustration.