Assessment and selection of psychological attributes: Design team perspectives

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between physical and metaphysical entities in the context of product/system design. The paper talks about the grey area of human psychology and presents a theoretical framework for the identification and selection of psychological attributes for designers. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of a literature review, this paper identifies various psychological attributes affecting the performance of designers in a team environment and then analyses the same. Findings The paper talks about a new shift in engineering design and designs for maintainability of mechanical systems. Practical implications A procedure based on the analytic hierarchy process method is applied. The developed procedure is useful in the assessment and selection of coveted psychological attributes for personnel in general and for designers in particular. Originality/value The paper highlights the immense role of psychology in engineering design, especially in the design for maintainability of mechanical systems. The paper will be useful to researchers, designers, maintenance personnel and professionals from the domain of engineering design, irrespective of their field of application. This paper is equally useful for human resource and management professionals/researchers.