Design of Experiments (DOE) I: Introduction to DOE

  • Overview
  • Course Content
  • Requirements & Materials
Overview

Design of Experiments (DOE) I: Introduction to DOE

Course Description

Any experiment that changes only one variable at a time squanders valuable resources—especially time. In a world overflowing with interconnected knowledge, technical professionals need a smarter, faster way to uncover deeper insights, optimize conditions, and drive innovation at lightning speed. This course revives the power of factorial experimentation and presents it in a way that will completely transform how professionals approach complex systems—making them easier to characterize, optimize, and improve.

For too long, factorial experimentation has been trapped in the realm of statistical experts. This class breaks down that barrier, empowering the next generation of industry leaders to use experimentation and testing as a strategic advantage—cutting test durations, revealing critical insights early and often, and turning raw data into breakthrough innovations.

This introductory course brings learning to life through Statapults (virtual and in-person), interactive simulations, real-world case studies, and an engaging Socratic teaching style. Participants will also get a sneak peek into specialized DOE software, gaining firsthand experience with the tools used by top practitioners to design and analyze experiments.

Course Content

INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS (DOE)

  • Understanding the DOE process and experimental setup
  • Interpreting key statistical output metrics
  • Reviewing foundational statistics: confidence intervals and statistical power
  • Determining the right sample size for effective testing

BUILDING AND ANALYZING BASIC DOE MODELS

  • Exploring linear full-factorial designs
  • Understanding response surface models and their applications
  • Designing mixed-level DOE experiments
  • Learning about mixture designs for finding optimal ingredient ratios

IDENTIFYING AND LEVERAGING INTERACTIONS

  • The critical role of interaction effects in experimentation
  • When and why to use fractional factorial designs
  • Understanding aliasing patterns and their implications
  • Detecting and addressing confounding issues in DOE
  • Recovering from overlooked interaction effects

ADVANCED AND SPECIALIZED DOE DESIGNS

  • Screening designs: Efficiently identifying key factors
  • Optimal designs: Balancing complexity and efficiency
  • Scaling up (sequential experimentation): Incrementally increasing the complexity of experiments

HANDS-ON DOE APPLICATIONS

  • Practical Experimentation with Statapults (In-Person Only): Conducting physical experiments using Statapults to model shot distances, collect data, and analyze factorial effects
  • Building and Testing Experimental Models: Designing and executing linear full-factorial, augmented quadratic, and full-factorial quadratic models using real-world data
  • Using Microsoft Excel for DOE: Applying Excel add-ins for statistical analysis, factorial design setup, and basic DOE solutions without advanced software
  • Exploring DOE-Specific Software: Hands-on training with DOE software (e.g., JMP, Minitab, Design-Expert) to perform statistical power calculations, model analysis, and trade-off assessments
  • Data Visualization and Interpretation: Learning how to graphically represent experimental results to identify key effects, interactions, and optimal conditions
  • Iterative Experimentation and Refinement: Modifying experimental designs based on initial results to improve models and refine conclusions
  • Group-Based Problem Solving: Collaborating on team-based DOE projects to apply concepts in a real-world context, reinforcing experimental design and data-driven decision-making
  • Industry Case Studies and Application: Reviewing and analyzing DOE applications in engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology to understand its impact across industries

VIRTUAL DOE APPLICATIONS

  • Simulated Experiments: Using online DOE simulators to design and analyze experiments
  • Virtual Labs & Case Studies: Exploring real-world DOE applications through interactive online module
  • Live Demonstrations: Watching and analyzing recorded factorial experiments with guided instruction
  • Remote DOE Software Training: Hands-on exercises using DOE-specific software for statistical modeling and optimization
  • Crowdsourced Experimentation: Conducting virtual experiments where students collect and analyze shared data sets
  • Gamified Learning: Engaging in DOE-related challenges, quizzes, and problem-solving exercises in an online environment
Requirements & Materials

Prerequisites

Recommended

  • Working knowledge of probability and statistics

Materials

Provided

  • Textbook and course notes
  • Single-output Design of Experiments software package

Recommended

  • Laptop computer

Session Details

  • Special Discounts: Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) employees are eligible to receive a discount.  If you are a GTRI employee, please go to the Organizational Development website and look for the coupon code under GT Professional Development. Review coupon instructions for more information.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for any technical professional who is frustrated by the length and monotonous nature of experimental testing.  This includes, but is certainly not limited to, engineers who want to shorten their testing duration of a complex system, technicians who want to optimize machine efficiency, data analysts who want to understand complex relationships driving KPIs, industrial designers interested in reducing assembly time, or a lean practitioners looking to reduce system variance.  Any technical professional interested in characterizing complex systems can benefit from this course.

Adult professional attending defense tech course

What You Will Learn

  • How factorial experimentation is superior to other common, more rudimentary methods of experimentation
  • How to answer the question:  “How much testing is enough?”
  • How to answer the objection:  “This is a lot of testing.  How can you justify the cost?”
  • The method of sequential experimentation and how it is critical to being efficient with resources
  • How to brainstorm with teams in a way that answers the question, “what should we test and why?”
  • How to use system characterization questions to predict behavior
  • Semi-advanced techniques including  fractional factorial experiments, screening designs, and optimal designs, and sequential experimentation
  • Solution of DOE problems using examples from Statapults, computer games, and simulations
  • How to design an experiment properly with  modern software tools
Adult learners participating in classroom discussion

How You Will Benefit

  • Recognize how to format the problem or evaluation to take advantage of the DOE process and solution.
  • Characterize the system under test or the system to be analyzed.
  • Derive equations that explain the behavior of the response based on the factors and the behavior of the variability of the response based on the factors.
  • Examine cause and effect, and verify controllable inputs and accurate, repeatable measurement systems.
  • Understand how to generate orthogonal designs and their benefits.
  • Efficiently design and conduct experimental studies for comparative evaluation, input-output characterization, output variance control, input sensitivity, and process control/optimization.
  • Validate transfer function results or recover from lack of confirmation.
  • Grow Your Professional Network icon
    Grow Your Professional Network
  • Taught by Experts in the Field icon
    Taught by Experts in the Field

The course schedule was well-structured with a mix of lectures, class discussions, and hands-on exercises led by knowledgeable and engaging instructors.

- Abe Kani
President

TRAIN AT YOUR LOCATION

We enable employers to provide specialized, on-location training on their own timetables. Our world-renowned experts can create unique content that meets your employees' specific needs. We also have the ability to deliver courses via web conferencing or on-demand online videos. For 15 or more students, it is more cost-effective for us to come to you.

  • Save Money
  • Flexible Schedule
  • Group Training
  • Customize Content
  • On-Site Training
  • Earn a Certificate
Learn More

Want to learn more about this course?