The term describes methods of design in lean manufacturing companies as part of the study of Japanese industry by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The method has been used in architecture,[2] healthcare,[3] product development, processes design, information technology systems, and even to create lean business models.
[8] Lean design ® seeks to optimize the development process through rapid learning cycles to build and test multiple concepts early.
® (Munro & Associates) drives prevention of waste by adopting a systematic process to improve the design phase during development.
[14] As the practice of design for lean manufacturing has expanded in its depth and breadth of application, additional principles have been integrated into the method.