This thesis examines the current methods of product development used in Japan and the West. It focuses on the first stage of product development and investigates the various methods used to generate ideas. There was not a method suitable to generate completely original ideas when faced with a blank sheet of paper. The Delphi Method is a series of questionnaires sent to "experts". Until this research, the Delphi Method has always determined future dates when new technologies would become available throughout industry. This thesis uses the principles of the Delphi Method to generate ideas for new products using a team of experts from many different backgrounds. The research was completed for DCE Ltd an international manufacturing company that develops,d esignsa nd manufacturesin dustrial dust control equipment. To ensure the idea generation research was compatible with DCE it was necessary to complete an extensive study into the company, including customer and competitor research studies.