摘要：The application of work strategies taking into account, from the initial stages, all the factors involved in the product design process is considered essential by the researches to generate higher quality products, assess users’ needs and anticipate design problems. This paper presents two approaches of design project development, denominated respectively: projects with imposed specifications and projects with derived specifications and proposes the use of the matrix that integrates specifications and design factors (SFM). This design support tool complements others already used in the development of product concepts by higher education students, increasing the capacity of synthesis and structuring of information in order to facilitate decision-making into the design process. Its elaboration implies understanding of objectives, identifying of factors and establishing of specifications. At the same time, it aims to foster the reflection process and an integrated information analysis. The application of SFM and its contribution to different project approaches are shown in this paper.