Designing Digital Twins: A Problem First Approach to Bridging the Real and Virtual Worlds

Design digital twins and applied AI systems that create measurable real-world change - not just models, dashboards or disconnected technology.

Designing Digital Twins is a practical guide for industry leaders, domain experts, engineers, product managers and technology professionals who need to connect digital capabilities with real assets, people, processes and decisions.

Rob Foster presents a problem-first approach to designing interconnected solutions. Rather than beginning with a platform, model or technology, the book works backwards from the outcome you need to achieve in the real world. It explains what digital twins are, how they relate to applied AI, and why many initiatives fail when the problem, ecosystem and desired change are not clearly defined.

At the centre of the book is the Digital Twin Design Process (DTDP), a structured method for moving from a valuable problem to a feasible ecosystem change, a usable solution and a viable investment. Through practical guidance, examples, checklists and worked frameworks, readers will learn how to:

• define and validate the right problem
• identify measures of success and the required real-world change
• connect decisions, actions, capabilities and data
• design for delivery, adoption, benefits and return on investment
• manage common failure modes, cross-silo complexity and scope pressure
• develop, build and improve digital twins and applied AI solutions

This book is for practitioners who want a clear playbook for bridging the real and virtual worlds and creating solutions that do more than simulate reality - they help change it.