Final answer:
The American Society for Quality's definition of quality is customer-oriented, which agrees with the user-based focus. Quality evaluation can include customer feedback and testing, and an inadequate prototype test may lead to quality issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
The definition of quality adopted by The American Society for Quality is indeed customer-oriented, or user-based. This means that quality is viewed in terms of how well the product or service conforms to customer needs and expectations. When engineers focus on attributes of a product, they are considering various aspects of its quality. However, if prototypes were not tested adequately, this could lead to a product that does not meet the quality standards as defined by The American Society for Quality.
To evaluate the quality of a design, various methods can be used, including customer feedback, performance tests, and comparison with competitive products. The key is to ensure that the design meets the intended use and satisfies the customer's requirements. Therefore, when assessing quality, it's essential to consider how the product or service meets the expectations and needs of the user.