In order to improve trial-and-error based conventional practices for optimizing forming processes, a direct design method to guide iterative design practices, called the ideal forming theory, has been previously developed. In the theory, material elements are required to deform following the minimum Plastic work Path. The theory can be used to determine the ideal initial blank shape needed to best achieve a specified final shape while resulting in optimum strain distributions. In this work, the direct design method based on the ideal forming theory was applied to design initial design shape for VCR deck chassis. Based on the solution of the ideal forming theory, FEM analysis was utilized to evaluate an optimum blank shape to be formed without tearing. Simulation results are in good agreement with experimental data. It was shown that the proposed sequential design procedure based on direct design method and FEM can be successfully applied to optimize the die design Procedure of sheet metal forming processes.