In this paper, the basic principles of orthogonal experimental design method and genetic algorithm are discussed briefly, and the relation between them is analy zed in detail. The paper indicates that orthogonal experimental design method is a special case of genetic algorithm, i.e. a genetic algorithm with a fixed init ial population, an oriented mutation operator and one evolution epoch. It is sho wn that the orthogonal experimental design method can overcome minimum deception problems existing in genetic algorithm.