Not long ago, many of us experienced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Those times were tough for business, and a quick turnaround was nowhere on the horizon. So, what does a business do when the US economy is in a slump? Maybe you can stop working and live off the government, or you can seek new business opportunities through innovation. Innovation, hopefully, leads to new products, new markets and increased sales. What’s more, innovation can fuel positive change in the best of times. Innovation starts with an idea that is developed into a successful
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Posts by Steve Mitchell
How Industrial Design Improves Your Product in the Marketplace
Industrial designers provide a unique perspective to a product’s embodiment, bridging the gap between engineering and marketing. Although the industrial design profession has existed for more than 80 years, it remains largely unknown by many people. Worse, it is underutilized by industry. Industrial designers provide the conduit between marketing and engineering by interpreting concepts into visual embodiments of the new product. Unlike engineers who focus on function, performance, reliability and manufacturability, industrial designers focus their attention on the application and the user. All products are designed to serve a purpose ultimately benefiting mankind. They should, therefore, be designed with a
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Good Design Makes All The Difference in the World
When I attended an international business and industry conference a while back, I was pleasantly surprised to see and hear a great deal of interest in excellence in product design. I spoke with many CEOs of major rotational molders in the US and around the globe who were either hiring designers directly or seeking qualified consultants. Many of the presentations, including the event’s keynote address, emphasized the importance of good design. It always plays an essential role in the development of the rotational molding industry. I have been writing about the importance of product design excellence for many years and
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Transparency: The Critical View of Your Customer
Designing products is always challenging. Perhaps it’s industrial design, medical product design or other projects in the industry, a number of personalities and talents are required to create the next best wonder widget. Talented product designers must be empathetic, observant, open-minded, analytical and creative. Plus, they must be convincing, opinionated, stubborn and extremely creative. But, another trait that is often overlooked is being a great communicator. Yes, designers must be good communicators with project team members as well as with their customers. Effective communication requires insight into another person’s perceptions and thought processes. Therefore a designer must also be perceptive
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