It’s fairly universal: You think and therefore you can design. And, believe it or not, everyone has designed something in his or her life. Beginning at an early age…when you created your first crayon drawing or clay blob. But, designing products is far more complicated and challenging than creating clay blobs as a child. The millions of products on the market are the result of designers, who specialize in specific disciplines, effectively performing their jobs. The two major disciplines within the product design profession are industrial designers and design engineers. Each specialist makes an invaluable contribution to the successful design
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Archives for Ergonomics
Answering Classic Design Challenges in the New Stand Up MRI Product
Medical products have always presented design challenges because of their complexity, functional specifications, cost constraints, aesthetic requirements and size. These issues forced designers to constantly search for cost-effective and commercially proven manufacturing methods and materials to transform their ideas into marketable products. A few years ago our design firm was awarded a project that represented a classic case study involving these challenges. Integrated Design Systems, Inc. was chosen by Fonar Corporation to develop a set of covers for their new Stand Up MRI system. This project was a unique and exciting opportunity for many reasons. First, we had an opportunity
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Essential Concept Development Elements in Product Development & Design
Welcome to the second in a continuing series of articles about successful product development & design for designers, inventors and plastics experts. The previous article focused on defining product specifications, the process to create a baseline and objectives defining the product. YOU CAN READ IT HERE Without a well-defined set of specifications, it is virtually impossible to design any product. And after the product has been accurately described, creative thinking must be harnessed to begin the design process with refined concept development. The transition from research, information gathering, analysis and organization to creative thinking is not easy. Some people are
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Define the Specifications: The Critical First Step in Any Product Design Project
Before anything else, every design project or product must comply with a set of functional requirements. It is a defined plan. Otherwise, it isn’t a product at all. Perhaps it’s simply a useless object or trash. Or maybe it is artwork. The first, and most critical step, in any product design project is to define the specifications in detail. This establishes the common foundation upon which all subsequent decisions will be made as the project evolves. A well-written set of product specifications not only outlines the definition of the product but also provide a framework for setting priorities and performance
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How to Optimize Design Collaboration for Success
Design is an activity unique to the human species. It’s a creative process requiring a combination of skills exclusive to the domain of humans. These skills are based on our ability to react to our environment with the creation of a tool, device or mechanism. And that enables us to change our lives and environment to better suit our needs. Historically, individuals have developed significant inventions and designs. Today, however, most products are comprised of complex subsystems requiring specialized skills that can only be fulfilled by specialists. Consequently, successful products represent well-managed product design collaboration. These are individuals who cooperatively
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Aesthetics, Psychology and Perception in Industrial Design
Many companies continually search for designs and images that appeal to the masses. For that perspective, it’s important to look at the interrelationship between aesthetics, psychology and perception in industrial design. Although I am not a psychologist I am deeply involved in design and aesthetics. The products I design must be appealing to my clients as well as their customers. They must communicate a specific image based on a product, its market, and its intended use. Two research psychologists at the University of Berkeley—Steve Palmer and Art Shimamura—conducted extensive research on the psychology of art and aesthetics. Their findings led
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Blog, Ergonomics, and Industrial Design.
How to Design with Passion and Love It
Isn’t every industrial designer fueled by creative passion? Well…not always. It takes hard work, courage, knowledge, talent and vision to design a product that embodies your personality. Designing with passion means that you are willing to make a bold, creative statement that reflects your sense of taste and appreciation of beauty expressed through your design. You are also willing to run the risk of being rejected, criticized, possibly ridiculed, or laughed that by those commenting on your creation. A rejection of your design is symbolic of a rejection of you as a person and can be hurtful at times. It’s
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Creating a Preschool Version of Classic Qdesk Design
by Michael Paloian, President, Integrated Design Systems This project serves as an excellent example of how a vision, cooperation, great communication, and technical expertise can result in successful products. The classic Qdesk design—adapted for a new consumer market—is the focus of this Case Study. Qproducts LLC is a multinational organization dedicated to designing, manufacturing and licensing unique eco-friendly products. Their manufacturing plant is located in Venezuela and its marketing offices in Clearwater Florida. Their flagship product is a one-piece rotationally molded school desk, which was originated by its founder Benedetto Lombardo. He successfully marketed it throughout South America, Mexico, and
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Human Factors in Product Design: Begin with the End (User) in Mind
by Michael Paloian, President, Integrated Design Systems How many times have you used a tool, appliance or vehicle and wondered why it was so uncomfortable or difficult to use? Conversely, how often have you taken notice of how easy it was to operate a remote control device, operate a power tool or interact with the dashboard of your rental car? It’s human nature to remember the bad experiences, but not to take notice of the good ones. That is unless they are exceptionally pleasurable. That’s because human factors are subjective, and are an essential design consideration for most products to
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