Industrial design and product design are often thought of as creative professions that are exclusively motivated by a free and open spirit, focused on developing a revolutionary new product. Although there is some truth in this ideal, there is another essential aspect to design that is often ignored: design analysis. The reason design analysis is ignored is because it isn’t exciting or emotionally charged. Really good design analysis requires patience, logic, objectivity, extensive technical knowledge, keen observational skills, and methodical procedures. Great designs are never developed from start to finish without numerous revisions and checkpoints throughout the process. The need
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Archives for Medical Product Design
The Top Five Essentials for a Successful Product
What are the five topmost important considerations for a successful product? This brief editorial will answer this question with the list of equally-weighted factors provided below: Number 1 – Satisfying Market Needs with Product Solutions All products fulfill market needs at some level of importance. A highly successful product provides potential customers with major benefits that increase their value and demand. The challenge for entrepreneurs as well as established companies is identifying market opportunities. Once those opportunities have been defined, designers and engineers are called upon to develop a product that will satisfy the needs of the market. Product success
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Invest in Product Design for Greater Cost Reduction
Investment in product design for greater cost reduction applies to many production industries. But, one of the great ironies of rotational molding—a good illustration—is that the primary benefit of low-cost molds is also the reason most investors are not willing to invest in good design. Perhaps this mindset originates from the simple fact that mold is tangible. After investing money in a mold, the result is a physical thing that can yield production parts. If the mold can be created with minimal design at the lowest possible investment, why should there be an additional investment in product design? Mold is
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The Unrelenting Expectation of Excellence in Design
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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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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Product Branding: What Does It Really Mean?
Everyone has heard the term “product branding.” These words are often used by marketing companies, advertising firms, industrial design firms and the media. But what does product branding really mean and how is it affected by product design? Product branding refers to the instantaneous association you make between a product and its Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Corporations have discovered how effective product branding is as part of their marketing strategy, and utilize it as an extremely important marketing tool. Product branding plays such an important part of sales and marketing that companies invest hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars
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Top Six Capabilities Designers Want in Custom Rotational Molders
Over the years, I’ve designed many rotational molded parts and projects. And I’ve worked with dozens of molders throughout the country. Although the process is called rotational molding, each molder is actually unique. Their work is based on a plan layout, staff, equipment, business model, preference of resins and capabilities. The United States claims to have more than 400 rotational molders, but only a small percentage of this list are willing or capable of molding complex custom molded plastic parts. Many custom molders, for example, require high production minimum orders before quoting a potential project. Some molders limit part size,
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Starting Gate: How to Successfully Begin Product Design
Clearly, the most critical phase of any design project is the first step. At the starting gate is when you set the all-important criteria and some concepts for your product design. Accurately defining specifications is absolutely essential for launching any successful industrial design project. The first step is clearly defining what it is you’re after because without knowing that, you’ll never get it. It’s surprising, but this step is either trivialized or omitted in the design process. I often work with companies developing a new product based on a sketchy description of what it is and how it should perform.
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