Product design is a challenging and creative profession especially for the select few who enjoy the variety of projects presented to them as design consultants. Designers employed within an OEM based corporation experience completely different challenges versus those working within an independent design firm. In-house corporate designers become highly experienced in one particular product group and may even specialize in a sub-assembly within a much larger system. Independent consultants however are faced with a wide range of products in multiple markets with a shallower understanding of the product. In either case, it’s extremely beneficial for a designer or engineer to
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Archives for Product Design
Michael Paloian receives the Charles D. Frederick Distinguished Service Award
ARM NEWS RELEASE, Posted August 27, 2020 Association of Rotational Molders Distinguished Service Award is typically a surprise for the recipient at our Annual Meeting. In that spirit, minutes ago we interrupted Michael Paloian as he was about to present the finale of his webinar series on design, to announce that he was selected by ARM’s Executive Committee to receive the award. For more than 15 years, Michael has presented his design seminar to attendees at our Annual Meeting, providing new case studies every time to keep it fresh. For more than twenty years he has acted as an ambassador
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Brainstorming: The Root of All Great Product Designs
The best product designs often represent the outpouring of ideas from many individual contributors with different perspectives and objectives. A great analogy to describe this process is to compare it to eight people standing around a statue and describing what they see from their perspective. Each person will view the same object from a different position and thus describe it from their point of view. The culmination of all these interpretations will provide a much truer description of the statue, versus a single viewer’s point of view. This process of collaboration is often referred to as brainstorming. Effectively managing a
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Product Design: Perception, Imagination and Design
The boundaries of the product design profession are often blurry. These can range from simple ideas to those specifying a resin grade or surface gloss. Product designers interact with diverse people including inventors, presidents of companies, product managers, marketing specialists, manufacturing experts, engineers and scientists. They also include countless others who dream up better ways to solve problems in our daily lives. Within this relatively small profession are a select group of designers who can transform the obvious into the extraordinary. This requires a magical mix of talent, intelligence, knowledge, imagination, and the ability to perceive things not as they
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Design Analysis: A Critical Part of the Design Process
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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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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