The Four Stages of Product Design

Posted by Devid willam on February 6th, 2021

If you're sitting in an office right now, you'll find that product design goes into every surrounding object. At some point, the mug holding your coffee, the computer and telephone used for assignments, and other nearby equipment all started out as a concept. Research fleshed it out, designs were drawn up, prototypes tested for functionality or customer 3d animation, and eventually, a campaign, no matter how small, launched it onto the market.

Product design is the name of this process, and even as involved and complex as it is, it includes the following essential points:

Research

After an idea is conceived, the team behind the product must identify the customer: Who would want or use the product, and if similar products already exist on the product. Market research analyzes similar items and systems, down to the design, manufacturing process, materials, and targeted consumer. Although a prerequisite for any designs, research additionally informs and guides any marketing, sales, and launch efforts.

Design, Engineering, and Prototyping

With a concept given a firmer foundation through research, engineers develop a design that can be produced - first through drawings and 3D computerized models and then physical. The prototype grows out of this, ideally similar to the end product. Although identical materials may not be used, the product's performance needs to be as close as possible to the end result.

In the past, creating an initial model and prototype was a time-consuming process. Aside from 3D design software, 3D printing and plastic injection molding techniques have made the process far more efficient and move along far quicker.

Documentation

Mass reproduction is one of the eventual goals of product design. In decades past, before the design for manufacturability was taken into consideration, engineers developed a product or system that could not be reproduced by manufacturers; this not only wasted time but also money. Because of this, documentation is necessary to step toward manufacturing, with all drawings and files compiled and organized to manufacture the item.

Selling

Successfully getting an item onto the market, on time, is the goal of any. Yet, who markets it may vary. For instance, contract manufacturers, who act as a producer for an outside client, adopt the product design model, while the client puts the majority of its funds and time into marketing and sales. In other instances, the designer or manufacturer executes the full process, from the conceptualization and research phases through marketing and sales.