It's a creative product development process that combines human factors, engineering, and aesthetics to enhance, improve, or invent new and better product solutions that give users and consumers better experiences. At its core, industrial design solves problems for people and businesses.
Good industrial design generates sales, improves marketability, and is an integral part of strategic brand development. Industrial design is the best way for you and your business to build true brand loyalty and make stronger connections with your customers. If your customers are happy with your product, they will buy it and want more! This creates a lucrative business model. When done properly, industrial design expands the bottom line. It's that simple.
Generally the development process is divided into phases in a step-by-step methodology that helps ensure the best possible design solution.
Starting with investigation and research, we learn about your industry, your markets, your customers, and their specific needs and desires. Next is concept generation, a divergent creative process that results in a full range of forms, ideas, and exploration of potential design solutions. Following this is the design refinement phase that is a convergent process that narrows down and optimizes the best concepts and details for further development.
Product engineering is the next step, where we make sure that your product is manufacturable with the appropriate materials and production processes. Rapid prototyping during each phase helps to validate your design along the way, confirming your products aesthetic appeal, comfort, and functionality.
Finally, throughout the implementation phase, we work directly with your manufacturers to be sure that it all comes together, so your product gets to market quickly and economically.
Not every client or program is the same. The design development process varies depending on a client's needs and requirements. Look for a company that works with your organization and tailors proposals and processes around your needs.
Is your first contact the same person that is leading your design program? Is this the same person attending project meetings and the person that you talk to on the phone? The industrial design firm that you work with should provide a dedicated team and an experienced project manager who's personally accountable for guiding your organization through the product development process.
Success, results, and product innovation are what matter most. Find an industrial design firm with a proven track record for producing compelling designs that connect with customers and help your company create increased market demand.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Jumping onto the latest trend or imitating a competitor's concept leads to a constant game of follow the leader. Choose an Industrial Design firm with a strong history of success and true product innovation that helps your organization leapfrog the competition and become the market leader.
Sometimes you just know it but can't put it into words. It's when a product transcends the ordinary and creates a lasting connection, an emotional response, or simple pure desire. OK...so that's what the gut reaction is like, but good design often goes unnoticed and unappreciated.
Have you ever rented a car and found the seats to be noticeably uncomfortable? It's an experience that many of us share, but are unaware of a poor design until we feel the discomfort. We take for granted that everyday objects should function properly, work consistently, and be comfortable. Most of us only notice industrial design when a product is annoying.
This is where an industrial designer enters the picture to introduce the following characteristics of good design into your product:
Great industrial design does all of these things!
Jonathan Marks
Owner / Industrial Design Director
JAM-DESIGN