Industrial design is often part of product development. In fact, it often is product development all on its own. However, industrial design is often used in conjunction with product development. Product development involves the systematic plan for the creation of an actual product from start to finish – a process that would involve many steps and costs.
So how is industrial design different? When we speak of industrial design, what normally comes to mind is the aesthetic part – the aesthetics of a product or the look itself. What many industrial designers do is apply this to product development. They work to create aesthetically pleasing objects that will appeal to the masses. While the objective of a product developer may be strictly aesthetic, both designers have similar goals.
An objective of aesthetic production, also known as industrial design, is to produce objects that are pleasing to the eye in order to generate consumer interest. This is why industrial designers are often involved in aesthetic production planning. Just as product developers know what kind of objects are likely to sell, industrial designers must also project what kinds of objects will appeal most to consumers. They then research and test which materials meet these criteria. The research involved in the process may include testing samples of materials to find out what colors consumers respond best to.
What about product development? In the past, the work done by industrial designers was directly related to the creation of useful objects. Objects developed by industrial designers often served a functional purpose – things such as tools and weapons. However, in today’s world, industrial designers are more likely to be involved in conceptualizing concepts. This is often necessary when developing new technologies – such as computer chip technology – because in many cases, consumers are unaware of the potential applications of the new technology.
The creation of objects may also involve thinking about how people would use them and what situations they would occur in. While this is not necessarily a part of the design process itself, industrial designers often draw on this concept during the conceptualization process. For instance, an industrial designer may draw a model of a car because he or she understands how car owners use their cars. The designer may then apply this knowledge during the product development process to come up with a better design for the object.
Aside from the application of knowledge learned in the industrial design program, industrial designers also have to think creatively. Designers must have a flexible imagination in order to come up with new ideas. In fact, many designers find that applying their knowledge of industrial design to product design creates a tension within them. Because they know what the product should look like, but they cannot make it look exactly like it. On the other hand, if they do not have creative ideas for product designs, then they have no way of coming up with something interesting or original.
The interaction between designer and client goes both ways. The industrial designers need to understand what the client wants, but they also need to explain why they think it is a good idea. For this reason, it is important for industrial designers to think carefully about the consequences of their suggestions. Sometimes, it might be necessary to justify their suggestions to gain support or to avoid controversy.
It is also important for industrial designers to remember that all people have different expectations. This is why product designers must think carefully about the expectations of each individual person. What is a necessity for one person might not be at all necessary for another person. As a result, product designers often come up with several solutions to meet different people’s needs. This process is known as a multistage design process. This means that industrial designers must meet several objectives in order to produce a product that meets all expectations.
