Uses of Industrial Design for New and Innovative Developments

A design is simply a blueprint or description of the arrangement or structure of something, say a building or a machine, and its intended end-result or practical application. The word ‘design’ is therefore not related to ‘computer program’. The word ‘design’ is therefore not related to ‘computer program’ or even ‘code’.

A design is described by a set of rules or specifications, which specify the relationship between the outside environment and the inner functional elements. The objective of the designer is to maximize the effectiveness of the system or activity. It takes into consideration both internal and external constraints and combines them to achieve the best possible performance. The term ‘design approach’ can be used to refer to more than one approach. A more traditional approach takes into account the physical constraints of the working area as well as the knowledge of the workers. An alternative design approach uses information technology knowledge and software tools to guide the structure, composition and operation of mechanical components inside-out.

The discipline of product design started in Germany in the 1900s as the ‘Geschichten und Forschung’ (designing and study). In the United States, it came to be known as ‘Geschick’ (study and design). The term ‘product design’ was introduced by the American Industrialists who were prominent in the industrial revolution. With the rise of the manufacturing industries across the world, the design process became more flexible and complex. It was soon after this time that the term became more common and product development process came to be known as the product development process. Today, the product development process is still commonly used across all industrial sectors.

The process model is the graphical representation of the final product in terms of its physical, technical and economical specifications. The process models are designed and developed by highly qualified and experienced engineers. Most of these design approaches are developed by large companies and are implemented as part of their overall business strategy. Some of the design approaches that are used by the engineering disciplines are –

There is a great demand for trained industrial designers in most of the sectors. In addition to this, the demand for these professionals is increasing with the changing scenario and fast advancements in technology. Companies are increasingly using the techniques of industrial design research and analysis to make products and services better and more useful to their customers. These firms use the latest techniques and tools to come up with innovative designs and innovative ideas. Engineers spend a lot of time conceptualizing about what their product should look like, how it should operate, what it should be made of and so on. In order to improve efficiency and production, companies often outsource these tasks to the best available firms.

As far as product design techniques are concerned, there are many disciplines and sub-disciplines available. Design research can be broadly classified into two types – process and substance. Process research deals with the entire process of designing and conceptualizing a new product, whereas substance design approach concentrates on the unique features of a particular product. Most product design techniques are generally categorized into geometric form, practicality, functionality, appearance and cost effectiveness.