3-D Industrial Design Software Available
A number of companies have developed 3-D product design software in recent years. Commonly known as Computer Aided Industrial Design (CAID) software, there are a number of top options to choose from for those interested in using it. Certain niche areas of design tend to favor specific types of software. If you are just starting to learn a 3D modeling software, take a look at the work flow of each specific software in the videos.

SketchUp: SketchUp is simple Google product design software that enables any design to be represented in 3-D. Those interested in the software have the choice of a free version, which can be simply downloaded to a computer or buying SketchUp Pro, which has enhanced modeling and presentation tools. It is one of the best programs to start with when learning 3D software because it is free, easy to use, and there is a large amount of info online to help you along the way.

solidThinking: This is conceptual design software that models products in 3-D and has a host of innovative features. These include dimensioning and drawing, construction history details to show how a design has progressed, a range of analysis tools, and a reverse engineering option. The designer can produce sketches and 3-D animated movies of a product and for the many benefits it offers solidThinking can be a great option to choose for product design software.

SolidWorks: This 3-D CAD product design software offers a few packages to customers ranging from the more basic SolidWorks standard to the enhanced SolidWork Premium software. Depending on the package selected the features can include a components part library, photo realistic rendering, data management solutions and 3-D animation presentations. SolidWorks is a reliable 3-D modeling solution that any industrial design firm should consider for their designers.

Blender: Those that prefer open source product design software can opt for Blender. This offers a suite of tools that can be used to create 3-D models of products, and the tools are fully customizable so that they can be downloaded and set up to suit the needs of the user. This can make it an excellent option to choose.

Other popular options for 3-D product design software include Autodesk, Rhino and Catia. The variety of choice ensures that most industrial designers should be able to find a software package that best suits their needs.

Rhino:

Benefits of 3d Product Design
3d product design software offers design firms that use it a variety of benefits. It enables a virtual prototype to be made and this can be much more cost effective than producing the real thing. It can let glitches and problems be ironed out before progressing to producing a model prototype. Other benefits of 3-D product design software include that it enables 360 degree views of the product and this can be useful when showing a design to clients, target customers and others. 3-D software can also be animated, which again produces a better presentation. The information from the software can also be fed into the manufacturing process and used by factory machinery to accurately manufacture the product.

Where to find Information
For those in the process of searching for 3d product design software, there are plenty of resources available. The internet can be a good place to look for information with some of the websites that provide details and reviews of product design software including Dexigner and Cadalyst.

3-D modeling is the way forward for product designs and is an industry standard that clients will now typically look for. Product design software that offers this capability is commonly available these days and the many design benefits it provides make it a tool that all industrial designers should consider using.

Types of Product and Design Software
Product Types: Consumer products can cover a variety of categories and range from the simplest products such as toothbrushes and toys to more advanced smart phones, PCs and automobiles. Anything that a consumer uses will generally start as the vision of a client or designer, with the product design process turning this into reality. Common categories of consumer products include home appliances, electronic devices, kid’s toys, kitchenware and motor vehicles. Designers can choose to work in a particular field of design or can offer more broad based services that cover a number of categories.

Design Software: Computer software is a powerful tool used by most industrial designers in their product design process. Many companies having developed Computer Aided Industrial Design (CAID) software, with options ranging from simpler 2-D modeling tools to more complex 3-D software. This offers a range of benefits from easier design and refinement as a product progresses from concept to reality, excellent presentation features and a reduction in time and cost to complete a design. Software will therefore enhance the product design process and industrial design firms will typically have one or more packages available for their designers.

Stages of Product Design & Development
Industrial designers will typically work through a number of stages to take the vision of a product and turn it into a working product. Common stages of the product design process include the following.

Ideas: The first stage of product design & development is coming up with ideas. Industrial designers can be involved in the work of idea generation or can screen the ideas from other sources to find those that have the best chance of success.

Market Research: Those ideas that make it through the initial screening process will enter the market research stage of the product design process. This will further test the viability of an idea, with input and feedback from potential customers. Market research can also help to identify the features of a product that will make it attractive to customers and this information will be fed into the next stage of the product design process.

Design: The market research stage will lead into the design stage, where the product will be taken from concept to final design. This stage of the product design process will use CAID software to design to look and features of the product. Industrial designers will work closely with others during this stage, including mechanical design engineers and cost estimators. This ensures that technical and manufacturing cost aspects are covered. These are important to make sure that the product works as required and can be manufactured at an affordable cost that will make a profit.

Testing: Product testing can be done with a prototype, which customers can use and comment on. Market testing can also involve rolling out the product to a limited group of customers. The feedback from the testing stage of the product design process should help complete any final adjustments before the product is rolled out across the market.

Scientific Helmet Testing by broadbandsports

Most people will likely take consumer products for granted and give little thought to how they came into being. However, the product design process can be an involved operation and industrial designers work hard to ensure that the products they design have the functionality and aesthetics to make them popular and profitable.

Industrial Design Blogs
Core77: Core77 is one of the most prominent and well known product design blog websites around these days. It covers a variety of topics from the industry and has information that is useful for all levels of designers from those thinking of studying the profession to those with many years of experience in the industry. Core77 has articles about the latest news and developments in industrial design, details of famous designers and design firms, details of design schools and reviews of the latest industrial design books. This mix makes it an excellent product design blog for industrial designers to use.

CAD CAM News: Computer Aided Design (CAD) is an indispensable tool used on the product design process these days. Keeping on top of the latest advancements is therefore crucial to providing the best design services and the product design blog CAD CAM News is one of the simplest ways to do this. It provides news articles on all aspects of computer aided design and for design firms that want to invest in the latest technology it is an excellent resource.

Planet Industrial Design: This product design blog collates and posts up-to-date articles from many of the websites that specialize in industrial design news. This brings all the best and most relevant product design blog news into one central location and this can make it easier to review the latest articles rather than trawling around the individual websites and blogs.

Product Design Blogs
Yanko Design: This product design blog turns the spotlight onto many of the new and clever product designs that are being brought to market. It includes articles and pictures of the products and for commercial designers it can be a way to keep up with the latest design innovations and a source of inspiration and enjoyment.

Industrial Design Served: The Industrial Design Served product design blog features projects from the Behance Network. This is a leading platform that showcases the products of many of the top industrial designers. The Gallery section of Industrial Design Served has pictures and details of the many of the latest innovative designs from the industry. It can therefore be an excellent product design blog for those looking to keep up to date on the latest developments in product design.

The internet is one of the easiest and fastest ways to find up to the minute news these days. For those in the industrial design profession, a product design blog is a simple way to keep their finger on the pulse of the latest innovations. Those shown above are a few of the best to consider using and whether a student or a seasoned professional they can be an excellent resource to use.

Definition of Product Development
The definition of what is product development can basically be described as the full set of steps involved in taking a new product from initial concept to consumer sales. This can involve a number of steps, each of which is important in the overall concept of what is product development.

Common Steps in Product Development
Most industrial designers will have developed their own ideas of what is product development, although there are a number of common steps involved.

Concepts
Identifying concepts that can be turned into consumer products is the starting point of what is product development. Ideas can come from many different sources and trying to identify as many is possible is sensible. Most ideas never make it off the drawing board and therefore the more ideas generated, the more likely that a successful product idea will come to the fore.

Screening
The screening stage of what is product development looks to test the viability of all the ideas coming in to identify those that have a chance of being successful. This can look at potential benefits to customers, does the product fit in with current and future market trends, is the product technically feasible and can it be manufactured at an affordable cost. Running through these questions should help to weed out the products which will be non-runners and leave those that pass the screening test to move forward.

Market Research
The market research carried out for a product can further identify if it is a viable prospect, whether there is a sizeable market for the product and also help in identifying any potential intellectual property issues. It can also help identify the characteristics and features of the product that customers will likely find appealing.

Design Development
The design stage of what is business development looks to bring the product from idea to reality. It considers the engineering and technical aspects of the product and the appearance. It should also take manufacturing into consideration to ensure that making the product is as simple as possible and can be done at a cost that offers a reasonable level of profitability.

Business Analysis
The business analysis stage of what is product development should consider points such as the target price and the sales volume required.

Testing
The testing stage of what is product development includes beta testing, where a mock-up of the product is produced for testing by target customers, and market testing, where the product is put on sale in a limited area to test price and packaging. Feedback from this will help complete the development stage, allowing the product to be put on sale across all markets.

While product development needs to be a thorough process, most manufacturing firms will look to bring new products to market as quickly as they can. A number of the stages identified above can run at the same time, which is commonly known as concurrent engineering.

Role of the Product Developer
The product developer is the key position in the development of a new product. They will have responsibility for the whole process from start to finish. While they will have their own input to the development of the product, they must also liaise with others to ensure that all aspects of the design are adequately covered to make the product the best it can possibly be.

The information above provides a brief overview of what is product development. When completed successfully, the development process should result in a product that is well received by customers and profitable for the manufacturer.

Elements of Products Design
How to design products involves a few elements and these will typically need to come together in a coordinated way to make the design successful. Some of the important elements in how to design products include the following.

Understand the Concept: Most new products will start life in a briefing document and it is important that those involved in progressing the design fully understand the concept. This will obviously involve reading the brief, but can also involve meetings with company management to understand their mindset and the ideas they have for the product.

Have Knowledge of the Target Market: It is important to have extensive knowledge of the target market when considering how to design products. This is obviously a crucial element in that a product must appeal to customers and offer them something useful. Market research is generally the way to gain the views of the target market and this is an important early stage of the product design process.

Have the Right Tools: The process of how to design products is made easier by having the right tools. These days this generally means having a suitable Computer Aided Design (CAD) software package, with there being a number of options for this. These include 2D and 3D modeling packages and the right software can substantially cut the time and cost required for a design. Its is also a powerful tool that offers a variety of benefits to those involved in the various stages of how to design products.

Have the Right Staff: When industrial design firms are looking into how to design products it is obviously important that they have the right staff to meet the needs of the client and progress the design in an organized and coherent manner. The staff available must have creative, technical, engineering and cost estimating skills to ensure that all aspects of a design are considered. This can involve a number of professions.

Professions Involved in Designer Products
The main profession that is needed to design products is industrial and commercial designers. These generally take the central role in the design process and have the training and experience to let them do this. Other professions that can play a role in how to design products typically includes mechanical design engineers, who will consider the technical and engineering aspects of a design, and accountants, who will have an input to the cost estimating needs for a design.

There are a variety of aspects to cover when considering how to design products. Most industrial designers are trained in these and will gain experience as their career progresses. This should ensure that the design of a product is properly addressed for appearance, features, engineering and cost, such that at the end of the development process a product has been designed to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Areas of Commercial Design
Commercial design covers a variety of areas of industry and while some designers will focus in on one particular area, others may offer a broader service that includes the design of different products. More specialized areas can include automobile design, where a designer concentrates on the design aspects of cars or motorcycles, or technology, where the designer works on modern technological devices. More broad brush areas can include household goods and children’s products. However, consumer products cover all aspects of life these days and a commercial designer can choose many different areas of work.

Commercial Design Jobs
There are two main categories of commercial design jobs. Many large manufacturing corporations will build their own commercial design team that plans and designs products for the company. Apple Inc. is an example of this, although there are many companies that choose this route. The second job opportunity lies with industrial design firms, such as Karten Design. These are typically smaller companies that hire a team of commercial designers and offer their services to large manufacturing firms to assist them in the planning and design of products.

Training Required for the Commercial Design Industry
Those that want to enter the commercial design industry will need to get the required training. The minimum entry level job requirement is a bachelor’s degree and many colleges and design schools offer degree courses in commercial design. This is the most common route into the profession, although those that study architecture and other engineering disciplines may also consider a career in industrial design once they have finished their studies. For students that choose a commercial design course, those accredited by the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design are generally the best option and offer the greatest chance of landing a job in the profession.

Duties of Commercial and Industrial Designers
Commercial and industrial designers can perform a number of duties during the course of their work. They can be involved in generating and screening ideas to find a product to design. They will have responsibility for the creative work of designing the look and features of a product and can also be required to undertake market research to determine the customer requirements for a product and the likelihood of its success. While they need the ability to sketch well, commercial designers must also have an understanding of computer aided design, as this is almost universally used during the design process. Commercial designers must also have an understanding of market testing and analyzing a product, as they may have involvement in the production of a market development strategy.

Commercial design is responsible for the consumer products that line the shelves in retailers. A designer will generally have responsibility or input to all stages of product design from initial planning to final marketing and this can make it an interesting career for those that enter the profession.

How to find Product Design Ideas
There are a variety of ways that manufacturing firms can find creative product design ideas. This can start with the senior management of a corporation, but can also filter down to the other employees. Putting in place a culture where staff at a manufacturing firm are encouraged to submit ideas may identify a few that have the potential for success. Manufacturing firms can also hire industrial designers to assist in the task of idea generation. Designers are usually creative thinkers that have been trained to identify product ideas. Most also have their finger on the pulse of current trends, which can help them better identify ideas. Companies have the option of building their own in-house team or hiring designers from one of the many industrial design firms.

Requirements for Creative Product Ideas
Ideas that are innovative and push the boundaries of what is standard for a product likely have the best chance of catching the attention of customers, which should translate into excellent sales figures. Those involved in coming up with product ideas need to be aware of this and be as creative as possible in their thinking. Being able to provide a product with something extra can give it a competitive edge over rival products. In many cases those tasked with identifying creative product ideas have to think out of the box and come up with concepts that customers may not actually realize they need until the product hits the market. While not easy to do, those that get it right can enjoy the rewards of increased market share and profitability.

Factors to Consider for Creative Product Ideas
Those working on developing creative product ideas need to keep a few factors in mind. Most manufacturing firms will look to develop a stable of products and any new ideas should fit in with this and the overall corporate strategy of a company. The screening of product ideas also needs to consider factors, such as the size of the target market, the technical feasibility of engineering and manufacturing a product and the likely cost of manufacturing. While creativity and innovation are important, these need to be balanced against the practical requirements of manufacturing the product at an affordable cost.

Where to Find Examples of a Creative Product Design
There are plenty of examples of creative product designs on the market. Tapping into some of the industrial design blogs ad websites can show examples of these. Many of the blogs feature the best product ideas from the top designers and this can be a way of finding inspiration and identifying the trends that customers are showing interest in. Blogs such as Industrial Design Served and Yanko Design are some of those that focus on creative and innovative product ideas and these can be a useful resource for industrial designers of all experience.

Creativity is a prerequisite for manufacturing firms and industrial designers. To a certain extent all new products have to be innovative to give them the competitive edge they need for success. Product ideas should take this into consideration so that manufacturing firms can continually bring new products to market that help them survive and prosper.

Overall aim Engineering Product Design
Product engineering generally takes into consideration the stages of product design from planning to manufacture. Its overall aim is in producing a product that is appealing to consumers to maximize sales, as well as successfully contributing to the profitability and growth of the manufacturing company. The process of product engineering should take into consideration a number of elements to successfully engineering a new product.

Elements of Product Design Engineering
Those involved in product engineering have to consider a few aspects as a design progresses through the various stages to completion. This includes a number of product characteristics.

Performance: Performance is obviously a key element of product engineering and the design must be engineered to ensure that the product performs to the required level and does the job required.

Ease of manufacturing: Another important element of product engineering is ease of manufacturing. While the look of a product must be designed in such a way that it is appealing to the consumer, the finished style must not have any components that make the manufacturing process difficult or impractical. Ease of manufacturing will typically also translate to cheaper manufacturing and this obviously helps with the profit that can be made from a product.

Reliability: Products must be engineered such that they are reliable and consistently do the job there are required for. This can involve producing a product that is robust enough to cope with minor damage and accidents, without it affecting the reliability of use.

Features: Product engineering should consider the features that a product needs to do the job required and be successful. The required features can be identified by the product engineer, although the engineer will generally need to undertake market research to ensure that the features included are those that a customer will want and find appealing.

Quality: The quality of a product can be a key aspect of its appeal. Product engineering should aim for the highest quality of materials and design, bearing in mind that the product needs to be manufactured at a cost that will result in a profit being made.

Cost: Product engineering should take cost into consideration at all stages of the process. The aim of a manufacturing firm is to maximize profits and therefore the cheapest manufacturing cost in comparison to the target sale price should be the aim of a product engineer.

Product engineering considers all stages in the process of bringing a new product to market. This runs from concept to final manufacturing and when used correctly the process should result in high quality products that benefit the customer and the manufacturer.

Interior Design Definition
The definition of what is interior design can basically be described as a discipline that seeks to design, decorate and furnish the internal spaces of a building. It applies to any size of building from the smallest residential apartment to the largest office buildings and skyscrapers.

Elements of Interior Design
What is interior design is a common question and there are a few separate elements to consider. The common aim is to use the different elements in a coordinated way to provide an attractive look for a room or open space that also makes it practical and comfortable to use.

Decoration: What is interior design decoration? This is generally concerned with the look of a room and there are a couple of main features that can be used to influence the overall style. These include floors, with hard and soft coverings available, and walls and ceilings, which can be decorated with paint or wallpaper. The use of decoration can set the overall tone for a room, with other elements of interior design used to accentuate this.

Furnishings: The furnishings in a room play an important part in what is interior design. While their look requires to be attractive to fit in with the decoration, the furnishings are typically pieces that also serve a practical function. The furnishings used will generally depend on the type of building, although common pieces include tables, chairs, cabinets and desks. Consideration should also be given to suitable window coverings to match the décor of a room, with blinds and curtains the most common options.

Lighting: The lighting requirements are an essential part of what is interior design. Lighting is a fixture needed for practical purposes, although when used effectively can add to the aesthetics of a space and make it more attractive and appealing. Typical lighting options include overhead, wall and free standing light sources.

Accessories: Accessories can be used to accentuate the look of a room and provide focal points or centerpieces. These can include a variety of objects from clocks to paintings, ornaments and small statues.

Types of Interior Designer
Interior designers can be broadly separated into two categories, these being commercial and residential designers. Commercial designers will focus more on larger structures such as offices, schools and airports and some may even specialize in a single type of building. Residential designers will be more concerned with buildings that people live in, from smaller apartments to larger homes. While there can be some cross over between the two categories, there are obviously different requirements in designing residential or commercial spaces and most designers will focus their skills on one or other of the categories.

The information above provides brief details of what is interior design. It can be applied to any internal space and when used effectively can turn a plain room into an attractive, practical and comfortable space.

Famous Industrial Designers
Russel Wright: The trademark signature of one of America’s most famous industrial designers, Russel Wright, could be found on a variety of products that he designed. His most famous designs were based around dinnerware, with the American Modern collection one of the most recognizable and best selling in US history. Wright also turned his hand to the design of other products, including dining accessories, textiles and furniture.

Dieter Rams: Rams is one of the industrial designers closely associated with the Functionalist school of design and during his career he produced many classic products for consumer product companies, such as Braun and Vitsoe. This included the SK4 record player, the LE1 loudspeaker and the 606 universal shelving system. Ram’s 10 principles of product design detail his view of the factors that are important for good design and it is useful for industrial designers to study and remember these.

Philippe Starck: One of the most successful industrial designers of recent time is Philippe Starck. He is one of the most prominent of the New Design school of thought and has worked as an independent designer for many years. Starck has been responsible for many product designs over the years, ranging from simple household objects such as toothbrushes to more substantial pieces such as furniture and motor vehicles.

James Dyson: Dyson is one of the most famous British industrial designers of recent times. His company is probably best known for the innovative vacuum cleaners that he designed, although has produced other pieces, including washing machines, fans and commercial hand dryers.

Famous Industrial Design Companies
Karten Design: Karten Design has worked with many prominent industrial designers and in their 28 years of operation has been responsible for many famous products. Many of their designs have received awards, with some of the products that have received this distinction including Bluetooth stereo headphones for Vizio and the Zon hearing aid for Starkey. They have an impressive client list, including Shell, Plantronics and Kawasaki, and their industrial designers can provide services from planning to design and implementation for a product.

Omnica Corporation: The Omnica Corporation specializes in product design services for the medical and high-technology sectors. Their industrial designers offer services ranging from initial ideas and concepts through to design expertise, 3D modeling and FDA documentation preparation. The company adheres to Design for Manufacturing principles, ensuring that the designs they prepare are progressed with final manufacturing in mind at all stages.

Industrial design can be an interesting profession to get involved with and those that rise to the top of the industry can easily make a name for themselves. The details above show some of the most famous industrial designers and companies and they can lay claim to designing and developing some of the most recognizable products on the market.