Have you got an idea for a product? Are you wondering how to take that idea from a concept to reality?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’re stepping through the 6 steps of the product design process so that you can know what to expect.
Brainstorm
The first step to design your product is brainstorming. This stage involves coming up with as many ideas as possible to solve the problem. Voice every idea you have, no matter how crazy it sounds. The purpose here is quantity of ideas, not quality.
Once you have generated plenty of ideas, you then need to critically examine them to determine which is most suitable for your product.
Research Users
Then, you need to take the time to research your target users. Try to create an ideal ‘buyer persona’ for your product. Look at demographic details like gender, age, income, occupation, and geographic details, like where they live. Also, look at their needs, fears, desires, and goals, to determine if your product will suit their needs and wants.
It’s also important to research your market, its trends, and your competitors. Will it be a difficult market to enter? How established are your competitors?
Don’t skip this step! Designing a product for ‘everyone’ is not likely to be a success!
Sketch
Next, you’ll need to sketch your product. Sketches allow you to narrow down your main concept and find a direction. You can also use sketches to overlay with different compositions, layouts, and designs. During this stage, you’re free to experiment with different designs, so get creative.
Prototype
Creating a prototype is another crucial step in designing your product. A prototype helps you to get a clearer picture of what your final product may look like. It demonstrates your product’s functionality, and its basic appearance. The process of creating a prototype helps you to avoid many errors and corrections in the future. This will help you to save time, money, materials, and stress later down the track.
Sample
Then, it’s time for sampling your product. Producing samples helps you to understand whether the core idea of the product is viable or not. It also helps you to identify any flaws in your design and find ways to improve them. Sampling also gives your manufacturers an idea of what will be required to make your product.
You can go through this step again and again, until you gain enough positive feedback from your team and your customers.
Manufacture
Finally, it’s time to manufacture your product! During this stage, you’ll work together with a manufacturing company to produce your product. Make sure to give them clearly defined requirements, tasks, responsibilities, deadlines, and budget. This is the best way to ensure that your product will turn out exactly how you want it to, and not blow your timeframe or budget.
Looking to get your product manufactured?
At Dienamics, we have over 35 years of experience in industrial design, tool making and manufacturing in Brisbane. We offer specialised design services to help you take your concept from an idea to a reality.
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