Here’s the situation: you have an incredible product idea that you already know would perform amazingly on the market, but there’s a small issue- you’re not quite sure how to communicate your vision exactly how you see it. As it happens, this is actually an extremely common hesitation among business owners as it can certainly be challenging to explain something that only exists in one’s mind. On paper, this may seem like a cause for concern, after all, how will your industrial design team recreate your vision if it can’t be fully explained? Luckily, this misconception couldn’t be further from the truth! In reality, industrial design companies are well-versed in the art of actualizing their client’s product ideas, no matter the amount of initial information they are provided. In fact, here are 3 strategies any credible industrial design team might have in place to assist their clients in relating their vision:
1.) Look To The Competition
It goes without saying that competition can actually serve as incredible inspiration for designing new products! More specifically, industrial designers often conduct extensive market research to get tangible examples that line up with the client’s demands. For example, if a client mentions that they envision their product to have some sort of “shine”, industrial designers can opt to compile a small collection of similar products from competing businesses that are made of materials with a glossier quality, including plastic, nylon, acrylic, rubber, and so forth. Next, industrial designers will then examine these options alongside the client to determine which, if any, are suitable and in accordance with the product vision. Of course, the goal here isn’t to copy another product, rather it is to take reference and define ideas to build upon.
2.) Use Reference Photos
Much like the previous point, using reference photos is another helpful tool to accumulate information for a product design that can be translated into its sketch. Specifically, this strategy involves using any internet search engine to find relevant images of mechanisms, features, color pallets, materials, and so on that might work in accordance with the product idea in question. Again, every selected reference will be further discussed with the client and they will be able to highlight whichever aspect of these images they would like to see further explored in ideation and sketching.
3.) Create Multiple Sketches
Sketching is a standard industrial design service, but its significance must not be overlooked. That is to say, this step just might be the single most important tool for bridging the gap between designer and client. Here, designers will use their own experience and insider knowledge along with the client-approved references and information provided during consultations to render sketches of potential product designs that stay true to these specifications. Ideally, the client will find a sketch that duplicates their idea, however, if that does not occur, the industrial design team will simply return to the drawing board until they finally land on a rendering that successfully hits the target.
Overall, communicating a product idea should never be an arduous task for business owners to navigate, especially on their own. That being said, if you currently have a brilliant product idea, but are concerned about how you would articulate certain niche details, there is no better option than outsourcing product development to a trusted industrial design company. These firms will always work directly alongside you to pinpoint every feature of your conceptual product design, because, at the end of the day, our ultimate objective is to bring these ideas to life, no matter how much information we have to work with.
This blog is brought to you by Design Stein Studios, a local industrial design company in California servicing the Irvine, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas. To make a consultation, give us a call at 417-375-4846 or email info@designsteinstudios.com.