I often get asked, particularly by start up businesses, to summarize the product development process into a standard 'one size fits all' description. I have no doubt that this is usually to help with a funding application or an investment pitch. Unfortunately the fact is that product development is not a generic process, and the tasks and associated outputs should be modified on a case by case basis to suit the needs of the differing markets and stakeholder needs. However a standardised approach to solving a problem should be adopted by design companies.
A designer holds a position of great responsibility. The results of our work determine not only the effectiveness of our clients business but the safety and fulfilment of the people who buy the products we design. We have to be able to stand by our work 100%. The end result should be, to the best of our knowledge, at the highest possible level of performance, safety and reliability and compliant with all recognised standards of best practice.
The design process is necessarily consultative. A steering group should be consulted throughout – most critically at formal review points where decisions are made regarding suitability of emerging solutions. These groups should include representatives of the anticipated range of users.
The vagaries of human interaction with new products cannot be predicted by the designer and priority should be given to the production of proof-of-concept models from early in the process to be able to learn from their testing. Look for the flaws in design proposals rather than try to prove they are suitable and in this way the robustness of the solution is developed.
Prototypes are the most effective way of eliciting feedback from stakeholders and designers should be adept at rapidly producing 3D models for this purpose. In addition, working demo models should be produced to assess any electronic and mechanical functions for assessment during design stage. In this way the risk of unforeseen issues with the manufactured product is significantly reduced. You should not proceed to the manufacture of a product unless each key function has been verified by the testing of a prototype according to the verification plan – this stance ultimately minimises time and cost to completion.
Design projects are fraught with risk - they are inherently a process of risk reduction. A project plan should be assessed as a sequence of activities with varying degrees of risk, the sequence set to attack the most uncertain parts in order from the top. This order of attack should be explained to the client. However to create truly innovative products, it is important that creative processes are allowed to free flow, unbridled by the very narrow focus of the control processes, for periods before the output is brought back into line with the essential requirements at reviews. This allows iteration and iterative steps take the solution further and further away from obvious into inventiveness and impressive novelty while the control reviews make sure the solution is fit to be sold.
Geoff Jones, Fearsomengine
