What to expect when working with an Industrial Designer.
Engaging an industrial designer in your process can be intimidating. Stakeholders don’t like the idea of bringing outside minds into their intellectual property. Marketing teams may not like the idea of bringing in another viewpoint that can challenge the current state of design. Engineers definitely do not enjoy having another set of eyes looking over their shoulders. The truth of the matter is that each of these is a misconception. Industrial designers aid in the entire design and engineering process by fulfilling a role as a bridge between stakeholders, marketing and engineering.
Industrial Designers protect intellectual property.
This should go without mention but our job hinges on our ability to protect trade secrets. Yes, this can, will and should be done through contracts, however we also employ common sense and seek to maintain our integrity by not divulging secrets. Your hard-earned IP is safe with us and we desire to help your company bring your ideas to the market.
Industrial Designers protect the integrity of the design.
Have you ever seen a pedal-powered flying combination hot dog and ice cream stand? Maybe in some over the top marketing campaign pitch where everything is possible. The fun thing about being creative is that you can actually suspend the laws of reality like friction, lift, and drag to accomplish astounding feats of design. 4.8-liter combustion engines can be fit inside a shoebox to make a car hood 7 inches shorter which looks “very cool”. Industrial designers are able to look at these creative designs and translate them back into reality by holding fast to engineering principles. We look at the creative concept and find balance with the practical engineering.
Industrial Designers maximize the marketing vision.
We love the creative process. Being able to envision what a finished product will look like; what the product will feel like; what materials best encapsulate what your team wants to portray. We take visions and bring them to life. We provide the tangible assets to demonstrate the feasibility of putting a luxury interior inside of a fishing boat. We help teams create new aerospace platforms for the common person to use on their daily commute. We aid in developing a new ergonomically correct weightlifting bench which will revolutionize the fitness industry. Without tangible assets to show end users, consumers, or investors, these concepts are all just vapor. An industrial designer comes alongside your marketing team to deliver concept art and 3-D Modeling in balance with your engineers to deliver an unparalleled vision of your product.
Industrial Designers have a plan.
Process is where we see our biggest strategic advantage. In today’s creative manufacturing we often see a siloed process between marketing and engineering. We bridge those two silos and have a project plan that balances each viewpoint and ensures that both sides are heard and validated for their contribution. We also enable rapid iteration through ideas. An industrial designer is able to create engineering qualified, marketing approved mockups as each team approaches the various hurdles they encounter. These prototypes can be tested, reviewed, fought over, broken and redone in rapid succession to ensure all sides agree on the final product. We do this through clear, concise, fun communication.
Industrial Designers have fun.
We love to have fun with our projects. Industrial design is the combination of the creative work and engineering precision and that makes us giddy. We delight in the possibility to revolutionize the boating industry with a new hull design that causes pleasure boats to glide across choppy water. We marvel at the possibility of transforming the private aerospace industry through changing the way we think about airplane interiors and finishes. We take the big visions of manufacturers in all industries and ground them in solid engineering to produce tangible assets to drive revenue growth. Don’t be intimidated by engaging an industrial designer, be excited for the possibilities the engagement will open.
Interested in working with our studio?
“Beautiful, well-thought-out design.” That is the work we do at Design EyeQ. Contact us to learn more about what we can do to help your company craft bespoke products.