If you are you interested in new product development you must remember this
No matter how well a proof of principle experiment functions, it is at least ten steps away from being a commercial product. new product development stages are called product development and they close the gap between the engineer who conceives the product and marketer who must sell it at a price the market will bear, We have been using this approach to develop products, for virtually all industry categories.
A good design cannot be applied as an afterthought like a coat of paint for cosmetics. It has to be an integral part of the development. That is why is define each product by analyzing its technological requirement before generating concepts or models, in other words, "you have to begin with the end in mind".
While the design is still in this early stage, the development team has to check out the competition and your patent position so you won't have any nasty surprises.
The essence of good product design is simplicity. As the engineers and designers prepare concept renderings, the preliminary layouts and logic diagrams, conceptual models, as well as theoretical calculations their first concern is the consumer. How can the product be made easy to operate, maintain and repair and retire?
The objective is to build a new product that is safe and reliable. But, that is just the beginning. You have to design a product that can be packed, survive shipping and can be stored without difficulty or damage. We have to start with the natural form of the product and its working parts.
Most of the time the appearance of the product is the realization of its natural form. In cooperation with the inventor, engineers and designers will rearrange or substitute components to produce a more efficient design. In reality, a functional design will normally improve appearance, reduce manufacturing costs and make the product easier to maintain.
New product development involves much more than shape and appearance. The development team must anticipate the problems that the production engineer will find as he manufactures the product. How difficult is it for him to make a specially machined part and how much will it add to the cost? Can the design be adapted to use an off-the-shelf component? Will the original material cause problems because it is in short supply or hard to work with?
The concern for how the product will be built guides us as to develop the mechanical and electrical circuits and select components.
The good designer must also know when to stop. The product must offer more benefits than the competition in a form that the consumer finds comfortable and familiar.
The critical point of the design, therefore, occurs when we provide the most advanced technology in its simplest form. The developer must freeze the design at this point to ensure that they don't over engineer the product. Design freeze, however, is not the final step. Build and tests the prototype, incorporate changes in the documentation, prepare formal assembly and test procedures as well as starts the procurement cycles, are a necessary step; by eliminating the need to commit resources for increased staff and facilities, which may never be required again, outsourcing reduces the financial risks that are inherent in any new product venture, as I stated before, the essence of good product design is simplicity, this principal is the central message of this new product development article.
About the Author
A good design cannot be applied as an afterthought like a coat of paint for cosmetics. It has to be an integral part of the product development. If you are you interested in learning more about New Product Development Stages click here: http://solidmasters.com/Product%20Development.htm
Fred Vierheller Over the past 12 years Fred Vierheller has focused his career in consumer and commercial product development, and he has designed for many renowned consumer products companies and involved as well