Aesthetics in Product Design

Aesthetics is concerned with how something looks and how it appeals to the human eye.
In product design, aesthetics is very important, as the human eye is first attracted to initial looks before investigating other factors, such as function.

Designers use various techniques to generate large amounts of ideas quickly.
Brainstorming/Thought Showers: A group activity where people from diverse backgrounds discuss new ideas.
Technology Transfer: Adapting solutions from other areas of technology or nature to generate new ideas.

Lateral thinking is about "thinking outside the box."
It involves avoiding obvious solutions to overcome traditional problems and come up with innovative ideas.
Analogies are a way to generate ideas by comparing a product or problem with something else.

Confidentiality: Covers recipes, formulas, and information related to products.
Copyright: Covers creative works like music, songs, stories, and films.
Patent: Covers technology, gadgets, mechanisms, and new products. Must be applied for to the Patent office.
Trademark: Covers technology, gadgets, mechanisms, and new products. Must be applied for to the Patent Office.
Brand: Covers a company's image, quality, reliability, and status (symbols).
Design Rights: Covers new versions of an existing product that looks or functions differently.
Registered Design: Covers the appearance or style of a product.

Designers use different modeling techniques to generate ideas, develop designs, and communicate information.
Various model types (e.g., mock-ups, test models/rigs, scale models, block models, rapid prototypes) are used at different stages of the process, employing varied materials.

Working models of parts or sections to check if mechanisms and electronics work correctly.
Used during development to check internal components and sizes for later parts.
Used to see if parts will work correctly and if a product will wear or break easily.

Smaller or larger versions of the product to show clients and consumers.
Helpful for showing what the design will look like.
Used to get feedback from stakeholders to adjust the design before full-scale manufacturing.
Used for advertising purposes.

Computer-generated 3D models to detail designs, aid in manufacture, and check safety and performance.
Rapid prototyping uses these for highly accurate and quickly produced parts.

Process of quickly generating accurate models using layers of material.
Additive process, starting with nothing and building the product by adding layers.
Used to check ergonomics, assembly, function, etc, of products.
Differentiate from CNC machining (reductive process that starts with a material and removes to make the defined product).

Begins with a 3D model created in a computer modeling program.
The 3D model is converted into a file containing thousands of thin layers that form the original 3D model.
The file is sent to a rapid prototyping machine. This machine builds the product layer by layer.
Overhanging areas are supported by a water-soluble material that is eliminated after the process.
Wide variety of materials used in building these models.

Quick model production compared to manual models.
Accurate models to within 1/1000th of a millimeter.
Check that all parts fit together to avoid costly mistakes after production.
Evaluate ergonomics on the model.
Reduces product development time. Quickly identify and edit mistakes on the computer model.
Allows design of complex shapes.

Expensive equipment.
Limited to the material of the machine used to build the prototype, this might not be the material desired.
Limited by the "envelope size" of the machine used to create the prototype - thus is not the best way for large scale products.

Professionals with diverse skills contributing to design and manufacture.
Design, manufacture, marketing teams, accountant, lawyer amongst others involved.

Ensures electronic and mechanical components are reliable, working, and durable.
Chooses appropriate materials to ensure reliability.
Communicates with designers during manufacture about aspects like product component size.