Explain next

[Guest]

Speling,



Interesting thread. I'm trying to understand the meaning of the subject of the thread Explain next and the first line of the thread which reads What are your comments on next!



What do you mean by next?

 

[dougr]

Think he means the next items on his original posting.



remember a great product has form and functionality - is also easy and cheap to make..



Remember:



FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

 

[Speling]

To Jason

I want all this. I want to hear diferent opinions, questions and to try to answer on them or to check my opinion and thinking. I am satisfied with this

 

[Speling]

I forget to write next

 

[jperkins]

Mike,



Pencil sketches was supposed to be a reference to artistic ability To make it clearer I don't believe being able to draw artistically is necessary if you can generate the intended image in CAD.



felt tip fairies? We sometimes refered to these guys as the hairdressers The bogus designers who try to impress by being wierd and obnoxious, what color black would you like (48 choices).



In reality the professional Industrial designer has to be familiar to a lot of things other than just having artistic ability.



jperkins

 

[bem]

Well now, this has been an interesting thread, to which I'd like to add my 2 cents.



IMHO, the work of the industrial designer is over rated. While he/she was studying art history, I was studying statics, dynamics and strength of materials. While I'm not debating the relative merits of one's chosen profession, the question of importance in product development has to be considered. Consider me a bitter vetran engineer, but I for one am tired of getting designs from industrial designers and instructions from mangement saying make it work . The amount of time re-engineering these designs to make them produceable and economical is astounding. Form follows function, and if you don't have a clue how it functions then you have no business designing its form.

How many of us have seen design portfolios from boutique ID firms touting their design, when they probably had no involvement in the testing, re-design, and work arounds necessary to bring the product to market.



Speling - Don't worry so much about gettting classified as an industrial designer. Your work speaks for itself. No matter what tools you use, be it pen and paper, pro/e , papyrus & reeds, the talent shows through. But remember a design is just that... a product is the end goal

 

[dougr]

What does IHMO mean ???

 

[bem]

IMHO = in my humble opinion

 

[JHardy]

In response to bem, who is ”tired of getting designs from industrial designers and instructions from management saying make it work, I very much liked miked’s definition. The key points are “practical, attractive and economical to manufacture … to optimise its appearance, function and value for the mutual benefit of user and producer”. That is, when done properly, Industrial Design results in a functional and aesthetic product, which is also practical and economic to manufacture. Products that need “re-engineering the designs to make them produceable and economical” have not been designed in accordance with the principles of Industrial Design. Neither have square boxes with sharp corners, that an engineer might argue is the cheapest package for a particular product, but which no consumer would purchase.



An Industrial Designer needs to know enough about the intended function of the product, target consumer group charactereistics, design and manufacturing processes, as well as about marketing etc, to have a grasp of all relevant factors that will influence the desirability and economy of a particular product, even if the final design is carried out by engineers, marketing is done by marketing, and the product is used by consumers.



Good examples of Industrial Design are numerous (sadly, so are poor examples!), and are generally very successful products because they can be mass produced at low unit cost, yet can be sold at a premium price, because consumers perceive the complete package is better than the more “agricultural” alternatives.



Speling, you may have difficulty in convincing a potential employer that you are indeed an Industrial Designer, if you don’t have a piece of paper from an accredited university or industry body that says you are. However, the evidence you have presented here certainly suggests you are indeed an Industrial Designer.

 

[miked]

bem



Why does your management hire designers if they cause so many problems? Have you ever discussed the possibility of you designing the products for them? It might not be such a bad idea considering the trouble they have caused you in the past. Be proactive, how hard could it be?

Mike

 

[Speling]

Ok