The Design Process

Identifying the Need

• Successful design starts with identifying a need or problem that needs to be solved.
• This involves conducting market research to understand the target audience and recognise the competition.
• It's important to have a clear understanding of the client's requirements and the application of the intended design.

Concept Development

• Concept development involves brainstorming and sketching to generate ideas.
• Research and analysis of various potential designs helps narrow down the possibilities.
• Using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, preliminary designs are drafted and refined.
• This stage often includes producing prototypes and models.

Detail Design and Optimisation

• This stage focuses on finalising the design and ensuring it meets the requirements laid out in the identifying stage.
• Optimisation ensures the design is not only capable of performing its function but does so in a cost effective and efficient manner.
• Key tools used in this stage include Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to perform stress tests and optimise the product.
• Detailed technical specifications and drawings are also produced, which clearly communicate how the product should be made.

Implementation

• This is the stage in which the design is transferred into a tangible product.
• Manufacturing processes are taken into account and chosen based on the design, budget, and desired output.
• After production, the product goes through quality assurance and testing to reassure it works as intended.
• Final efforts in this stage include launching the product and marketing to reach the target audience.

Evaluation

• Post-launch, gathering user feedback and analyzing sales data can give valuable insight into the product's performance.
• Identifying improvements and opportunities for further optimisation is a key aspect of this stage.
• This iterative process is crucial for continuous improvement in product design.

Remember, the design process is not strictly linear. Iterative steps can often occur, looping back to earlier stages to refine and improve the design based on new information or requirements.