Do you have an idea just ready to be developed? Or a complex problem that requires a quick solution? Let’s face it, launching a product is very hard! We know that it’s tempting to try and figure it out all by yourself. However, hiring an industrial design consultancy will greatly influence your product’s success on the market. Why not consult with experts that can make your vision into a reality. In this blog post, we’ll describe how hiring an industrial design consultancy can help you save money and streamline your development process.
Product Design Firms Bring Experience & Expertise
Industrial design consultancies are specialists in bringing your product to life. These consultancies house designers who have years of experience designing functional, user-friendly and aesthetic products for a wide range of industries.
Great design comes from decades of knowledge and experience. To illustrate, imagine you are a potter sculpting clay on a wheel. You would have to understand the types of clay to use. The chemical makeup of different glazings. The heat at which to set the kiln. How to paint the clay. You get the idea.
Similarly, an experienced industrial designer is specialized in a variety of different areas surrounding a product. Which software(s) to use for different stages of the design process. Fundamental decisions involving engineering, materials, finishings, processes. Most importantly, they understand the subtleties of creating exceptional products. By hiring an industrial design consultancy, you will gain access to professionals who specialize in innovation and discovery. Ultimately, a consultancy can help you to launch a product which will succeed on the market.
Design Consultancies are a Catalyst for Innovation
Innovation isn’t just a buzzword; it is the fundamental pillar that sets your product apart from the crowd.
In our fast-paced and highly competitive economy, product innovation is key for product success. This means understanding your users’ unmet needs and unvoiced desires, and providing a novel solution which makes their experience more pleasant.
Industrial design consultancies have a culture of innovation and creativity, often housing designers with a diverse array of experience in various industries. This gives them unique perspectives within their expertise, and leads to out-of-the-box solutions to complex challenges. Industrial design consultancies are not afraid of taking risks and experimenting with new ideas. As a result, revolutionary products are often made which are different from anything else on the market.
When new clients approach our team at SurfaceID, our engineers and designers immediately begin to brainstorm solutions. This back-and-forth process creates a feedback loop which continually raises new avenues for innovation.
All in all, innovation is crucial for a good product design. Industrial design consultancies can help you to experiment with new ideas. They can differentiate your product from the competition. They can capture the attention of your consumers. Altogether, they can help you to redefine entire markets.
Industrial Designers specialize in User-Centered Decisions
One of the key benefits of working with an industrial design consultancy is their specialty in user-centered design. Industrial designers take the time to understand the wants and needs of your target audience and design their products to meet these needs. This leads to products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and easy to use.
Although it often goes unnoticed, user-experience is often the key to product success. Think of a product that is easy to hold. Many products may come to mind; the Dyson Vacuum Cleaner, the Ryobi drill, OXO’s Smooth Edge Can Opener. All of these products have exceptionally well developed handle grips. These came to be through countless rounds of user-testing and prototyping. Particularly, they focused heavily on the specific factors of form and finishing.
Form
First, the shape – a well designed handle must fit the hands of a large population of users. The target is anyone from the 5th to 95th percentile of size variations in the human hand. This accommodates 90% of the human population. As a comparison, think about when you are trying on shoes. Shoes come in a variety of sizes; and if you purchase the wrong size, your feet will hurt. However, for power tools or housewares, the entire responsibility falls on the industrial designer to develop a ‘one size fits all’ grip which is comfortable and safe for the user. The results of good design often go unnoticed as they seamlessly adapt to the needs of the user. However, behind the scenes, industrial designers work passionately to develop user-friendly and ergonomic forms to benefit the user-experience.
Texture
It’s not just about the shape; it’s about the texture too! Have you ever noticed how a well-designed product feels really good when you use it? The instant connection that you feel when you pick something up is all part of an amazing user-experience design. Did you know that we often decide if we like a product within just three seconds of using it? That’s why every detail counts! There are no accidental features when it comes to good design; each feature represents thousands of hours of industrial design development.
Although we’ve focused specifically on handle grips for this article, there is much more that can be said about user-centered design. Many product features require a deep understanding of human behavior. Button layouts, order of operations of product use, ergonomics, user mapping, to name a few. If you would like to learn more about user centered design and ergonomics, read our blog post design for the user experience. Next time you’re using a Ryobi Power Drill 18V, make sure to pay special attention to the battery that’s just the right size, and the grip that’s just the right texture for your hand!
It’s Cost-Effective
You may assume that hiring a design consultancy will add an extra expense to your budget, but it can actually save you money! A design consultancy will save you from costly mistakes and design flaws. Specifically, they make design decisions which optimize cost-saving manufacturability, while maintaining your product’s functional and aesthetic elements. Ultimately, a well designed product will lead to increased sales and a higher return on investment. If you would like to learn more about cost-saving within a consultancy, take a look at our article on the cost of industrial design.
Streamline the Development Process
Another benefit of working with an industrial design consultancy is that they will streamline the product development process for you. More importantly, your product will come to market more efficiently and at a lower cost than going through the process alone. A good consultancy will work with you every step of the way, emphasizing open-communication and active participation from the initial concept all the way to production. As a result, you will save time and resources and ensure that your product launches with no complications.
Industrial design consultancies follow a clearly structured design process. Phases of development include ideation, conceptualization, prototyping and testing, until a final design is reached. This structure ensures that every step of the development process is completed effectively and reduces the risk for error and delays.
An industrial design consultancy will also help you to avoid costly mistakes that could delay product launch. They identify issues early on in the design process and make changes before significant investment has been made into production. Furthermore, they design products with manufacturability in mind from the start. This ensures that the final product can be produced affordably while still meeting functional and aesthetic requirements.
Finally, industrial design consultancies will keep you up-to-date with the latest design trends and technology. Understanding the current market ensures that your product develops into something that is culturally relevant and excites your customers. SurfaceID uses the most current design technology and tools. We have prototyping equipment, software and testing facilities that may not be available to in-house design teams. This can speed up the design process and reduce the time required for prototyping and testing.
If you are interested in increasing the efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness of your product, don’t hesitate to consider consulting with a design consultancy!
Conclusion
If you found this post because you were unsure how to go about developing your product idea, we hope this gave you some clarity! An industrial design consultancy will streamline your development process, bring expertise, innovation, cost-effectiveness and user-centered design. So, if you’re looking to launch a new product, consider hiring an industrial design consultancy to ensure that your product is everything you dreamed of and more!