What is a produc Designer?
To this question, correspond various ways of considering the job, and finally various founder “theories” of this activity.
There are essentially two ways.
One, which I would speak a little, join the popular meaning of the word “Design”, which we find in the expression: “what a well designed object” which generally covers objects with have special esthetic. The designer is defined here like a kind of esthetician of the object, industrial or not.
The other way, which is also mine, covers the first, but widens considerably the investigation fields of the industrial designer.
According to this second definition, an object with a successful design, will not only be pleasant to look at, but also to use in the daily life (arrangement, ergonomics of the functions, lasted of life, surfaces, etc), less expensive to produce, more profitable to transport, manufacture, and, when the case allows it, its destruction at the end of its lifetime will also be considered and thought.
The object can be worked to improve a productivity, a cost (on the production line for exemple) as well as the user usage and to increase sales.
That implies on behalf of the industrial Designer a global solution approach of the problems, and knowledge in marketing, sociology, ergonomics (of man, workstations, and psychological), materials, techniques, engineering, esthetics and all that relates to the 5 sense of communication that we have to interact with an object.
As seen, this is a complex work, and this lists of fields to be known is not exhaustive. It’s an exciting work, each subject being an opening on a new territory.
Within the framework of a small company project, the Designer will be often obliged to make call to its knowledge in marketing, sociology, engineering, etc in order to give a good answer to the requests of the customer’s company, as to the needs for the company itself (costs reduction for example, customers gain...)
If the industrial Designer works with a company already having structures in marketing, ergonomics, engineering, etc. then, its work will be much more to be a “harmonisator”. I understand by there that the project will only be a success if the Designer manages to make so that marketing, esthetics, technic, ergonomics are harmonized within the end product.
That requires a large team work. Answering to the marketing department requests, consumers request, engineers, managers, etc. to finally obtain a product joining these sides all together harmoniously.
What can a Designer bring you?
That depends on the size of your company, of your projects and problems.
But, in a general way, for a company manufacturing its products around a technical or technological base, the industrial Designer can:
By an esthetics in relation with the project, give some sense to your products, bring a bit of seduction to them.
Minimize certain manufacturing costs de by finding formal and assembly trick. In the same idea, reduce the transportation costs of of the object towards distributors. Increase and/or bring fidelity to your customers.
All that depends of course on the project, it’s dimensional, and your needs.
Conclusion
If you want to evolve/move your range of products,
your sales, or to be more competing, to appeal an industrial
Designer can be a very judicious choice at medium and long term.
Because a good product corresponding to your current and
prospective customers waitings, will probably be a long run
commercial success.
It should be known also that a product Designer is not only limited to objects. Its concept concerning space, functionality and esthetics make him capable to work on exhibition stand achitecture as well as shop architecture.
