From idea to physical product

7 tricks for coming up with ideas for your new product

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 21:43:20 GMT

This article is for people that are excited about coming up with new ideas: inventors, startup founders, entrepreneurs, industrial designers, and problem solvers.

We’ll be focusing on the design of a laptop in this article. With a little imagination, the methods can be applied to many different assignments and areas of life.

Suppose you are entirely ready to start with the laptop design. You've discussed the project with your client or other stakeholders, researched the current market, and made your coffee. Now it is time to come up with some tangible results.

The blank screen or paper in front of you is staring back at you. Where to start? What should you do? How do you come up with something new and original?

If you try out the methods below, you’ll soon come up with many new ideas:

1. Start small

If you divide the main problem into smaller issues, it all becomes more manageable. Make a list of sub-issues that you're going to solve.

For example:

• What are the ideal main proportions?

• Which opening/closing mechanism is the best for my design?

• How can I optimize for ergonomic use?

• What is the best keyboard lay-out?

• Which ports are required and where should they be located?

• Which indication lights are required and where should they be?

• … and more

When you’re done with the list, come up with separate solutions for each of the items separately. After that, combine the sub-solutions into several master solutions.

If you’re working in a team, every team member could focus on one or more sub-solutions, which you could subsequentially join into product ideas.

2. Inspect your surroundings

Even if you divided the main problem into smaller issues, you could still find yourself without inspiration. However, inspiration can be gained through well-defined techniques. One of them is to look at inputs that are completely different from the problem you are solving.

The tiles on a wall could be an inspiration for an improvement in keyboard lay-out. Bright lights on e-scooters outside could trigger the idea for specific indication lights in your laptop design. The branches of the tree in front of your window could cause you to think of including an ergonomic stand with branches that keeps the laptop screen at the right height during use.

There's a more in-depth explanation of this technique (and many others) in my eBook: Activate Your Creativity .

3. Analyze something similar

With the previous techniques, you now got ideas for the lay-out, indication lights and laptop stand. Your client listed one of the criteria for the product: 'must have a hinge'. The tiles, e-scooters and trees may not be able to help you out here.

If looking for inspiration all around you does not work, zoom in and let yourself be inspired by products that have similar properties.

There are many other products with hinges. Think of doors, some types of lamps, maybe even parts of the chair you’re sitting on. Analyze the objects you have around you or search for them specifically and integrate your findings in sketches.

Adjust the hinges you found to make them fit your new laptop design. Make sure not to just copy anything you see, but use it as inspiration in an original way.

At this point it might feel like it doesn't make sense to use a lamp hinge in your design, but sketching ideas like these might spark new ideas that you would otherwise not have thought about.

At first, the sketches could be as simple as napkin sketches. The final hinge design might not look anything like the lamp hinge you used as inspiration, as it evolves during the process.

4. Look at the bigger picture

Although you now came up with new hinge solutions. You might question the need for a hinge. Maybe your client wrote 'must have a hinge', but actually meant that the final product should be easy and safe to carry. Using a hinge would be one possible means to get to that outcome, but maybe it can be obtained without using a hinge too.

Based on this, maybe one of your ideas could have a detachable screen that can be placed at a distance from the keyboard for ergonomic reasons. For carrying it safely and easily, the monitor snaps safely to the rest of the laptop.

5. Try the opposite

If you're in a creative rut, try to think out-of-the-box by seeing what happens if you're doing the opposite of what you were doing before. This technique can be used for details as well as larger issues.

Suppose the style of the laptop is somewhat off, it just looks too rounded. You could make all radiuses two or even five times smaller to see what it does with your design. Suppose white doesn't work on the model, try making it black. A slightly concave shape does not get the desired result, try a slightly convex one.

This technique helps you with increasing your output and exploring other parts of the range of possible solutions. For more specific examples of this trick that has helped me out many times, consider reading my ebook about creativity techniques .

6. Talk about it

Without having to give away all project details, you can discuss specific issues with someone else for fresh input. Suppose you’re figuring out how to make best use of the space available for the battery and other electronic components. It’s kind of a puzzle that you feel could be solved faster by asking someone else.

As you’re working for a client, confidentiality is important. Therefore, you create some simple cardboard puzzle pieces that don’t explain anything and ask a friend to work on your new 3D puzzle. If the client allows you disclosing the details later, you can tell your friend what it all was about.

Often, even just describing the issue to someone else sparks ideas in yourself. While you’re talking about it, the solution might come to you.

7. Do something else

You’ve now worked so hard on the project that all inspiration seems gone. Even though you now know you don’t have to wait for inspiration, because you know how to find it, using the techniques again suddenly does not bring you the results it did before. If this is the case, you could go for a common trick that works wonders. Do something else!

You’ve probably had that feeling before, when great ideas popped up when you were having a shower. This usually happens when you have been focusing on a problem for a sustained period of time and then take break. You could also go for a walk outside, but don’t forget to take something with you to capture the ideas that could suddenly pop up.

Inspiration is something people struggle with a lot. However, with an open-minded and resourceful mindset, you can usually find solutions by using creativity techniques.

For more proven tips and tricks, check out my eBook Activate Your Creativity .

I'm an industrial designer. Sorry, what is that?

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 12:11:24 GMT

When I introduce myself to someone new as an industrial designer, I usually get a confused look.

Only when I'm talking to someone who's working in the field of design, like an architect or graphic designer, I don't have to explain more. I guess it is just the way it is in many fields, that just the title itself does not ring a bell for everyone. (For example, what is a Director Of Fun?) For the ones who are wondering what an industrial designer does, I'll explain it here by answering a couple of questions you might have about it.

Image 1. Me, trying to draw and look up at the same time

• In a sentence, what does an industrial designer do?

Designing physical products for mass production.

• What type of physical products?

It could be almost any type of product, although it is common for industrial designers to work on consumer products. They work on products ranging from pens to aircraft interiors, from consumer electronics to furniture, and more.

The device you're reading this on is likely designed by an industrial designer. The cup you're drinking from, the chair you're sitting on and the glasses or headphones you are wearing are most likely designed by industrial designers too.

Image 2. The folding knife I designed for Bergkvist

• So, could you tell a bit more about what an industrial designer does during a workday?

An industrial designer conceives products, taking into account the needs and wishes of end users and clients. Among these needs and wishes are proper functioning, ease of use, as well as selecting materials, considering looks and ergonomics, sustainability and manufacturability. Usual tasks include research, sketching, problem solving, 3D modeling, and preparing files for prototyping and manufacturing. Collaborating with multiple stakeholders is often part of the work too, which requires an industrial designer to be a team player.

• Is industrial design just styling?

No, industrial design is more than styling. It's not only about creating aesthetically appealing shapes, but about shapes that make up functional products that can be mass produced too. For some types of products there is more focus on styling than for others, and I think this Raymond Loewy quote is still legitimate: “Between two products equal in price, function and quality, the one with the most attractive exterior will win.”

Image 3. A smart thermometer enclosure I designed for FireBoard Labs

What are some products you designed?

An example of a product that I designed for a client is a folding knife (see image 2) . My client wanted to produce a unique foldable knife that stands out in the market. I first analyzed and discussed the brief (including market research results) extensively with my client and then created drawings of multiple options of what the product could look like. My client then chose a favorite design to develop further. I went on to create a 3D model, making sure the knife would be suitable for mass production. The manufacturer created prototypes and collaboratively, we optimized the product in order to get to the best version of it, keeping into account the ergonomics, looks, and manufacturing costs. You can find out more about the folding knife here .

Another product that I helped a client with is a smart food thermometer (shown in image 3). My client developed the electronics in-house and needed assistance creating the enclosure around it. It is actually the 2.0 version of a product that the brand was already successfully producing and selling. I helped with the design, from initial drawings until providing files that were used for prototyping and manufacturing. The design project involved the usual aspects of function, looks, and manufacturability. If you're interested, you can read more about this project here .

Image 4. A jewelry box I designed for Forever Cube

Why would you need an industrial designer? Can't manufacturers come up with a design?

Manufacturers surely know what they can produce and what would be the most cost effective option, but they generally require specific input, which a designer can provide. Industrial designers also help with the holistic view that takes into account the perceived value of the product, as well as the aforementioned aspects like ergonomics.

I want to (re)design my product. Can you help?

If you have a specific idea for a redesign or a new product, you can write a short message about it here and I'll be in touch to discuss your project.

Improve your next generation product for sustainability

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:20:07 GMT

Founders are often looking for ways to redesign their first product in order to improve the value they bring to the marketplace.

Based on real life consumer feedback on the first product, they know what can be upgraded in terms of functionality. It is easy to overlook the opportunity to improve the product from a sustainability standpoint as well.

Improving your product from a sustainable point of view can result in not only decreasing your impact on the environment, but sometimes also in more cost-effective production. Even if it would not be a priority for you personally, end users are becoming increasingly environmentally aware and sustainability drives purchasing decisions. It's a win-win for you, your brand, your end users, and a more sustainable future. Are you ready to seize the opportunity?

If you'd like to upgrade your product from a sustainable point of view, the most profound and scientifically robust way is to start with a full life-cycle assessment (LCA) of your product. It would involve analyzing the life of the product from raw material extraction through manufacturing, distribution, use, up to disposal and possibly recycling. The assessment quantifies environmental impacts associated with each phase in the life of your product. It is a time consuming task to do this thoroughly, but it would give you insights in what phases of your product are most impactful. Based on the results, you can make a well considered decision where to focus your efforts for improvement.

However, if you don't have the time or resources for an LCA, you can still make changes to the product that can make a positive change or at least reduce the current environmental impact of your product.

When you're redesigning your original product, you could ask yourself the following questions. The answers can give you ways to upgrade your product from a sustainability perspective.

1. Is it possible to reduce the amount of material that is used?

If you are able to reduce the weight of your product, it can make a difference. Suppose you're able to reduce 1% of the weight of the materials that are needed by adjusting the design. For creating 100 products, you now only need the material that was first needed to create 99 products, resulting in lower material costs per product. A lower weight can also result in lower transportation costs.

2. Is it possible to reduce the amount of parts that make up your product?

If you take a critical look at your product, you might discover parts that can be cleverly combined into one. Maybe your end user feedback pointed out that specific parts are not needed and you can exclude them. If you offer an accessory that enhances the functionality of your product, maybe it can be combined with your main product into one.

3. Can you reduce the amount of types of materials?

If you're using many different types of materials in one product, they all have to come from different sources to be combined into one. Decreasing the amount of materials can make it easier to separate materials for recycling. Also, when you or your supplier is buying one material in larger qualities, chances are you'll get a better deal.

4. In case you're selling an electronic device, can you upgrade the electronic parts to more energy efficient ones?

It might be less obvious, but for some devices the use phase has a higher environmental impact than extracting raw materials and forming the parts of the product. Suppose you're upgrading from a less efficient to a more efficient technology. You've now reduced the impact during the use phase. However, the upgraded technology is likely made by using different materials and processes. If your goal is to create a more sustainable product, these factors should be taken into account. This scenario is an example of how complicated it can become to find the most environmentally friendly solution. It is a situation where a comparative LCA would make sense in which you compare your product with your current technology to your product with upgraded technology.

You could ask the same four questions about your packaging. The last question would not be applicable to the majority of cases, but with the emergence of embedded electronics in smart packagings, it might as well apply to your packaging.

10 services that transform your idea into a successful product

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 20:16:07 GMT

What services do you need for creating your new product?

It is a courageous step to go out and create a new physical product that helps improving people's daily lives. As an industrial designer, I get approached by people who want to do just that. Sometimes, they underestimate the costs that are associated with the journey from idea to manufactured product.

There is no general estimate for the costs of developing a new product, but I've listed the services below that are often needed when you're developing a new product.

• Research

Depending on the type of product, this could include market research, consumer behavior, research about new technologies, materials, and other product developments in the industry around your invention.

• Industrial design / Product design

This is the actual design of the physical product. After this process, it is clear what the product will be like and how it can be manufactured. It would be best to work with a designer that knows about production techniques. It might cost more upfront, but you'll avoid costly mistakes.

If you're not ready yet to buy a fully manufacturable design, you could start with asking for a more rough design. The designer could then generate photorealistic images (renderings) of an approximate representation of what the final product could look like. It would be a more cost effective option. You could discuss these images with investors or potential users of your product.

• Packaging design

Many companies highly value their packagings. A packaging can influence the first impression of a customer with the product. If you provide a great unboxing experience to your customer, that impression is one that lasts! Furthermore, it is a great opportunity for expressing the values and corporate identity of your brand.

• Sourcing

Finding the right manufacturers for both the product and packaging can be a time consuming task. Discussing the product requirements into the finest details also takes persistence and patience. Hiring someone to assist you through the process makes it a lot easier.

• Prototyping

I often advice my clients to order a prototype directly from the manufacturer they would like to work with. If you do so, it will give an idea of what you can expect from working together and see if the capabilities of the manufacturer fit your expectation.

• Protecting your product

It is wise to protect the intellectual property rights of your invention if you'd like to be able to stop others from copying or using it. You could hire patent experts to help you with a patent search to see if your idea is really novel and then to help you out applying for patents.

• Manufacturing

Manufacturing your products will cost money, because of the labor, tools, materials, and energy involved in creating the products.

For many types of products, manufacturers might not take you seriously if you have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) that is lower than 1000 pieces. For one of the most widely used production techniques, injection molding, the costs for the mold alone can go up to 100k USD if the product is large and/or complex.

A general rule of thumb is that the more products you order, the lower the price is per product. However, the total price still increases with every extra product you order.

Luckily, if you're looking for smaller quantities, for some products there are ways to get past these high initial costs. For example, if your product is suitable for and optimized for 3D printing or CNC milling (computer controlled milling). 3D printing and CNC milling are more versatile than other production techniques in terms of output without the need for a specific mold.

From a certain amount of products, it is often still more cost efficient to buy a mold for your product, but if you're willing to test a batch of let's say 100 products first, 3D printing or CNC milling might be a solution for that.

• Shipping

All products need to get from the manufacturer or supplier to one or more distribution centers.

• Marketing

In order for people to be aware that your new product exists, promoting your product one way or another is essential. The importance of marketing your product should not be underestimated. Potential customers should be able to find your product easily in order to buy it and profit from it!

• Distribution
The products need to be distributed to stores or directly to end users.

If you're not quite ready yet to invest in all the above services, and self-funding is not an option at the moment, there must be a way to come up with the funds. One of my clients started up production after a successful Kickstarter campaign. So, crowdfunding is one of the options. More traditional methods would be applying for a business loan from your bank or collaborating with investors. If you'll develop the product as part of a new business, look into how startup incubators and business development centers can assist and possibly help fund your product development.

If you believe your product can help people improve their daily lives, never give up!

How designing a pen is related to designing a train

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:43:39 GMT

In your search for a designer to help you out with the design of your new product, you don’t necessarily need to focus on candidates that have designed exactly the same type of product before.

M any product designers are generalists. They have a general understanding about human beings, materials, and production techniques. They apply this knowledge in a process for creating novel physical products. It is in the nature of their profession that they know something about many fields, e.g. cognitive psychology, marketing, ergonomics, engineering, and manufacturing. The knowledge can be applied to the development of many types of physical products. An industrial designer could be able to help you out with designing your new IoT device, as well as an analog watch case. With a tea cup, as well as a power tool. With headphones, as well as an airplane chair. And with a pen, as well as a train.

Now, sometimes a job post is so focused, that the one who posts it might miss out by focusing on a specific background.
For example, a job post on an internet platform stated "... we are looking for an industrial designer who has experience on designing medical device enclosures up to DFM level."
It also said: "It should be a simple table top device of approx. dimension of 250x250x200 mm with sheet metals in the back & bottom and plastic front facia."

I would argue that most industrial designers would be able to design a table top device with specific pre-determined dimensions, sheet metal structure, and plastic front. I understand that for some jobs it is necessary to have specific background information. However, if a startup collaborates with an industrial designer, it should be easy to communicate requirements about the medical nature of the device, regardless of previous experience with designing this specific type of product.

The next fragment of another publicly available job post is another example. The required end product is a drinks bottle label. Although the post is aimed at graphic designers, it illustrates the same type of focus: "You must have a strong portfolio, including examples in the drinks industry."

The job post came with one question: "Have you done any drinks designs in the past?". A skilled graphic designer knows how to handle integrating required information and creating and aligning elements into a balanced whole that can be printed as desired. If the graphic design portfolio of a candidate includes packagings of any fast-moving consumer goods, that could be enough of an indication of the capability for designing a drinks bottle label.

Whenever you're looking for a collaboration with a designer, the amount of candidates drastically increases if you focus on skills that are used in the profession in general instead of when you focus on the ones who have very specific experience. If you're looking for a fresh perspective, it might even be a good idea to hire a designer that has not designed a similar product yet.

So, how is designing a pen related to designing a train? The design process and underlying generalist designer knowledge that can be used to design either of the two makes them related. The designer of a pen can most likely help you out with the design of a train, and vice versa.

How to write a design brief for your new product

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 18:15:09 GMT

If you’re developing a new product and you want to collaborate with an industrial designer, it is important to let him or her know how you envision it.

By answering the following questions about your brand, your end users, your future product, and your manufacturer , you will have a clear brief in order to start the development of your new product in a clear direction.

You might not know the answers to some of these questions yet, but the point is to discuss as much as possible upfront. Some of the questions could be the exact reason why you decided to hire a designer. In that case, you could ask the designer to guide you through the process.

Questions about your brand

Your product is an important part of your brand. Describing the role of the product in your brand sets the stage for a design that harmonizes with your brand.

1. Will the product be designed for an existing or a new brand?

2. What is the mission of your brand?

3. How will the product help carry out your mission?

4. Could you provide general information about the brand?

5. Will the product be part of a product family?

6. Who are the main competitors in this area?

Questions about the users

Keep the end users in mind and think of what you know about the target group that you are considering, or research your current customers if you already sell products that are similar to the one that you are developing now.

1. Who will use the product (what are their demographics, personalities, values, and lifestyles)?

2. Where will they use the product?

3. What are they using currently, now that your new product doesn’t exist yet?

4. What added value should the user experience with your product?

Questions about the product

Some clients have a rough idea, others have a clear image of the product they would like to develop. Both are a great starting point for a designer to work with. If you answer more questions, chances are that the ideation phase results in ideas that are closer to what you had in mind.

1. Do you have main guidelines for the desired size or volume of the product?

2. What are your initial ideas for the new product?

3. What materials are you considering to use for the product? What materials are you thinking of avoiding?

4. Do you have examples of products that express the right qualities that you are looking for (could be from completely different product categories)?

Questions about manufacturing

Depending on the brand, there might be a relationship with a manufacturer in place. Discussing details about this manufacturer helps even in the earliest phase of the design process.

1. How many products would you like to produce?

2. Do you have a manufacturer in mind for the production of your new product?

If the answer is no, you could discuss with the designer how to find the best manufacturer for your product, and skip the next two questions.

3. Could you provide information from the manufacturer about product guidelines and limitations, as well as contact details?

4. Could you share images of other products that your manufacturer has produced before? These provide helpful insights into the capabilities and available production methods of the factory.

Don’t worry in case you don’t have all the answers. In a collaborative effort, it is possible to go through the process from initial idea until a successful product launch. Your designer should assist you in the quest for the perfect product that fits your and your users needs.

3 costly mistakes to avoid in product development

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 19:14:26 GMT

Are you thinking of creating a new product for the market?

You’re willing to make a new product for mass production. In this exciting new venture, there are traps that you don’t want to fall into. Here are 3 that can be avoided if you’re aware of them:

1. Sticking to one idea too early on

When you’re developing a product, it is easy to rush in with a specific appearance in mind, and to get really attached to the image you have in mind. When you get too attached to your initial idea, it could work against you, because it blocks you from coming up with other solutions that might be better.

Try to think of the big picture. Ask yourself these questions: “What should the product achieve?”, “Who will use the product?”, and “In which surroundings should the product perform well?”. What is the reason you want to create this product and how will it solve people’s problems?

While you are coming up with ideas, keep an open mind. The people that I work with who are most adaptable to complications in the process, are the most successful at selling their products too. They are flexible when problems arise and willing to adjust their views.

2. Creating unintended visual imbalances

Your new product most likely consists of multiple elements. If the elements are developed separately and then put together, this might be visible in the end product. The end result then doesn´t present the elements at their best.

In order to create a cohesive whole, it is important to align elements properly. For example, make sure that icons or buttons are arranged on or against a shared axis (invisible line). This also counts for placement of your brand logo.

If you’re developing an electronic product, it’s worth developing the electronics simultaneously with the enclosure, so that you’ll end up with a balanced shape and an appealing alignment of visible elements.

Even division lines between housing parts can be important design elements of your product.

Furthermore, create a unity by using repetition. Use the same details throughout the product. These details could for example be specific radii, button shapes, colors, or even distances between elements like buttons.

3. Ignoring minor issues

As an entrepreneur, you’d probably like to move fast from project to project. However, it may not work to your advantage to move on to selling your product before fixing minor issues. Consumers could notice these and complain about them, which could possibly damage your reputation.

To avoid this, inspect your prototype(s) carefully, ideally with people that fit your target group. List all issues and communicate them to your manufacturer. Adjust the design if necessary. In this age in which every product or service gets reviewed, it is a must to pay attention to detail in order to excel. Help your customers by taking a bit more time upfront to fix all remaining issues and deliver a better product.

Mistakes like sticking to one idea too early, creating unintended visual imbalances, and ignoring minor issues, can all be avoided, as long as you’re consciously aware of them and willing to adapt.