Industrial design is not "drawing a good-looking shell", but a full-link solution process from user needs to landing products. Each link contains details that balance aesthetics, function and production.
The first step: demand mining and inspiration incubation (behind the scenes "detective work")
This step is the "root" of the design, 90% of the time is "looking out" rather than "immersing in painting". Designers must first figure out "for whom to design" and "what to solve", rather than directly pursuing creativity.
User research: through interviews, questionnaires, observe the pain points of users using existing products. For example, when designing an electric kettle, you will find that the old are afraid of burns, the young are too afraid of occupying land, and the rental party needs to be portable-these contradictions are the starting point of the design.
Competitive analysis: Disassemble the advantages and disadvantages of similar products to avoid repeated stepping on pits. For example, if you see that a certain brand kettle cover is difficult to clean, it will be optimized in the subsequent structure.
Inspiration Collection: Inspiration never appears out of thin air. Designers will build their own "inspiration library", which may be natural forms (such as the curvature of shells for grips), architectural lines (minimalist body), or even technologies from other industries (such as the anti-slip coating of cars for kettle bases). This stage is more like a "puzzle", integrating scattered information into a clear design direction.
Step 2: Sketch and concept screening (the first step of "landing" the idea)
When the requirements are clear, the designer will use quick sketches to transform abstract ideas into visual solutions. This stage pursues "quantity" rather than "refinement".
Quick sketches: Make lots of sketches with a pencil or tablet, maybe dozens a day. For example, the grip of an electric kettle will try to be straight, curved and grooved. The spout will be pointed, round and leakproof-the focus is to explore all possibilities, not to tangle with details.
Concept screening: pick out 3-5 solutions that best meet the needs from dozens of sketches, and eliminate the "good-looking but not practical" options in combination with the opinions of the team (market and engineering). For example, a kettle sketch grip is very beautiful, but the engineer pointed out that it will cause the center of gravity to be unstable and will be eliminated.
Low fidelity prototype: use cardboard, foam board to make a simple model, and even use 3D software to draw a rough model to simulate the size and grip of the product. This step can quickly find problems, such as "the pot body is too thick for girls to hold" to avoid major changes in the later period.
Step 3: Deepen the renderings and details (make the product "live")
After determining the direction, the designer will use professional software (such as KeyShot, C4D) to make high-fidelity renderings. This is the most "intuitive" link and the core of external display.
Visual refinement: determine the material, color, texture of the product. For example, whether the kettle body is frosted stainless steel or matte plastic? Whether the button is red or white? These choices are not "based on feeling", but combined with the preferences of target users (young people may like contrasting colors, business users prefer calm black and silver).
Human-computer interaction optimization: Refine the details of the usage scenario. For example, whether the position of the button is convenient for the thumb to press? Whether the opening angle of the lid will touch the hand? Whether the water flow is smooth when pouring water? Even extreme scenes such as "one-hand operation" and "blind press switch" will be simulated to ensure that every detail fits the user's habit.
Output of renderings: The final renderings will include multiple angles such as front, side, and top, and even use scenes (such as placing them on a kitchen countertop), allowing the team and customers to clearly imagine the final appearance of the product.
The fourth step: structural design and engineering docking (the most "brain-burning" balance link)
This step is the key to the design from "ideal" to "reality". Designers need to work closely with engineers to solve the problem of "good-looking but unable to do it.
Structural disassembly: disassemble the appearance scheme into producible parts. For example, the kettle is divided into kettle body, lid, base, inner container, circuit board, etc. The designer needs to confirm the size and splicing method of each part with the structural engineer, such as "whether the connection between the pot body and the base is firm" and "how to fix the inner container to prevent scalding".
Material and process selection: This is the most testing part of the experience. For example, if you want to make a "seamless kettle body", engineers may say that "the cost of the integrated molding process is too high and mass production is difficult". At this time, you must compromise and use the scheme of "splicing but hiding seams". If you want to use crystal-textured panels, you may be reminded that they are "easy to scratch and have a high after-sales rate" and choose more durable tempered glass instead.
Prototype test: After making a functional prototype, repeated tests will be carried out-drop test (simulating accidental falling), life test (pressing the switch thousands of times), and anti-scald test (shell temperature after continuous heating). If the test finds that "the base is easy to leak electricity" and "the lid is not tightly sealed and leaks water", it is necessary to go back and modify the structure. This process may have to be repeated 3-5 times.
Step 5: mass production docking and landing (the design "to the factory")
When the prototype passes all the tests, the designer needs to follow up the mass production process to ensure that the final product is consistent with the design.
Factory proofing: confirm the production process with the factory, such as injection molding, stamping and assembly steps, and provide detailed drawings (including tolerance range, such as part size error can not exceed 0.1mm). Before the first mass production, a "trial production sample" will be made to check whether the color is colored and whether there are defects on the surface.
Cost control: in the mass production stage, designers may also do "subtraction". For example, a certain design uses 5 kinds of parts. The factory said that "reducing to 3 kinds can reduce the cost by 20%". It is necessary to optimize the structure and balance the "design sense" and "cost performance" without affecting the function and beauty ".
Final acceptance: after the completion of mass production, the designer will spot check the product to confirm whether the appearance, function and feel meet the original design objectives. The entire industrial design process is not really over until the last box of products leaves the factory.
From demand to mass production, industrial design takes an average of 3-6 months, or even longer, with countless compromises and optimizations hidden behind it-not "the end of the design", but "let the good design really enter the user's life".