Industrial Design - An Important Element Of Business

By Leticia Bernabe

Industrial design applies a blend of art and science for improving a product in a way that there is an addition to its commercial value through improved looks and functionality. It can be used before a product is formally launched as well as later for enhancing the quality of the product.

Industrial design primarily focuses on how the customer will relate to a certain product. It is all about value optimization of a product in the mind of the consumers and so they are able to relate to the product. The value of a product can be enhanced by making significant additions to the features or the looks of the product, which enables the product to entice the consumers to purchase it.

The first step in the direction of coming up with more desirable products is to undertake an elaborate market survey on the purchasing habits of customers. This step is succeeded by sketching, model making, prototyping and comprehensive testing before launch of the product in the market. These days, 3D software is employed to accomplish several of these jobs, and CAD applications are of excellent help to designers.

The basic purpose of industrial design is to enhance the whole feel of the product. Designers have to work on the usefulness, sturdiness, and user friendliness of the product in addition to its looks and features such as colour or even the sounds. In fact, a designer can even reduce the production costs significantly by coming up with alterations in the design.

Industrial design also includes other features such as product packaging, study of a consumer's psychological reaction towards a product, and his or her level of sentimental attachment to the item. Thus, industrial designers need to undergo an extensive training for many years before being assigned a live assignment.

Some of the well known industrial designers are Raymond Loewy, designer of the Coca-Cola bottle, Jonathan Ive, credited with designing the iMac and Brooks Stevens, the extremely popular designer of the Harley-Davidson motorbikes.

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