Now that the Design Research is done it is time to begin developing some cool concept ideas. The second step between the 5 design stages is the one that someone without a design background would refer to as the real “design”.
In this step our designers follow the agreed design direction in the research part and develop an array of concepts for you to choose from. This can also involve debating various preferred specifications of different concepts. Each concept considers the visual appearance, the engineering feasibility and the manufacturing feasibility. No point presenting something that doesn’t work or can not be made!
How many concepts do you need? Well, it depends. If your item is a well known purchaser merchandise with a considerable amount of existing competition, say an iPhone case, we advise 3 to 5 concepts so you’ve a variety of designs to pick from.
But if your merchandise is a completely brand new innovation, 2 or 3 concepts is enough and it is more effective to spend time growing the idea further.
The concept design stage takes around two to six weeks, depending on the product’s complexity and the turn around time on your decision-making. At the end, you will receive a presentation with amazing concepts. They’re so beautiful, they’ll make you cry!
At DETEKT we take pride in our Design to Manufacturing technique.
What does that mean for you? If you go with a Design House outside Asia the chances are high that you will get some brilliant design done nonetheless in regards to manufacturing in China – oh dear!
Design Houses outside Asia are often not aware what could be done here. At DETEKT we are. What we design might be manufactured right here. Our engineers live right here and have numerous years experience utilizing local manufacturers. And, to be sure that your design won’t end up as just being a great idea we involve our engineers at a very early step in the design process. Typically, what you see in the concept design stage has been reviewed by them to make sure it meets typical engineering principles and is ready to be produced here in Asia.
Yet before we can start the machines, it is time to go for the real tough part – the engineering!
Georgette Adanas has been writing articles on product design manufacturing since 1999.