About this book

The aim of this book is to bridge the gap between traditional product design education and the fast-moving world of contemporary product design practice by demystifying the discipline and offering a variety of routes to a successful product design career. The text provides a general framework for the study and practice of product design, intended for use as a starting point for devising personal product design strategies.

Over the years, many models of the design process have been developed. There are descriptive and prescriptive models and many of these historical models suggest a strict linear design process. This book, however, stresses that the modern design process is highly flexible, iterative, dynamic, and often overlapping, and certain tasks may well be ignored, repeated, and conducted out of sequence.

Chapter 1 provides a brief historical and cultural context for product design from 1750 to the present day and introduces some key figures in the discipline. Chapter 2 goes on to explain the early stages of the design process, from research to brief to Product Design Specification (PDS). Chapter 3 explores the concept design stage and details the tasks associated with drawing up a number of different viable concept designs that satisfy the requirements outlined in the PDS. Chapter 4 covers the key stages of detail design, manufacture, marketing, branding, visual language development, and sales. Chapter 5 explores and explains some of the more significant issues—green, ethical, universal, and emotional—that surround modern product design practice. The final chapter covers a range of topics relating to design education and beyond, such as preparing for product design presentations and assessment, engaging with industry, and getting that all-important product design job in one of the most rewarding industry sectors in the world.

Each chapter is richly illustrated with examples of product design projects, artworks, and diagrams. Boxes are included that provide useful information, guidelines, and advice, and a number of interviews discuss key design issues with leading figures from the world of product design. A glossary, a list of valuable product design resources, and a comprehensive further reading list are provided at the end of the book.