TOPIC 3 - What Does an Industrial Designer Do?

1. The Methods We Use

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek, 2021

In the introduction to industrial design, we will present and describe the design thinking method.

Design thinking exists in several variations. We are going to present the concept developed at Stanford University.

Our goal is to describe this method, introduce it in the setting of our studio, and explain its phases and steps on specific materials developed here.

Creative thinking can be learned. It is not something wrapped in a romanticizing ethos. It is a set of steps that follow one another and can be evaluated.

But beware - creative thinking and a nice sketch (rendering, image ..) are two different things. Creativity and aesthetics do not mean the same. If you can create a nice sketch, it does not mean you are creative. It means that you are a good craftsman – or draftsman, in our case.

Being creative means finding new solutions, inventing new combinations, and discovering connections.

Design thinking, as we are going to apply it, consists of five main phases. Let us introduce them: 

Empathy - Definition – Creativity - Prototype - Testing

1.1. Empathy

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

Creative media: Maisarah  Muhd Zamri, Ng Ming De, 2021

What does empathy mean for a designer? The essence of this chapter was described earlier when we discussed how to prepare an assignment. At the centre of our efforts are real human needs. Each person has a different level of empathy which can be influenced by many factors such as education, life experience, upbringing. 

In this phase, we can choose from several options on how to approach the situation. 

Testing seems to be the easiest – accepting the role of the person involved, putting oneself in his/her situation. Testing the respective operations, immersing yourself in the environment and the atmosphere, manipulating the product, etc.

Observe, analyze, search.

We will describe a method that is easily accessible for students. We worked on a theme where the main task was providing help to people in flooded areas. We did research, started to look for newspaper photos, such as cover photos for news. Why did we choose newspaper photos?

Because we want to have a person in the centre of our attention. In this respect, we are in the same situation as newspaper publishers. What sells the newspaper? A photo of a flooded field or photos of people in trouble fighting with the elements?

Cover photos are usually good. They must attract attention and tell a story that is easy to talk about. They often portray emotions, which is also good for us because we can show empathy more easily. 

How do flooded people feel? How do flooded people in the pictures feel? Can you imagine a device that would make their situation easier? Anything that could help them? And are we able to describe the basic features of such a device? Are we?

Well done! We have just entered the phase of definition.

Other options are, for example, discussions with people who are going to use our device, or who are using a different device that we would like to innovate or improve.

This tool is often used intuitively. Students research families, teachers prepare various platforms with guests who bring experience from the field of the assignment.

All these options can be combined. The bigger the number of people doing the research, the bigger the pool of information gathered for the definition phase. Again, working in a team is an advantage. 

1.2. Definition

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

The definition phase aims at organizing the gathered information and defining the key properties of the designed product. At this phase, we try to describe the proposed products as best we can.  

We try to describe it from a functional point of view, in terms of price, availability, manipulation, performance, materials, etc.

We can use "fixed data" to describe the product, such as the maximum possible price, weight, product size and other technical or legal restrictions. Knowledge of physics laws will often be helpful. 

Another way of obtaining as much information about the product as possible is creating a probable path - describing individual phases of the product life cycle. It can be captured as a movie script or a film strip. We try to imagine what features the product should possess in different situations and formulate those in the final specification. 

At this stage, to specify the idea we are working on, it is useful to write a description of the product in a few sentences and describe our goal: how the product should work and what it will be used for. These sentences will serve us as a focal point.

Example: We are looking for a floating device in which a child could be evacuated. 

It should be stable on the water, protect the child, contain basic supplies for the child for 24 hours away from home. The device should be stackable, made of available materials so that it can be cheap. When folded, it should be as small as possible. 

The manipulation must be intuitive and simple, it must be easily handled by a person exposed to a stressful situation. This is a basic description of our design.

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

1.3. Creativity

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

In this phase, we should have a basic idea of what we are looking for. Our goal in this step will be to come up with as many solutions matching our description as possible.

We are not afraid of “crazy” ideas and do not limit ourselves to the right solutions only. The task is to come up with at least a partial solution. Ideas can be combined. Again, teamwork is an advantage. More people can come up with more ideas and immediately submit them for feedback.

In the industrial design environment, we mainly talk about sketches. Sketches are the fastest way to present our ideas.

Simple sketches capturing ideas do not take long to produce - and yet, they can give a relatively clear idea of the proposed solution. On the contrary, at this stage, we suggest avoiding sophisticated 3D models and visualizations. Quick 3D sketches are sufficient for us to verify the dimensions, proportions, or functions.

Detailed 3D models and visualizations will serve very well at a time when we are sure that we are heading in the right direction. At this stage, however, we would probably waste time doing them and creativity would be replaced by the craft of modelling.

What we should not forget, however, is the depiction of the human scale. In the sketches, we always attach a silhouette of the human body to the proposed solution. It is a simple way to acquaint the observer with the context and scale of the proposed object. To us, it serves as feedback on the chosen proportions and makes the discussion very easy. 

1.4. Prototype

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

We are entering a critical phase - verifying ideas. In industrial design, we will extensively use various mock-ups for verification. A rough prototype, made of polystyrene, for example, can give us useful feedback on how the product fits in one‘s hand, how stable it is, and so on.

In this phase, it is not necessary to create perfect models, but rather ones that are simple, cheap and fast to produce. It is important to produce them quickly. Even a relatively primitive model can give us a lot of information that cannot be revealed from a sketch or a virtual model.

Models can be made of foam materials, board materials, paper, and/or cardboard. The goal of this phase is not to win a design competition with the model, but to find out whether the thing works, and learn as much as possible about the designed product. 

1.5. Testing

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Jan Vítek is testing a prototype.

Ideally, we have created a prototype and are going to test it! We are going to show it to potential customers. We can create a test polygon, test the existing product and our new design simultaneously, and try to obtain positive references.

Testing may not always bring a positive result. Then it is necessary to return to the beginning and go through the whole process again. Even a bad result is useful because we were able to detect a mistake at an early stage of the design. A polystyrene model made at a cost of several hours of work and a few hundred crowns can save us bigger costs in the future. For testing, we can also use virtual reality and repeat the cycle with a better model afterwards.

If testing brings a positive result, we can continue to work on the product. We can develop it in more detail, create sophisticated 3D models, and invest time in material testing. Then we can repeat the whole cycle with a more sophisticated model.

1.6. Evaluation and Mistakes

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

The previous chapters have shown a logical sequence that will, ideally, enable us to reach the goal. However, it may happen that after the testing phase, we will have to return and change the technical specifications because we will find out that a certain part of the assignment cannot be solved. We will often seek compromises.

In our opinion, a quality product and a meaningful design can be recognized as early as in the definition phase. A student who can master and understand this part has a good prospect that his/her project will have an innovation potential.

Throughout the design process, we must not forget about our users or customers.

The definition is a difficult part and a certain level of experience is necessary to enable us to define the product. We usually advise students to focus on just a few things they can grasp.

It is important to set realistic goals, not to try to capture all the knowledge available and all possible technicalities. It makes sense to define the product from the user's point of view and, as a designer, try to fulfil all the important requirements.

The definition phase is also very important for consultations and evaluation of the work.

With a well-defined product, we know what we are looking for. We prepare a much easier position for ourselves and the consultants. Does our design meet the goals?

If we have a clear vision of what we are looking for, the answers can be clear and simple.

By creating detailed "user stories", we are preparing to defend and explain why our design looks the way it does, and why we chose certain solutions. One of the frequently made mistakes, not only among students, is omitting the first phases. Empathy is often replaced by desire: “I want to design something”. Empathy is replaced by egoism: “I want, I would like, I like.“ And a conviction that my solution (and the assignment itself) is good because it looks good to me and I like it. No, it is not good. It is necessary to criticize the topic itself and look for assignments that open space for creativity and innovation.

In general, we have an impression that many students avoid the testing phase. Their fear is irrational and the fact that they do not test their design means that they are stagnating in the best case. The design then continues to live from the first straightforward solutions, or its malfunction is hidden under an attractive styling. In the best case, the efforts result in variations of already existing products and resemble stylistic exercises of uneven quality that lack the ambition to innovate and succeed. 

We would like the students to master the individual phases of the creative process and understand their meaning.

Creative work is interesting, but it can lead to frustration if we are not able to use our designs and creative thinking properly and achieve tangible results.

A systematic approach enables us to be better oriented in our work.  

2. Questions you Should be Able to Answer

Difference between design and styling.

The term "concept" is often used for design proposals. Try to explain why such a concept is created, what it should contain, and what it is used for. Example: Kia unveils Concept EV9. It implies the look of a new, purely electric SUV. But it doesn't have to be just cars.

What is a prototype and what is its purpose?

What is a user story and why is it an important part of the design process?

What is added value and how is it created?

Author: Jan Korabečný

Visual material comes from the Industrial Design Course and was provided by the author.

Parts of the presentation of the Water Rescue Project in cooperation with Taylor‘s University in Malaysia have been included.

Water Rescue Project – part of the presentation. Industrial design: Václav Svítil, Jan Vítek

Creative media: Maisarah  Muhd Zamri, Ng Ming De, 2021

3. What Does an Industrial Designer Do?

What is the job description of an industrial designer? Where do industrial designers find jobs?

In this part of the text, we would like to introduce the fundamentals of industrial design. The public, but often the industrial designers themselves, tend to view their work through the constructs of Romanticism. In many ways, even our artistic higher education institutions have not been able to abandon this vision. They often present and educate egocentric ”artists“ who romanticize their work.  

If the work of an industrial designer is to make sense (in terms of ethics, innovation, and business), teamwork will be essential for you. Gaining information, prototyping, discussions 

with people of different education and focus will broaden your horizons, make you think about the problem comprehensively, and get feedback.

Good products are created by well-managed teams of people, not, as is often presented, by romantic geniuses.

Trust and understanding between an industrial designer and the customer are imperative. Building such relationships is not a matter of a short time. Therefore, many companies build development departments in which industrial designers belong to permanent employees.

Another job opportunity is to work for specialized companies offering services in the field of industrial design. However, such companies often have further specialization such as design for healthcare, sports, transportation, and have long-term partners with whom they cooperate. 

In most cases, industrial designers work in interdisciplinary teams where they design product innovations. The scope of their work can be wide: from the initial research and defining the product through the creative phase to the production of prototypes and their testing.

During the study of industrial design, we will try to simulate similar conditions, such as work in culturally and professionally diverse teams, work influenced by a language barrier, or work on themes for which precedents are difficult to find.

Together, we will try to work on different types of assignments and, similarly to mathematics, look for solutions using various procedures and strategies that lead to a good result.

It is not only about creating a "nice shape". Primarily, we are looking for a functional and innovative solution.