Product Design

Book description

Product Design offers a broad and comprehensive introduction to the field of product design and the key role of product designers. It examines all the stages and activities involved in the creation of a new product—from concept design to manufacture, prototyping to marketing. It encourages the reader to challenge conventions and to think about the subject in new and exciting ways.

The book also explores the diverse nature of product design, including new and emerging forms of practice. A rich overview of influential design movements and individuals are covered, together with interviews and examples from prominent product designers, and working practices and career guidance relevant to today.

Full of visual examples and practical information, the book is an essential guide for students or anyone interested in product design.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Introduction
    1. What is product design?
    2. What does a product designer do?
    3. Creating a product
    4. The main stages of product design
    5. Interview: Julia Lohmann
    6. About this book
  6. 1. Historical and cultural context
    1. The Industrial Revolution: 1750s to 1850s
    2. The Great Reform movements: 1850s to 1914
    3. Modernism to pre-war luxury and power: 1900s to 1945
    4. The post-war period: 1945 to 1970s
    5. Post-Modernism: 1970s to present day
    6. Interview: Satyendra Pakhalé
    7. Emerging twenty-first century design trends
    8. Timeline
  7. 2. Research, brief, and specification
    1. Product design research
    2. Research methods
    3. The brief
    4. Identifying customer wants, needs and demands
    5. Interview: Stuart Haygarth
    6. The Product Design Specification (PDS)
    7. Common elements of the PDS
  8. 3. Concept design
    1. What is a concept design?
    2. Concept generation
    3. Concept generation methods
    4. Drawing techniques for product design
    5. Technical drawing
    6. Interview: Nendo
    7. Modelling
    8. Prototyping
    9. Concept evaluation and selection
  9. 4. From manufacture to market
    1. Detail design
    2. Design and manufacture
    3. Common materials
    4. Manufacturing processes
    5. Interview: Raw-Edges Design Studio
    6. Marketing and selling
  10. 5. Contemporary issues
    1. Green issues
    2. Interview: Max Lamb
    3. Ethical issues
    4. Universal design
    5. Emotional design
  11. 6. Design education and beyond
    1. Studying product design
    2. Design rights
    3. Interview: Tim Brown, IDEO
    4. Developing your design skills
    5. Engaging with industry
  12. ••• Endmatter
    1. Glossary
    2. Bibliography
    3. Further resources
    4. Useful addresses
    5. Index
    6. Picture credits and Acknowledgements

Product information

  • Title: Product Design
  • Author(s): Alex Milton, Paul Rodgers
  • Release date: August 2011
  • Publisher(s): Laurence King
  • ISBN: 9781856697514