Process
1
Strategy
Market Survey
Analysis and comparison of the competitors in terms of market position, market values, strategy, features, technology, pricing and design language
Technology Research
Analysis of current and potential technologies in terms of suitability, function, economy, availability, and design potential
Design Analysis
Analysis of the design language in terms of competitive positioning, brand image, embodiment of market values, and coherence of the portfolio as well as the presentation of developing possibilities
Corporate Design
New or further development of the corporate design strategy based on the brand values, development of a corporate design manual for product design and UX-design
Briefing
Summary of all research results and strategic development targets as common content basis for the design development
Specification
Detailed summary of all technical specifications, general conditions, and developing targets, such as technologies, standards, patent protection, approval, cost objectives, quantities, deadlines …
Strategic Concept
Concept for strategic (further) development of the design language of the brand, product series or a product in relation to market values and strategic targets as well as in consideration of the technical and economic viability (strategy concept /design manual)
2
Ideation
Ergonomics
Development of ideas and conceptual approaches based on ergonomic requirements for the product
Workflow
Development of concept approaches with the aim of establishing new or optimizing existing technical-functional features
Function
Development of conceptual approaches with the aim of establishing new or optimizing already existing technical-functional features
Processes
Elaboration of ideas and first concepts with regard to potentially applicable manufacturing techniques, taking into account their technical-functional suitability, their economic efficiency, and their design potential
Schematics
Schematical and principal presentations to illustrate ideas and first concepts, diagrams and principles to clarify ideas and initial concepts
Experimental Setup
Physical construction with simple means to evaluate principles and ergonomic criteria
3
Concept
Design
Development of alternative design drafts on the basis of structural, functional, and ergonomic concepts, to determine the strategic and formal design orientation
Innovation
Development of new concepts in the field of technical-functional solutions and characteristics which are expressed in the design and offer market advantages as new, visible features
Usability
Development of concepts which simplify and facilitate the operation and application of the product
Technology
Development of concepts which bring functional, technical, or structural advantages due to alternative manufacturing technologies, and/or lead to a new design statement
Design Sketches
Presentation diagrams and sketches for presentation and evaluation of a design concept based on CAD basic data
Basic CAD-Data
CAD basic data for the presentation and evaluation of a first concept in terms of dimensions, proportion, movement geometry, the arrangement of internal components and assembly and fabrication criteria
Mock-up
Simple, physical construction without a specific design statement for the presentation and evaluation of ergonomic concepts or concepts for workflow optimization
4
Elaboration
Design
Further development of the favored design towards a dimensionally and formally concrete design concept in the form of a CAD data set, if necessary in detail variants
Technical Concept
Development of technical solution concepts for important functions and for the structural-technical design of the product
Manufacturing Concept
Development of a concept for the production of the individual components, for assembly and serviceability of a product
Design Review
Evaluation of the design concept, user ergonomics, and usability concerning market opportunities and development targets
Renderings
Computer-generated presentation renderings for design evaluation based on CAD design concept data
Design Concept CAD
Dimensionally concrete CAD design data of all design-relevant parts for technical-constructive evaluation and further development as well as for optimizing the arrangements of internal components
Functional Model
Functional model derived from CAD data with the purpose of checking dimension, function, handling, or ergonomics without a specific design statement
5
Refinement
Design
Detailed elaboration and refinement of the released design concepts and definition of materials, colors, and surfaces, if necessary incorporation of detail changes
Technical Concept
Detailed elaboration of the technical concept with regard to design relevant aspects
Manufacturing Concept
Manufacture-oriented realization of the components considering the assembly concept
Voice of Customer
External evaluation of design, user ergonomics, and usability within the scope of customer surveys
Renderings
Computer-generated presentation renderings, if necessary photorealistic for design evaluation based on CAD design concept data
Final Design Data
Final Class-A-Surface CAD data of all external components considering all formal, technical, and production-relevant requirements
Design Model
Design model derived from CAD data using state-of-the-art rapid prototyping methods in original colors and with original finish for the final design evaluation
6
Implementation
Design
Final design adjustments within the scope of engineering and production optimization
Engineering
Constructive elaboration of all parts
Final CAD Data
Final CAD construction data for the production and for the tool manufacture considering all formal, technical, and production-relevant requirements
Prototype
Functional prototype based on the final CAD construction/design data
7
Support
Design
Documentation of the design development, preparation or further development of the design manual
Marketing
Market launch support services such as photorealistic visualizations and animations
Pre-Production
Supervision of pre-series and final detail optimizing
Pilot Run
Support of the pilot run and final detail optimizing
Visualization
Product and detail visualization by CGI (computer generated imaging) for product launch
Animation
Product and detail animations based on the final CAD design data for the product launch