I for one can say it’s every designers dream to have completely free reign over a design project. Imagine the endless possibilities when it comes to materials, colours, processes and finishes….

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

However, let’s be realistic for a second…

Having carried through a range of projects from initial concept design all the way through to manufacture, I can whole heartedly tell you that this scenario is never the case. Every design project is different and there are different requirements for each but every project follows a similar pattern when it comes to creating something which is commercially viable and feasible and let me explain why…

All design projects will have a set of approximate budgets which have been allocated to certain parts of the project. These are often loose at the beginning but help us to gauge the project requirements initially and understand the overall costs involved. It’s our job to assess the design and work with you to find the best solution advising on the most appropriate and efficient processes along the way.

More often than not, elements of the design will change. We have the ability to produce an array of different design ideas and explore the design proposal from every angle. We won’t jump to conclusions at this stage but what is apparent is a rough idea of approximate costs associated with each of the design concepts. It’s important to bear in mind that any design solution has to go through a series of prototyping, testing and validation exercises later down the line.

However, it’s a waste of time, money and resources exploring ideas which are not feasible and don’t align with the project budgets. Sometimes we will have to provide approximate cost lists and a bill of materials for each concept so that the client can go through a cost/benefit analysis.

This is the ugly side to the design process and can take some time but an essential part none the less.

If all of these components align and the design stacks up, the industrial design phase of the project can be pushed further and explored in much more detail. Once we are clear on the manufacturing and process strategy, we can then inject our focus and energy into shaping the design concept and crafting a design which will look just as good as it will perform.