Technology vs. Design?

Design makes technology human. For technical products to truly enrich our lives, they need design. Design gives objects a human dimension and makes technology accessible. This was true for the first stone tools and it’s even more true for today’s technological products.

What is Industrial Design?

Industrial design is product design. These terms are used interchangeably - not just on this website. Industrial design places particular emphasis on products manufactured industrially. This includes both consumer goods (e.g., consumer electronics, household appliances) and capital goods (e.g., production machines, tools, commercial vehicles).

Why Design?

Design is often reduced to its influence on customer purchasing decisions. But product design is far more than "surface" or sales figures.
To develop innovative and successful products, diverse perspectives and areas of expertise are required and design is one of them.
Good industrial design puts future users and their real needs at the center. It’s focused on innovation, oriented toward the future, and above all, it’s a team player. With significant overlap into engineering, marketing, and product management, design is an integral part of the product development process.

When should design be brought in?

Ideally, as early as possible. Many key decisions are made when the briefing or specification sheet is created. Especially when it comes to target groups, user experience, market context, trends, technical packages, materials, etc., design plays an essential role in ensuring a product’s success.

A product is a highly complex organism. The earlier a holistic, interdisciplinary, and user-centered approach is taken in the product concept, the better. Only then can costly and time-consuming missteps be avoided early on and development steered toward success.

How much does design cost?

Unsurprisingly, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to this frequently asked question. Depending on the project and the task, sometimes half a day is enough, and other times we accompany a project over months or years.

But one thing always holds true: in relation to the overall project cost and risk, design is a manageable and, most importantly, calculable budget item. Moreover, professional design helps avoid missteps, accelerates processes, and ultimately reduces financial risk.