Product Design & Prototyping

Product design starts by defining a need alongside its intended use and technical requirements. The first step is to clarify what the product must do and under which conditions.

Mechanical design, electronic components and software influence one another. Their relationships are considered together from the early stages of development.

A prototype is a tool for exploring design decisions. Its purpose and the questions it should answer are defined before it is built.

Component placement, connection points, power requirements and access for maintenance are considered together. Choices are evaluated against the intended operating conditions.

Communication between hardware and software is planned alongside the user’s interaction with the system. Data flow and status information form part of this plan.

Findings from trials are fed back into the design. Subsequent development steps are guided by observed needs and technical constraints.

Recording decisions, changes and open questions makes the development process easier to follow. These records support testing, maintenance and future iterations.