How do you balance creative design with manufacturing practicality?

Creativity is a very good aspect and it would be very good if the person creating drawing or designing the product knows the manufacturing limitations. The designers always tend to say the manufacturing vendor does not know any thing, personally we have been told this vendor does not know anything. So first of all please treat the manufacturer as a partner who turns your design to reality by making product as per your design.

Cross functional alignment is a key in product development environment.Timely involvements of all the process partners will align the expected outcomes. Will define the best approach to achieve the desired outcomes. Understanding the limits in capabilities will show strategic directions

Young Designers and New Product Development decision makers need to get their hands dirty. Nothing sinks in better than to try to make what you envision. Spend a day or two on the manufacturing shop floor. There is an abundance of noble tradespeople willing to share their knowledge and demonstrate their skills. A great education and best of all, tuition is just your time and attention.

It takes a lot more time and dedication to become good at manufacturing than it does design or engineering. To become good at engineering and design, you have to spend time and effort learning about manufacturing. If you can, involve all parties from day one. Changing the supply chain and associated logistics is way costlier and more complicated than working with it. Manufacturing has R&D too. They are always advancing and competing to become better. Not much of it makes the fancy product announcement launches of the large OEM's but it would never happen without them.

Collaboration is key since: - technology gaps - resources - time to market - learning courve The collaboration should consider at least: - consumers - customers and business partners - key suppliers - multifunctional team inside company - reverse engineering on market current products Quite impossible to be sucessfull and timely on innovative project working isolated and counting just on your company internal resources.

Fostering collaboration between designers and manufacturers is extremely important. Understanding current capabilities (I would not call them constraints) and discuss what would be required to accommodate the new design will generate many more creative solutions. Working together towards a common goal vs. just having someone shutdown all ideas might make it a much more productive session.

Start with the “why”. Quantify the change in throughput and , most importantly- the financial impact over time of “doing nothing” vs “ doing something” methodically and intelligently. State your hypothesis & basis for it. Keep to 1 variable if possible. Calibrate with the team who is living with the current state and who will be impacted by the innovation. Measure. Measure again. Test for repeatability and reproducibility.

In the dynamic and competitive environment,Collaborative Learning provides the opportunity to create an interactive environment. Inclusion is a key. Designers and manufacturers should collaborate to build a feasible solution.This collaboration will play an impact role to launch a successful solution for the customer.This win win collaboration will help achieve the financially viable product for both organisations and customers.

Design process iterative.Every iteration should be reviewed with all the stakeholders in the organisation.Every possible learning from each iteration add value for the product and processes

Leveraging automated design review through the use of AI tools as well as knowing some of the production capabilities and limitations ahead of time is crucial. This can help reduce the overall friction that exists between creative and production teams as well as remove some of the hurt feelings or misunderstandings that can happen. Having boundaries defined prior to design can cut down on the back & forth and even act as a creative lever to help steer the product towards the goal of being manufacturable.

Talk to your customers. Learn what the pros and cons of your designs are. From there continually strive to make that product serve its greatest purpose.

When designing, always keep the customer in mind without losing sight of your original vision. Be prepared to make adjustments to satisfy both the consumer and the manufacturing process, and always keep flexibility in mind.

Outcome of the iterations need to be understood. All affected parties need to clear this is the project intent and that it aligns with the “need”. If done correctly this can help reach a better end result in less time because you get real running and or field feedback to make decisions on what to do next in place of theory.

Understand cost or the financial implications of the new design is a must. Understanding the impact in the manufacturing process is equally critical. Will the new design cost less, but add more change overs in manufacturing? Will it impact production efficiency? Understanding if you are NET more profitable with the new design is elementary.

Having a clear grasp of these costs allows you to create designs that are not only innovative but also economically viable. Most of this knowledge can be acquired through experience and expertise in the creative field. Experienced designers can often estimate costs accurately based on their familiarity with materials and production processes. This foresight ensures that the design is practical, budget-friendly, and ready for seamless integration into the manufacturing process. By combining creativity with cost-awareness, you can develop designs that meet customer expectations while staying within budget constraints, ultimately leading to more successful and efficient product development.

The best way to consciously impact obtaining the lowest and best cost for the manufacturing of the project is to INVOLVE THE OWNER OF THE OPERATION (labor) IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF THE PROJECT.

There is no long term business health without understanding of cost. Cost is also deeper then just dollars spent there is also cost of time spent on a project and understanding what is being sidelined due to prioritizing a project as resources are never infinite there are always finite. Look at all your costs when marking decisions including soft cost and balance that with understanding time and money must be spent to forward the project and the business.

Is there a real need for your product and if so how many and at what cost? Volume? Does it make and leave the world a better place? Accountants and time cost. For each of us time is our most valuable commodity although many do not realize this until we get older. If we are lucky enough to get older. Choose wisely.

Learning to simplify smartly can significantly impact the design process. Focus on core features that define your product's appeal, streamlining the design to suit manufacturing processes. This approach doesn't compromise innovation; it involves being selective and strategic about essential creative aspects. By simplifying intelligently, you ensure that the design remains practical for production while retaining its unique appeal. Consider which elements are critical for the product's success and which can be modified or omitted without losing the design’s integrity. This method balances creativity with practicality, leading to a feasible and market-ready product.

Time to market and final product cost pushes heavily in the development cost optimization. Taking the "Best Learning" from the previous products reduces and simplifies our effort. Well-defined product "Features Selection Matrix" helps to focus on core functions and fulfilments. Innovation and "First Time" approaches should need additional care. Knowing the manufacturing site capabilities and making our product In-line with that save lot in terms of productivity.

Minimal viable product should be on everyone’s mind. Time and cash flow are key to keeping a business flowing and if design iterations and continuous improvement activities are in the plan this ends up an easy decision to move forward with and MVP.

Sometimes, using a traditional cut-and-paste mockup can significantly help in maintaining a clear understanding of your design and can also be a really cost-effective way to save time and money.

All I can say is validate, validate, validate. In manufacturing and innovation if it can’t be validated and proven to perform and perform safely then it’s not a solution and you need to go back to brainstorming solutions based on your findings.

Building and testing prototypes is time consuming and expensive regardless of the product. It is however a must. With AI power time and cost potentially be reduced but actually manufacturing and testing prototypes and systems is required.

Familiarity with your customers and product goals is key. Understanding the products purpose and application can drive the end result. Manufacturability is driven by having a good understanding by the product designer from the start. Manufacturability doesn't factor in if you don't understand the use and purpose of the product. Making a product easier to manufacture doesn't necessarily make it better. People with a well rounded experience in both design and manufacture are rare. Finding people who are willing to share their ideas and if necessary compromise there views in the interest of the end product are even rarer and valuable.

Working or interacting in the construction of the idea until the project materializes should not contain contribution barriers, it should have an open door to generate brainstorming and in an optimized way in costs, process and construction the project materializes.

As statistics show, unfortunately, product design engineers are not familiar with the manufacturing processes. The first step to balance creative design with manufacturing is to be sure this creativity would be possible to manufacture in a reseanable cost!