Product Design a broad term that refers to all the work that leads up to the creation of an early-stage (alpha) prototype.

It starts with a detailed planning document that is then used by the design team to develop a preliminary design.

Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Product Design begins with the Product Requirements Document (PRD) – also known as a User Requirements Document (URS) – which is intended to help you answer key questions about your product and develop a road map for the entire manufacturing process.

The PRD is an essential planning document that will help you think ahead about specific elements of your product. Such as:

• product features and functions
• user expectations
• user interaction
• power sources
• performance requirements
• regulatory requirements
• safety and environmental factors
• mechanical/electrical requirements
• cost restraints

The PRD will serve the initial design process, but it will also become your constant reference guide as you move through the manufacturing process.

Industrial Design

Industrial design is the first visible representation of your future product. It’s where the product idea or concept is developed into a detailed blueprint, a set of engineering drawings or a CAD design.

The design team – made up of industrial designers and engineers – will develop the design based on input from the PRD.

But throughout the process, the team will be assessing the feasibility of the design, functionality, customer interaction, safety and product cost.

This is an iterative process.

As questions arise over specific elements in the PRD, the design team may recommend adjustments to the PRD to meet the overall goals of the product’s development.

This work should be completed before moving to the Prototype stage in the process.