Product Design & Development Knowledge Base
Have a question about product design & development terms?
The Product Design & Development Knowledge Base is a wealth of information relating to the field of product development and product design.
We want you to be well-educated in the product design & development process, so we've created this glossary of terms to help share our knowledge of the industry.
There are some terms we may define differently, so feel free to browse this section. Should you feel that there are errors on these pages, or if you would like to recommend additional topics for us to include here, then please contact us.
- Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a philosophical concept which deals with the notion of beauty. Learn more... - Appearance Prototype
An appearance prototype, or appearance model, is a physical representation of an object that closely simulates the look of a production product. Learn more... - Brainsketch
Brainsketching is a group creative method that uses sketching and drawing to generate a large breadth and quantity of ideas. Learn more... - Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a classic creative technique that can be employed in group settings. Learn more... - Business Plan
A business plan for a Product-Based business includes several common elements beyond the basic elements of a business plan. Learn more... - Color Study
A color study is an exercise in which a product, interface, room, etc. is shown in a variety of color scheme options. Learn more... - Commoditization
Commoditization occurs when your product is the same as everyone else's and you are prone to easy knock-offs. Learn more... - Computer-Aided Design(CAD)
Computer-Aided Design(CAD) is the use of computer technology to design and engineer complex parts and mechnisms for use in products. Learn more... - Concept Development
Concept Development is the process of generating ideas and problem solutions, building on those ideas, merging ideas, and evolving ideas into more robust solutions. Learn more... - Concept Generation
Concept Generation is the process of creating concepts of solutions to problems. Learn more... - Creative Session
A creative session is a meeting specifically for the purpose of exploring new creative territory within a chosen subject matter. Learn more... - Design
Design is the act of creating a plan for something. Within the realm of product development, design is the process of converting a product need into plans for a manufacture-ready product. Learn more... - Design Firm
A design firm is a consulting firm that specializes in design. Design firms can focus on a number of areas including graphic design, product design, and interface design. Learn more... - Design for Asia
When designing a product for manufacture in Asia, it is critical to develop the design direction sufficiently enough to ensure that your design intent is captured correctly. Learn more... - Design for Manufacture
Designing for manufacture involves getting the design ready for mass production. This includes selecting materials and processes that will best optimize manufacturing costs. Learn more... - Design Research
Design research refers to the intentional and specific practice of seeking to expand knowledge about a particular subject related to design. Learn more... - Design Studio
The term 'design studio' is often used interchangeably with the term 'design firm' to refer to a company that offers design consulting services. Learn more... - Ergonomic Product Design
Ergonomic design refers to the specific practice of developing objects and spaces to be ergonomically appropriate for the user. Learn more... - Ergonomic Styling
The term 'ergonomic styling' is mistakenly interchanged with 'ergonomic design'. In fact, ergonomic styling is just a shortcut that some product developers use to skip the step of true ergonomic design. Learn more... - Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the science of creating products, spaces, and experiences to fit the natural tendencies of the user, rather than forcing the user to conform to the created product, space or experience. Learn more... - Ethnography
Ethnography is a design research technique based on studying people's behavior in everyday situations (such as in their home or office), rather than under controlled conditions (such as a conference room in a focus group testing center). Learn more... - Focus Group
A focus group usually consists of a small group of people within the target market of the concept being tested. Learn more... - Form Follows Function
First coined by the American architect, Louis Sullivan, at the end of the nineteenth century, the phrase "form follows function" has become a mantra for many product designers. Learn more... - Front End Research
Front End Research is a collection of methods including observational research, opportunity analysis, and other techniques designed to get into the mind of the consumer. Learn more... - Functional Appearance Model
A functional appearance model is a prototype that 'looks like' and 'works like' a production product. Learn more... - Functional Appearance Prototype
A functional appearance model is a prototype that 'looks like' and 'works like' a production product. Learn more... - Ideation
Ideation is the process of creating ideas. Learn more... - Industrial Design
Industrial design helps to bridge the gap between the needs of product users and the needs of product makers. Learn more... - Innovation
Innovation is the art of making things better by using creativity. Product Innovation is the art of making products better. Learn more... - Invention
People naturally invent. We are always looking for better ways to do things. Invention is about making things better. Learn more... - Invention Development
The process of turning ideas into inventions is a trial-and-error process that involves sketching, prototyping, and brainstorming. Learn more... - Napkin Sketch
A napkin sketch is a quick drawing of a product idea. They are used to more effectively communicate product ideas to experts like those at Slingshot. Learn more... - Photo-Realistic Rendering
A photo-realistic-rendering is a computer generated flatwork illustration of an object or scene. Learn more... - Product Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a philosophical concept which deals with the notion of beauty. Learn more... - Product Design
Within the realm of product development, design is the process of converting a product need into plans for a manufacture-ready product. Learn more... - Product Development
The process of converting product ideas into viable products is called Product Development. Learn more... - Product Development Firm
A product development firm typically includes designers and engineers that can help you to brainstorm, design, prototype, and manufacture a product. Learn more... - Product Development Plan
A product development plan explains how you are going to develop a product to meet a market need. Learn more... - Product Illustration
Product illustrations are two-dimensional 'flatwork' representations of products. They are more detailed than a napkin sketch, but less detailed than a 3-D rendering. Learn more... - Product Licensing
Licensing an invention typically involves a contract between a manufacturer and an inventor where the manufacture pays a royalty percentage to the inventor for every product sold. Learn more... - Product Launch
A product launch is pursued to convert product ideas into viable products. Learn more... - Product Launch Plan
A product launch plan explains how you are going to launch a product to meet a market need. Learn more... - Product Rendering
A product rendering is a flatwork illustration of a product. Learn more... - Product Semantics
Product semantics is a field of thought based on the idea that a product's form should readily communicate the function of the product. Learn more... - Product Sketch
Within the field of product design, sketching represents an efficient way to communicate product ideas quickly and clearly. Learn more... - Product Styling
Product styling is a component of product design focused on the outward appearance of a product. Learn more... - Quote Level Engineering
Quote Level Engineering gets the product design to the point where manufacturing quotes can be taken. The final details have not been worked out, but there is enough for manufacturers to bid on. Learn more... - Raytraced Rendering
A raytraced-rendering is a computer generated flatwork illustration of an object or scene. Learn more... - Start Up Company
Start Up companies are born from our desire to control our destiny, to innovate, and to generate profit. Learn more... - Start Up Efficiency
In product development, Start-Up Efficiency means taking the best steps to ensure that you are developing the right product for a market need. Learn more...