**2. Definitions and relationship between product design process and methods**

#### **2.1. About product design process**

The product described in this chapter refers to the concept in a broad sense, which refers to the sum of the products formed with a certain purpose and to meet the needs of targeted people as well as nonphysical services. Its general process is shown in **Figure 3**.

With the advancement of technology, computer-aided design and manufacturing have been widely used in the product design process. For example, in the market research stage, computer data analysis can be introduced; in the concept stage, product sketches, renderings, and even real physical models are created through rapid prototyping based on computer-aided design, as well as design evaluation, reversing, and optimization iterations. Thus, the design process of the above figure can be reduced to the following modern digital design process as shown in **Figure 4**.

Product Design Process and Methods http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80821 37

Methods refer to the sum of the receipts that can be used to achieve certain purposes in any fields. When people want to know and transform the world, they must engage in a series of

**2.2. About the design methods**

**Figure 4.** Modern digital product design process.

**Figure 3.** General product design process.

Modern product design is a planned, step-by-step, targeted, and directional creative activity. The design process refers to the development process of the design and the order in which the design tasks are completed. According to the arrangement of the process, it can be divided into linear programs, parallel programs, and complex programs. It is an organic combination of finding, analyzing, and solving problems.

Product Design Process and Methods http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80821 37

**Figure 3.** General product design process.

the market and potential customers, and get important information about the variety of functions, what is more, we need to deal with the whole developing and design operations and

The product described in this chapter refers to the concept in a broad sense, which refers to the sum of the products formed with a certain purpose and to meet the needs of targeted

Modern product design is a planned, step-by-step, targeted, and directional creative activity. The design process refers to the development process of the design and the order in which the design tasks are completed. According to the arrangement of the process, it can be divided into linear programs, parallel programs, and complex programs. It is an organic combination

**2. Definitions and relationship between product design process and** 

people as well as nonphysical services. Its general process is shown in **Figure 3**.

have control on its correspond costs, as shown in **Figure 2**.

**methods**

**Figure 2.** Design analyses.

**Figure 1.** Design process.

36 Product Lifecycle Management - Terminology and Applications

**2.1. About product design process**

of finding, analyzing, and solving problems.

**Figure 4.** Modern digital product design process.

With the advancement of technology, computer-aided design and manufacturing have been widely used in the product design process. For example, in the market research stage, computer data analysis can be introduced; in the concept stage, product sketches, renderings, and even real physical models are created through rapid prototyping based on computer-aided design, as well as design evaluation, reversing, and optimization iterations. Thus, the design process of the above figure can be reduced to the following modern digital design process as shown in **Figure 4**.

#### **2.2. About the design methods**

Methods refer to the sum of the receipts that can be used to achieve certain purposes in any fields. When people want to know and transform the world, they must engage in a series of

design output phase. According to different design objects, the specific matters of each stage

Product Design Process and Methods http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80821 39

Design and research are in the initial stage of the design process. Knowing what we have, what we want, and where to get as well as how to get required information from seeing the micro-knowledge to know the significance, using existing information as the starting point, by means of analysis and synthesis methods, etc., to integrate the important influencing factors of the products involved, so as to guide the follow-up design in a targeted manner.

Generally speaking, the research phase mainly focuses on people, machines, and environment, as shown in **Figure 6**. Among them, people include target users, potential users, producers, sellers, recyclers, etc., which are related to the product life cycle; gender, age, education background, income level, social status, family conditions, as well as other factors which reflects in status, lifestyle, and values all have a profound impact on the future direction of product design. The machine mainly refers to the various attributes involved in the design object and related products including the current status of the market products and various property expectations of the products involved such as function, form, structure, color, human-machine relationship, usage, carrying method, etc. The existing attributes of the product market have a certain reference and guiding role for future design. From the existing market survey, we can understand the distribution and gathering of market products, so as to find the opportunity of post-development positioning. At the same time, the investigation of the attributes of future products can further clarify the product characteristics, zero to thin, and gradually deepen the refinement of product concept until the entire product design process is completed. The environment mainly refers to the natural and human context in which

are slightly different and complicated.

**3.1. The research phase**

**Figure 6.** Design research.

**Figure 5.** Relation between process and methods.

thinking and practical activities. Those various methods used in the activities are collectively referred to as methods. No matter what you do, you must have proper methods, and the correctness or inferiority of the methods directly affects the success or failure of the work.

The main features of modern design are optimization, dynamics, diversification, and computerization. Commonly used design methods mainly include catastrophe method, information theory method, system theory method, discrete theory method, intelligent theory method, cybernetic method, correspondence theory method, optimization method, fuzzy theory method, and art theory methods [2].

#### **2.3. Relationship between process and methods**

As for the relationship of product design process and methods, they complement and rely on each other, which is shown in **Figure 5**.

Firstly, the design process determines the steps of the design, while the method determines the design measures and effects.

Secondly, the design process itself requires specific methods and overall strategies to guide and support, and methods must be adapted and changed according to specific procedures. A clear and complete design process can guide in an orderly manner, simplify, and optimize the results in process. While designing, the appropriate method involved can solve the design problem efficiently and creatively.

Finally, a design program provides a platform for the application of the method, which ensures the smoothness and efficiency of the program.
