, , ,

INSIDE ITERATE: Creating Innovative Concepts with Rhydian Dobbin

This “INSIDE ITERATE” thought comes from a conversation with Design Engineer Rhydian Dobbin and provides a window into how we develop concept designs and how in order to create outside-the-box concepts you, in fact, have to step away from the product itself.

Concept development can encompass a broad array of activities from market research to early technical validation. Nonetheless, from “where do you start?” at the beginning to “how do you know which direction to take” at the end, this phase can be perceived as a somewhat intangible. This stage of development is often thought of simply as the ideas stage, but as Rhydian explains, there’s a lot that can be considered and learnt within concept development about what is possible within a given design. There are numerous ways in the concept phase to both push the boundaries and explore the feasibility of an idea. This allows you to analyse options for a product and reach smart decisions through a blend of both blue sky thinking and technical consideration.

Read more

, ,

The Influence of Arduinos in New Product Development

Arduinos and similar microcontroller boards are having a huge impact on the way modern products are developed. The low cost and easy to use systems mean that designers and engineers are able to prototype and test ideas in a short period of time, allowing them to make design decisions based on rapid feedback.

By ‘hooking up’ simple electronic components, one is able to test: interfaces, interactions and record data; allowing designers to make changes and improve the quality of a final product. There are a number of ways Arduinos have accelerated the new product process, which are explored below:  Read more

, ,

The Intelligence of Biomimicry in Engineering Design

Biomimicry is an innovation technique that draws inspiration from the natural world to create sustainable solutions by emulating natures tried and tested methods. As our world becomes more advanced and we face ever increasing challenges, from climate change to crippling traffic; how has the natural world managed to survive since life first arose 3.8 billion years ago? As we strive for more technological breakthroughs how can this natural world influence us and provide solutions to our problems? In the past we have taken advantage of the natural world to create highly effective technologies. For example, sonar was developed in the early 1900s – this has been used in the natural world for thousands of years by creatures such as bats and dolphins. Some other fascinating examples of biomimicry include: Read more