Designing a product is truly a labor of love that only those who get to breathe the rarified air of being designers can fully appreciate! One has to see a vision in their mind, commit it to some sort of visual representation (a paper), and then try to bring it to life in a very “Frankenstein and his monster sort of way.” This seems all hunky-dory and easy in theory — but in reality, it can be quite the feat. But — the modern-day “techy” world has found a way to make this design process somewhat easier by using product designing software. Imagine chucking the paper and pencil in favor of a computer or VR that allows you to see what that product will look like in real life!
A professional interior designer carefully selecting items from the company’s online marketplace.
The Evolution of Product Design Software
Product design software tools have seen quite the interesting growth in recent times. The era when a designer would rely on pencils and drafting tools is long gone. The modern-day product design software consists of groundbreaking tools, products, and technologies like 3D modeling, Virtual Reality (VR), and connected design tools supported by cloud-computing technology. Technology upgrades have empowered product design like never before, enabling new models for product innovations, right from concept ideation to product manufacturing. It all started with the development of basic CAD (Computer-Aided Design) tools, acting as a base layer for engineers and designers to work on. Gradually, new features emerged, combining the ability to stimulate real-world conditions, testing material properties, and performance data on the virtual model. New product design tools have entirely reinvented the way Tech companies look at their product development.
Fueling Creativity and Collaboration
Product Innovation is almost always built on two basic cornerstones: creativity and collaboration. Product design software enhances these two basic factors by enabling teams to work together in real time. These teams are not sitting in the same room or belong to the same office. But they are connected through digital-cloud-based platforms. Designers, engineers, and stakeholders work together, providing instantaneous feedback, eliminating barriers, and thereby creating a culture of collaboration. Collaboration tools integrated into product design software enable the team to work across departments. They are able to conceptualize and refine a plan of action. For example, designers can quickly share ideas with marketing teams, defining a likely customer reaction that provides a quick reference to design concepts. Bringing different departments on a single page makes product innovation more relatable to business. This adaptation of innovative technology can deliver the next big thing for business in a much shorter span of time.
Prototyping and Testing Made Easy
One of the greatest benefits of leveraging product design software is the software’s power to support the prototyping and testing phase of the product design process. Older methods of prototyping and testing products were typically heavy on trial and error, costing time, money and often delaying overall timelines. However, thanks to the prototyping simulation tools now available in design software, organizations are now able to create digital prototypes that actually resemble the product’s performance in the real world. These digital prototypes enable organizations to test a product’s performance in a variety of conditions ranging from different types of heating and pressurization to user interaction. This type of testing has historically been difficult to accomplish at a scale due to physical limitations, but digital prototyping can give design teams valuable insights from the very beginning — before products go into production and potentially before any serious investments are made.
Enhanced User-Centric Design
Product design software isn’t just for creating beautifully designed consumer tech products, but it can also be used to enhance an enterprise’s user experience (UX) by way of products that emphasize the human aspect of tech in its design. This often includes capabilities such as user flow simulation and usability testing forums, as well as analytics to help track user behavior and experiences within the testing process. By leaning into these tools and capabilities, design teams can easily spot where users are struggling so they can make enhancements to the design in order to help it fulfill the end users’ needs better.
Not only that, but product design software can also include the addition of items such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to help with immersive user testing and feedback. With this type of testing, designers can see more than how users are interacting with their products, and it can help them to identify better how they can create a product that meshes well with how a human wants to interact with it. These types of game-changing tools can be the difference between driving innovation that is not just suited for a particular purpose, but that is also enjoyable and easy to use, ultimately helping to solidify a business as a standout in the user experience space.
Breaking Down Geographical Barriers
Approaching product design from a global perspective allows new ideas that would not exist in a more localized setting since different cultures and regions offer unique worldviews that influence thought. When teams can design and work together in one virtual space, they can explore more creative ideas and concepts that can be brought to market faster and be more appealing to a larger cross-section of the population.
Leveraging Data for Informed Decisions
In the age of big data, we must make decisions based on information — product design software recognizes that and incorporates analytics and data collection into the design process. Designers and other decision-makers can access data on user preferences, market influences, and competitor offerings to guide the development process. Incorporating data in the design process allows companies to create features that people actually want and eliminate features that are not necessary. When product features reflect user needs and wants, companies can innovate more successfully and stay ahead of the curve instead of scrambling to catch up.
The Future of Innovation in the Tech Industry
If you are part of the product designing crew, right now is quite the time to be alive with the leaps and bounds that tech is making, particularly in the product design software field. Product concepts are moving straight from the heads of visionaries to very real looking products. Making it easier to produce said products in a shorter amount of time and less hustle. So, if you are still using a pen and paper aka the old school method — to design your product — why not jump on the product software and watch it make your life easier? It is a move that will have you wondering why you did not do it sooner!
