Industrial Design Toolbox
Discover
Trends analysis:
Investigate and
summarize trends in
Business models,
emerging technologies
and socio cultural trends.
Trends Synthesis
Using graphical templates
to identify, organize
trends and prioritize
opportunities for design.
Define
Size & scoping projects
Using client information
and available trends
information to size and
scope a design project,
deliverables within a given
time line.
Research
User Observation
Observing end-users in
their context interacting
with products and
services to elicit insights
for improvement.
Create
Brainstorming
Using convergent and
divergent thinking in group
or team format to
generate large amounts of
ideas.
Finalize
Specification
Document that present in
CAD format the specific
dimensions of the product
how parts are to be
assembled.,
Define design process
Define a course of action
using the ID design
process to articulate
design activities,
milestones and
deliverables.
User Shadowing
Following people in a day
in the life, within public
situations, to find
inspiration and
opportunities for design.
Experience storyboards
Visualizing how (new)
ideas may play out in the
life of an end user, using
frame-by-frame narration
and illustration.
Sourcing documentation
Document that presents
overview of all
components, parts and
materials that need to be
sourced.
Design project proposal
Using a template, prepare
a written document and
visual presentation to
communicate project
proposal and design
process.
User Interviewing
Structured conversations
with end users to
question, probe for
insights on given
products, services and
context.
Experience prototyping
Creating rough models
e.g. in cardboard, foam or
other rapid mock up
materials to understand
form, interaction and
configuration issues.
Value proposition
Business document that
presents the products’ key
benefits and value for end
user and business using a
structured template.
Client validation
Meeting with client to
evaluate design project
proposal, incorporate
changes for sign off.
Role playing
Experiencing what end
users experience by
acting out their situation to
elicit insights and
requirements.
Product personality
Defining product values,
principals to define a
consistent palette of
forms, materials, color,
and textures.
Business model
A graphical chart of all the
critical components of a
company the designer is
targeting with his/her
product.
Photo probe
Asking end users to take
photos of their daily
interactions, to be used in
interviews to probe
conversation.
Interaction Story boards
Detailed storyboards that
lay out how technology
supports specific user
interactions with a product
or service
Stakeholder analysis
A structured approach to
assess, compare and
prioritize the needs of
different project
stakeholders.
Interaction diagrams
Visual schemes that
present – on an
abstracted level the
product, interactions,
relationships, key
functionalities.
Experience storyboarding
Visual articulation of
current user experience to
understand and elicit
specific opportunities for
design.
Flow Specification
Technical format for
charting all different
functions, choices in a
graphical format.
Design brief
A format for organizing
and synthesizing insights
from user research,
technology trends and
business requirements
into design opportunities.
Concept Validation
A report that summarizes
feedback from end users
on the concepts
desirability and viability
.