The Art of Product Design: Changing How Things Get Made

Chapter 6

Here’s My Prototype; Please Kick the Crap Out of It

Surrounded by supermodel lookalikes, supercar prototypes sit like religious icons on the altars of sprawling motor shows from Frankfurt to Shanghai. You can look in awe at these concept cars, as the auto industry calls design prototypes, but don’t dare lay a finger on one.

So what’s the point? If no one can touch, much less sit in it or drive it, why spend up to $1 million on a piece of sculpture?

That’s the problem with prototypes. They have always been rare and expensive—to the point that they fail to fulfill their intended function. As a consequence, year after year, new products go on the market with insufficient real-world testing. What manufacturers really need are prototypes they can hand out like free samples at Costco to those who fit the target buyer persona. Give it to the customer and say, “Here’s my prototype; please kick the crap out of it.”

Fortunately, virtually and physically, it’s getting easier to do that right from the concept stage.

Virtual Is Virtuous . . .

Not so very long ago, there was not a lot you could show to a customer at the concept stage—maybe a two-dimensional artist’s rendering or a clay model with a coat of paint. Only an engineer could imagine anything by looking at blueprints.

Without a huge amount of effort, computer-aided design (CAD) now allows you to generate highly realistic three-dimensional (3D) renderings and animations that can demonstrate your dream in action from any angle. ...