Product Design Defined
So just what is product design?
First, let's define what a product is. For the purposes of this site, and for defining product design, a product is simply a physical object that is consciously created and designed by a human. A product is the result of a production event, or a producing process—thus, a product. Yes, products may be non-physical entities, such as a software program, or a service, or an entertainment event. But these would be products, respectively, of software design, service design, and entertainment design—not physical product design as defined in this site (though these non-physical entities and processes might include physical objects).
So, this site is about a specific definition and perspective on product design—the design of physical products. I have been a product designer for about 45 years and have designed around 100 physical products, many in their entirety, at least as far as their physical embodiment was concerned. I generally have not done electronics design, optical design, or software design for any products, but I did have to integrate these appropriately into final physical product designs. This means I have dealt primarily with the external form design and the overall internal and external electromechanical physical engineering "package" design of those physical products.
In some circles, product design is called product "mechanical package design" (Silicon Valley?), or product "embodiment design" (Europe/Asia?), or product "mechanical enclosure design" (USA?). Within the field of industrial design there is a sub-division called "product design," which is in contrast to "transportation design" and "entertainment design" (Art Center College of Design uses this terminology). But industrial design "product design" mostly involves the product external and visual aesthetic form creation, and often the product usability design. Lately, some online searches for "product design jobs" result in opportunities that are primarily for what might be called "interaction design"—jobs doing digital app, website, or user interface design, and not physical product design. In California's Silicon Valley, and at companies like Apple and Hewlett-Packard, "product design" often means "product engineering," where the product aesthetic form and usability design are executed by "industrial design", and the "product designers" only execute the (mostly electromechanical) engineering aspects of a product.
Truly comprehensive product design is actually more like architectural design—the physical design of the entire product, both outside and inside, both aesthetic form and structure, just as an architect often designs a building's outside and inside as well. However, product design, like architectural design, need not necessarily design the highly technical engineering components and aspects of a product's technologies. Again, just as an architect may specify the technical aspects of a building, such as the materials, the HVAC system, the structural requirements, the power system, the lighting aspects, and other issues, they do not design these discreet technical components or technologies themselves. They rely on engineering experts and specialists for that. In the same way, comprehensive product design synthesizes a product both from the outside and from the inside, integrating a specific set of components and technologies, while also addressing the ergonomics, usability, and aesthetic form of the product as a whole, inside and outside, while utilizing experts and engineers to design the specialized components and technologies that make up the product functional means.
Finally, then, comprehensive product design is the human-centered activity of designing and synthesizing an entire physical product as a holistic assembly of aesthetic forms, ergonomic and usability features, materials and fastening/joining, electromechanical structures, and technology components, into an integrated and functional product whole that, ideally, provides value for humans beings—focus on holistic function, usability, and beauty!
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