A design is basically a description or blueprint for the creation of an entity or system, or for the implementation of some activity or procedure, or even the end result of this blueprint or description in the shape of a model, product or procedure. The word ‘design’ is derived from the Greek word ‘design’ which refers to the application of principles in aesthetics or design, especially when dealing with architecture. The profession of architectural design was popularized during the Renaissance and it was the school of painting and drawing which came up with the first real plans for designing buildings, and this eventually became the basis of all other arts. Today, architects use the term ‘design’ when they discuss their craft, whereas a designer uses the term ‘architecture’ when he talks about his trade.
Architecture is one of the most important branches of design that evolved from the architectural design approaches to planning and designing. While there were many different architectural design approaches, they generally followed a few general rules. One of these is that the architect should have knowledge of mathematics. Another important aspect is the use of space planning. This includes the consideration of perspective, problem solving techniques, implementation, elimination of constraints and the scheduling of manpower.
Many people think that the art of making things is an easy task but in reality it is not as easy as it looks because a lot of planning and research goes into the creation of any product. The designer has to deal with a variety of disciplines and he also has to make sure that his design approach is practical and economical. All of these require the designer to be well versed in all the disciplines that are associated with product design.
One of the design approaches is the inside-out approach and it is the most common one used in modern times. Here the designer will plan everything according to the functions required for a particular product. He will then design everything inside the shell of the product starting from the basic functional requirements up till the mechanical and electrical components. Then he will have to consider all the possible designs and the constraints so that he can make his product as efficient as possible.
But there is another design thinking approach that has been gaining popularity over the years. This is the concept of functionality oriented designing. In this approach the designer will only focus on providing the necessary facilities and services for his customers. He will not spend unnecessary time and effort making things complicated and inefficient. This is because the end purpose of any business is to make things more useful to the customer.
In today’s scenario where a large number of things are available online for every possible need, you can definitely make the most of the internet for industrial design thinking. There you can access many professionals who can help you out with the design process and even provide you with the best online tools. The two approaches mentioned above are very different from each other. So in order to achieve the desired results in your industrial design, you will have to pick one of the two approaches.