Initial concept generation (design ideas)

Initial 2D or 3D sketches, modelling using CAD, physical materials can be used to gain feedback from clients prior to investment in further development or physical prototypes. These sketches are often quite rough but they can be used to identify those ideas with potential for development.

Designing & Modelling the Coffee 'pod' machine

Initial concept generation (design ideas)

You will use your sketching and rendering skills to produce one 'page' / sheet of Product Design Concept Ideas (a minimum of 5). These should be presented using any of the techniques that you have learnt from Terms 1 & 2. You can present design ideas as 2D ideas (from more than one view), 2 point perspective views combined with cylindrical forms. You should apply rendering and materials using Procreate. If you work quickly you can even use 3D CAD (Onshape) to help you present some of your product design idea concepts.

For ideas on how you could present your concepts you could look at the webpage Design Composition and Layout. Click the button below.

If you are completely stuck for ideas then design the coffee pod machine for an existing company that doesn't currently make one i.e. Design a coffee pod machine for Dyson; Design a coffee pod machine for Apple; Design a coffee pod machine for Nothing; Design a coffee pod machine for Land Rover; Design a coffee pod machine for Aston Martin; Design a coffee pod machine for Lego, Design a coffee pod machine for Alessi; etc. If you choose to do this then you will need to research Design Cues i.e. what design aesthetic do those companies always have!  You can also click the button below to see lots of Coffee 'pod' Machine Consept Ideas for inspiration. 

block modelling / non working protoype

You will use a variety of modelling materials (predominantly foam and card) to produce a non working, aesthetic block model of your chosen concept.  The modelling phase of the design process is a very iterative one; this means that you will make many changes to your model as you make, test and evaluate it. You should document these changes on your website, giving good reasons why the changes were necessary and how the model has (hopefully) improved as a result.  

Modelling foam, modelling board, card and plastic model examples

Modelling - Physical and 3d cad

Modelling is used by designers, inventors, architects and design companies around the world to test, develop, refine, test, develop, improve, refine, test etc. design ideas before modelling in 3D CAD or deciding on the final form. Companies such as Apple, Tefal, SharkNinja and Dyson, and most architecture companies use foam models to communicate and test ideas.  These models can vary from simple block models to check for aesthetics and ergonomics to fully functioning models to test functional parts of the products.  

Prototyping is an essential stage in the design process that requires creating interactive models or representations of a product or system. These prototypes act as tangible, visual, and functional representations of the final design. Prototypes enable designers, stakeholders, and users to test and validate concepts, interactions, and functionalities. Prototyping helps designers identify potential problems, refine ideas, and confirm that the final product meets user needs and expectations

Block modelling

After sketch modelling, designers may progress onto block modelling as ‘proof of concept’ or to explore form or function in more detail. Blockboard, Foam board and Styrofoam are all useful materials for making quick block models.  They are not functioning models.  They are predominantly used to get feedback with regards to the aesthetics and check for ergonomic accuracy. This is often referred to as Subtractive modelling, as you typically start with blocks of foam that you remove (subtract) material from. You can of course add materials to the foam.

Visual appearance models

Sometimes the visual appearance of a product is the focus rather than the function. In this case, a physical or virtual model can be created to demonstrate the final appearance of the product. Modern CAD software can often generate photorealistic renders from models indistinguishable from photographs.

Working prototypes

Before a product can go into production or be developed visually, a working prototype is made so the functionality, ergonomics and other important criteria can be tested and evaluated for further development or to confirm it is production ready.

Prototypes will function to some extent and provide ergonomic and visual feedback.

Prototyping in design serves as a crucial step in validating and refining design concepts before investing significant time and resources in the development phase. Prototypes help designers gather feedback from users to assess how intuitive and user-friendly the design is. Prototypes also reveal how users interact with the product, including navigation and functionality. With insights based on real-world user testing, designers can minimise the risk of costly design errors by identifying and addressing issues early in the process.

Non-working prototypes

Like a visual appearance CAD model, a non-working prototype has the appearance of the finished product so it can be handled and evaluated for aesthetic or ergonomic properties but it does not necessarily have to function. 

How do you think they are tested and evaluated without actually functioning?

Using Onshape (3D CAD) to model your chosen coffee pod machine