What are /r/product_design's favorite Products & Services?

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You mean like this?:APEKX Clip Bluetooth Audio Adapter for Headphones, Headset, Speaker, Wireless Receiver with MIC for Hands-Free Call and Music https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUXYVOA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3UWyBbD997B84

First, thanks for doing the AMA!

When people refer to UX, they almost invariably are refering to digital design rather than industrial design. It’s a bit odd considering the core ideas of UX arguably came out of industrial design - books like ‘The Design of Everyday Things’ come to mind.

Why do you think that the idea of user experience is so much more prevalent in digital design rather than product design? And how much do you product designers could learn by taking a leaf out of the digital book (so to speak)? A lot, or is there a reason UX is mostly a digital thing?

I’ve found textbooks to be the best for this. My favorites are https://www.amazon.com/dp/0500513759/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_NCQZ18FJ7SBXJTK1CHJZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 and one called The Materials Sourcebook for Design Professionals.

Looks like a less effective version of /u/ArkaneFighting geometry clock.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/15750899/Geometry-Clock

Seems like the whole point of using a shape would be to tell the time quicker, this makes reading the time slower because you can see the shapes and then have to figure out what corner is what.

I am guessing you mean something like this?

The casing: Depending on the size (small is a bit vague) and most importantly the volume (how many you will manufacture) the price can change dramatically (a few dollars to a few cents)

The electronics should be relatively straight forward, I would assume less than $10 for all the parts at volume. If you are looking to make a prototype yourself, expect it to cost a bit more.

Also, I am not positive, but I believe if you are using Bluetooth in a product you have to pay a licensing fee to use their tech?

A few of my favourites include:

 

• Paul Rand: Conversations with Students (not necessarily product design related, but he has some insights on design in general)
  
• The Design of Everyday Things (a pretty dry read and very heavy on theory, I haven't finished it myself but it's a classic)
  
• Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible (a good book to leaf through for inspiration or just to marvel at Rams' work with Braun)
  
• Naoto Fukasawa (again, this is mainly for inspiration, he was the lead designer behind a lot of Muji products, very nice use of white plastic)
  
• sketching by koos eissen and roselien steur (mentioned by another comment, not very good instruction wise I'd say but a great reference for what you want your sketches to look like)
  
• How to Draw by Scott Robertson (Scott was a professor at Pasadena for several years and has over 20? 30? years of design experience under his belt. This book goes much more in depth into the sketching process, and has step by step examples, no marker rendering in this one though, which leads to...)
  
• How to Render by Scott Robertson (this one I haven't read yet myself, but I just ordered it and I'm sure it'll be great)

 

I hope you'll find this list helpful.

I have to say I'm a pretty big fan of sporkafunk's suggestion of using a slide top box, but if your cards are EXACTLY the same size as playing cards, you might have some luck finding acrylic boxes on Alibaba.

I did a quick search under the "packaging" category, and this box looks pretty decent:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/clear-acrylic-names-card-box_1833362053.html

It's 2 dollars a box minimum, so it's not super cheap, but the minimum order quantity is (supposedly) 100 which is good, and they do laser engraving which is a nice touch.

If you did a bit more searching you might be able to find something perfect for your needs :)

Download Inkscape it's a scalable vector program. You can draw in full size. You can import the svg it makes into most cad package. I use Inkscape for all my 2d stuff and import into makercam.com to make the gcode files for my shapeoko which does also have a laser cutter. Ask your people if they can take a SVG.

Edit: links https://inkscape.org/en/ http://www.makercam.com/

"Marketing Warfare" by Reis and Trout is a classic. It has been very helpful to learn to look at the market (clients and competition) when desinging something. "Business Model Design" has helped me think about all the details that acompany a business idea. "The Long Tail Model" (or something lile that) will help you get an idea for how your product relates to clients in the long run. Finally, Predictably Irrational has been inspirational in learning to pitch ideas and work with collaborators.

Finally have an answer for you!

In terms of strictly design books, unfortunately no I don't. That being said, if you haven't read Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, I can highly recommend it. There's definitely enough in there that impacts on how to design around the way the mind works to make it worth the read.

Think about the world around you. Think about the objects and life habits of people in this world. How can you create things that people would value? Now how do you go about actually prototyping that design and testing it, improving it, and than mass producing it in a viable and affordable way?

as far as reading goes a good general primer would be "The Design of Everyday Things", by Donald Norman

Tom Wujec's / AutoDesk's "imagine, design, create" is a nice broad spectrum intro as well. http://www.autodesk.com/gallery/imagine-design-create-book

I’m a minimalist when it comes to effort, what about wrapping it in [alien tape](www.amazon.com/dp/B083C5WXWV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_DBQQ8AJF70X70PFDG9C3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)?

Stuff looks kinda rubbery. Supposed to be sticky as hell too.

What about an improvement on this concept

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/soda-bottle-watering-cap

Hygiene is a huge thing for homeless people as without good hygiene you cannot get a job and cannot get off the street.

You could design a cap that can go on any soda bottle making it a mini shower. It isn't totally new but you could definitely make some improvements.

Design a valve to turn it on and off, or a way to pressurize the bottle to get a better flow rate, or even just make it super cheap, supply it with black paint so you could paint the soda bottle black to heat the water in the sun.

There are loads of ways to make this concept your own. :)

I think a really good example of an actual answer to this is Be My Eyes, which is an app for the visually impaired that does exactly what the name says - connects the visually impaired with volunteers via video, so the volunteers can 'see' for them in specific situations. It represents a really specific need and then offers a simple solution that utilises something that's commonly available and accessible. Absolutely a net benefit for the world.

This type of assignment is kinda bleh at face value, but it does get you to think about a really important design concept - identifying needs. You won't always be solving problems in a situation where you are given the problem and a framework within which you can solve it, sometimes you'll have to pick apart really vague concepts and identify the particular things that need solutions. Being able to do this is a really great skill to have!

This isn't exactly urban legend but Nike did do well by her in the end.

>Davidson maintains that she doesn't know how long she worked on the Nike Swoosh, but that she only charged Knight for 17.5 hours of work—which ended up in a $35 paycheck. While she didn't profit immediately from her work on the Swoosh, the designer was eventually celebrated by the company when they threw a party in her honor. She was also given a generous amount of stock in the company (estimated to be worth upwards of $1,000,000), as well as a diamond and gold ring featuring the Swoosh design.

It's talked about a bit here

Good for her for presenting such a simple logo rather than pushing to add more to it and good on Nike for recognizing that. It's a classic logo, but so often great designs are passed up by execs that don't have a good vision for how it could work. Everyone is suddenly a branding expert when you are presenting.

An extension. For example, this card dock with a wireless pad extension, all in one product. In addition to usb 3.0 ports it will have cfast, micro sd, sd and cf reader.

Card Reader Dock on Amazon

I’m a product developer and something of a machinist, this is a great idea and incredibly useful in these trades.

Calipers with dials may be sexy, but are kind of annoying. You can’t flip units easily (something I/we may do a lot) and just less efficient than digital calipers.

The VAST majority of machinists are using these calipers, which are the gold standard. Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Advanced Onsite Sensor (AOS) Absolute Scale Digital Caliper, 0 to 6"/0 to 150mm Measuring Range, 0.0005"/0.01mm Resolution, LCD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IG46NL2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MLIeFbD21RQP9

Last, if you’re looking for sexy/legendary brands for measuring tools, stick with Starrett, Mitutoyo, or Brown & Sharpe.

Been designing parts for injection moulding for over 10years. As with most things there are rules, and with most rules they can be bent.

The best book I’ve come across is “Plastic Part Design for Injection Moulding”

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Part-Design-Injection-Molding/dp/1569904367/ref=nodl_

You maybe able to find some on eBay. The amazon link is a blue book I have the old red edition.

There are a few different editions, any should be fine, the general principles haven’t changed.

I’m available as a consultant, PM if you need help in the future.

Sorry, just to clarify. Would something like this be what you are referring to?

https://www.amazon.com/Misscrafts-15x15cm-Nonwoven-Patchwork-Assorted/dp/B01NCQIG81/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1529922921&sr=8-1&keywords=nonwoven+fabric

Aside from going to a 3D-printing or modelmaking shop, or specialty shops for all the parts you need, I can't think of any professional manufactories that can make one-off prototypes for you, and if they do exist they are certainly not inexpensive.

If all you're doing is making a functional prototype, find cheap products with similar-enough parts and hack them together into whatever you need. Or get creative with scrap materials. For a wristband you could buy a silicone pot holder and cut them into the shapes you want.

Have you populated a lean canvas?

This could be worth it even if you only take 60 mins.

It might also be worth digesting a chapter from Running Lean on how to conduct lean customer interviews.

Your assumptions will kill you if not careful.

Although more of a "handbook" type book, I absolutely love "Universal Principles of Design":

http://amzn.com/1592535879

It covers 100+ design topics / principles concisely and with some stunning imagery.

While at Uni we were recommended to buy this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sketching-Drawing-Techniques-Product-Designers/dp/9063691718

Its pretty good to read through, from basics up to more advanced techniques.

Also, you could take an object (whatever product you like) and study its form (you can clearly do this already if you can draw well from observation). Set yourself a mini project to sketch out variations of the same product, they could be small changes to the details or slight changes to the shape. This way you are using a skill you already have and using it to develop one you want to work on.

Unfortunately there is no substitute for practice so give yourself realistic targets and stick to these, e.g. 10 concepts a day. You don't have to show these to anyone and don't be precious, just get your ideas down on paper and you will begin to see improvements :)

I've used a Yiynova for about 3 years now (I have the v2 version). Don't let the marketing fool you, it's worked beautifully, taken a hefty beating (i've moved a ton), gorgeous display, and the customer service is outstanding. It's not a Cintiq, the build quality isn't on the same level, the drivers and software menu's aren't the most useful and, the macro buttons (on the v2) are a joke but I've never used them. As far as sketching ability, the surface is smoother (same as an iPad) than the slight texture that a cintiq has, but the digitizer itself is as responsive as a cintiq.

It looks sketchy (heh) but it's honestly a great product. I'd buy it again in a heart-beat over the price of a similar Cintiq.