The innovation funnel is a well-known model used for guiding new product development. It is presented as a funnel because of the decreasing degrees of freedom during the process.
Smidesign’s take on this model (seen on the left), shows we can advise every stage of the new product development process.
DEVELOP YOUR COMPANY’S STRATEGY
This part of our project approach starts with FAB-sheets with which we clarify future Features, Advantages and Benefits.
Together with all stakeholders we finalize the design brief, the specification list and your preferred design drivers. Specifications can be quantified (as in size, weight, etcetera) whereas design drivers cannot be measured (something looks ‘nice’).
We’ll clarify everything in our Design History File.
GENERATE CONCEPTS THAT FIT YOUR STRATEGY
Once feasibility of all specifations is agreed upon, we’ll start final system development and design.
Because the design brief is getting final just now, one should know there is a possibility to reinterpretate these following phases due to new insights.
The system design will be monitored in terms of feasibility, system specifications and design drivers.
This process needs to fail forward. Hence several design iterations will be performed in order to ameliorate the things we sketched/built (sketched material, foammockups, breadboards and 3D prints will be generated in our own modelshop).
DEVELOP THE CONCEPT
Extended product development for parts, products and systems. Technical detailing and design for manufacturing, design for assembly and design for maintenance.
This implicates intensified co-working with future suppliers.
The data we generate in this phase suits rough 3D model making (protoyping) as well as functional mockups if feasible.
MATERIALIZE IT TOWARDS PRODUCTION
3D CAD iterations in close coordination with a supplier in order to finetune any system and parts.
This phase will be mainly performed in close cooperation with suppliers, whereas Smidesign supports this by means of engineering and product development capacity.
SELLING THE PRODUCT, SERVICE, EXPERIENCE
The only good product and/or service is the one that’s well experienced by the final user.
In this phase we definitely learn that the proof of the pudding is the eating.
That’s why we take this last phase already into account when we kick-off the project.
By means of the user centered approach, the frequency of prototyping and the project monitoring in our Design History File, there’s a tasty pudding to be eaten.
our pride and joy
