WE MASTER DESIGN Learning / Product design fundamentals
Start with the basics.
Designing a physical product involves choices about how it will be used, how its parts fit together and how it might be made. This introduction explains a few terms you will meet along the way.
1. What is a product design brief?
A brief records the problem a product should solve and the people who will use it. It can also describe the environment, existing research, known constraints, expected deliverables and questions that still need answers. It does not need to have every detail resolved before a conversation begins.
For example, a hypothetical handheld device might need to be comfortable to hold, protect its electronics and fit inside a given space. Those needs help the design team decide which questions to investigate first.
2. What are CAD models and drawings?
Computer-aided design (CAD) software helps a designer create and modify digital representations of parts and assemblies. A part model describes an individual component; an assembly brings components together to examine how they relate to one another.
Drawings can communicate dimensions, tolerances, material information and other requirements where those details are needed. A model alone may not explain every decision a manufacturer needs. The right files and level of detail depend on the project and the intended recipient.
Use the CAD handoff worksheet ↗ · Explore Technical Design & CAD ↗
3. What do DFM and DFA mean?
Design for manufacturing (DFM) considers how design choices relate to the process used to make a part. Design for assembly (DFA) considers how the parts can be put together. Both depend on the actual materials, processes, quantities and requirements under consideration.
For instance, a screw may fit in a digital model while a screwdriver cannot reach it. An assembly-access review considers the tool and the sequence as well as the fastener. The illustration in our checklist shows this as a hypothetical example.
A review can identify questions for a team or supplier. It does not replace supplier confirmation, physical testing or a manufacturing approval.
Try the assembly-access checklist ↗ · Explore DFM/DFA Review ↗
A guide to physical products
What is product design?
Follow a physical product from its first questions through CAD, prototypes and a manufacturing handoff.
Read the complete guide ↗Continue learning
Move from the basics to practical decisions with the DFM/DFA software guide and the library resources. We will add further learning material as it is prepared.
Further reading: Autodesk on design and engineering and Protolabs on design for assembly.