Introduction
Experts in the field of industrial design are professionals in the creative act of determining and defining a product’s form and features. This involves designing and shaping the final aesthetic, functionality, and manufacturability of a product. Industrial designers often have the end-user in mind, so as to ensure that value is placed in the right places of a product to ensure saleability. However, this comes with expectations of maintaining safety regimes and ensuring the product will not cause harm or undue pain through misuse.
Some responsibilities that industrial designers have include:
- Research how consumers would use their products.
- Sketch out ideas or create blueprints.
- Use computer software to develop virtual models of different designs.
- Examine materials and production costs to determine manufacturing requirements.
- Work with other specialists to evaluate whether their design concepts will fill the need at a reasonable cost.
- Evaluate product safety, appearance, and function to determine if a design is practical.
- Present designs and demonstrate prototypes to clients for approval.
The type of industrial designer will depend on the product category they work for. Some design medical equipment, some design consumer products, whilst others design mechanical parts. Throughout the entire process, however, it is paramount that the consumer is at the forefront of the industrial designer’s mind as this allows for effective value creation in the product
Industrial designers would be of great use to the legal process in cases which relate to product malfunction which occasioned in economic loss or actual harm. Industrial designer can be extremely useful in identification of flaws that went into the design process and whether these oversights contributed to harm or loss. If a product was made with little regard for safety in its design, industrial designers would be able to identify whether certain harm may have been reasonably foreseeable due to poor design of a product. Furthermore, if a product was made in a manner that was conducive to proper manufacturing practices then this may cause economic loss in relation to expectations. Additionally, in cases of copyright infringement, industrial designers would be able to comment on whether or not certain functionalities were taken from pre-existing products or patents.
Experts in the field of industrial design will have extensive experience in engineering, architecture, marketing, and commerce. The specific specialisation and background needed by your industrial designer will be determined by the matter which requires examination.
At the bottom of this profile are brief details of a number of the experts that Expert Experts represents. Call our office to discuss your requirements and to obtain a recommendation that suits your needs and budget.
Expertise in Action
Industrial designers would greatly assist in the legal process. Their specialised knowledge can be used to examine products which have either created issues in manufacturing or with consumers who have purchased the product.
Sample Reports
For some fields of expertise we have some sample sections of de-identified reports. Please contact our office if you are interested in a sample.
Cost
The overall cost of expert opinion depends on the services required. Some of the key factors that affect the cost of advice include:
- The need for a view or inspection of a location
- The quantity of documentary material to be reviewed
- Whether there are reports of other experts to be reviewed and commented on in detail
- Whether there is a need for conferences with the expert either in person or by telephone/Skype
