Creating a product

Typically, the creation of a new product begins with an idea and ends with the production of a physical artifact. The creation of any new product is a collaborative venture involving many individuals working together as a team. There are many different disciplines involved in the process. Some of the key people involved include product designers, engineers, anthropologists (who study the origin, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of people), marketing personnel, sales staff, ergonomists, manufacturers, clients, and customers.

Four key functions are almost universally involved in new product design and development:

Design

The design team is responsible for the overall physical form of the product that will best meet the customers’ needs. Design, in this sense, can mean the engineering design (i.e. mechanical, electrical, software, and so on), and the product design (i.e. aesthetics, ergonomics, user interface, and so on).

Research

Increasingly, researchers such as anthropologists and ethnographers (ethnographers study culture and cultural processes using multiple ways to research, observe, and document people, events, or artifacts) are asked to support the design and development of new products by bringing their expertise and knowledge of observing and recording how consumers interact with the designed world. Typically, research staff are more involved toward the front end of the process, exploring the real needs and desires of end users.

Marketing

The marketing department is the point of contact between the company developing the product and its customers. Marketing individuals often facilitate the identification of product opportunities, help define market segmentation, and support the design team with the identification of customer needs, wants, and desires. Typically, the marketing department also oversees the launch of the product, helps set the price plans, and negotiates communication between the company and its customers.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing team is responsible for designing and operating the production system that produces the product. Sometimes, the manufacturing department also undertakes tasks associated with the purchase of raw materials and the distribution and installation of the new product.