Leading in Product Design - TU Delft

Faculty of Industrial Design EngineeringLeading in Product Design

Industrial Design Engineeringis everywhereDelft-trained industrial design engineers make anessential, distinctive contribution to innovative andsuccessful products. They are shaping our world.11. Windows 7, softwareIDE alumnus: Stephan HoefnagelsCompany: MicrosoftMarket introduction: fall 20092. Tuit, prize winning tablewareIDE alumnus: Jurre GroenenboomCompany: StudioCrisp* for HEMA BVMarket introduction: 200523. Philips|DE Senseo, coffee machineIDE alumni: Joost Alferink, Robert Bouwmeester andSven van WestreenenCompany: WAAC’s design & consultancy for Sara Lee|DEMarket introduction: 20014. Dutch Railways, double-decker rolling stockIDE alumnus: Ad KleingeldCompany: NS Design for Dutch RailwaysMarket introduction: 199435. Schiphol Airport signageIDE alumni: Martijn Geerdes, Jurriaan Grolman andRosanne van den EnkCompany: Bureau Mijksenaar BV for Schiphol AirportMarket introduction: 19916. ResQTec G2 Cutter, rescue toolIDE alumni: Thomas Paulen and Robert FieniegCompany: VanBerlo strategy+design for ResQTec Zumro BVMarket introduction: autumn 2005 (VS)47. Predator Pulse II DragonDavid Beckham Range, soccer shoesIDE alumnus: Sonny LimCompany: Adidas AGMarket introduction: June 20058. LivingColors, color your worldwith lightIDE alumnus: Bram Joosen (user interface)Company: Philips Design andPhilips Lighting (GOAL dept) forPhilips Consumer lampsMarket introduction: 20072

EmploymentProduct developmentDevising new products and developing them in acommercial setting.Examples: designer, stylist, product engineer,interface developer.CommercialCombining knowledge of technology, marketsand management in sectors like marketing,distribution, advertising, sales and service.Examples: product manager, product planner,market development manager, brand manager.Process supportKnowledge of development methods andprocesses is used to improve the quality ofproducts and business processes.Examples: methods and techniques engineerin product improvement, head of product safetydepartment, creativity techniques consultant.Product technologyConcentrates upon designing and improvingproduction and assembly, through enhancingeither the process or the product design.Examples: head of in-house engineering bureau,manufacturing engineer, assembly engineer.ConsultancyAdvising companies on such things as productdevelopment, innovation strategies or businessprocesses.Examples: strategic product developmentconsultant, strategic management consultant,innovation consultant.Education and researchThis group concentrates upon research andteaching at universities or dedicated research atresearch institutes.Examples: lecturer, researcher, PhD student.EntrepreneurshipInstead of working for a company, many industrialdesign engineers start their own company inproduct design or related areas.“Industrial designengineers are foundin a great variety ofjobs”ID engineers are employed by a wide variety of companies.To name a few:5

Industrial design engineersat work“I am currently president of theIDE Alumni association. In 2002,after working for a multinational,I’ve founded my own company withMichiel Oudakker. Our Amsterdambased innovation agency specialisesin boosting our client’s innovationpower, creating innovation strategies,revitalising product portfolios anddeveloping concepts for new productsand services. Among our clients arelarge companies such as Philips, KPNand Unilever.’’“At IDE I’ve learnedhow to turn abstractideas into concreteresults.”Deborah NasCo-founder and partner SunIdeeGraduated in 1996www.sunidee.comwww.ioalumni.nl“After graduating, I took a oneyearfollow-up course in car designin Switzerland. Three years later Ijoined BMW and then moved abroadto work at BMW Group DesignworksUSA. In 2004 I came back to Munichto become Director Design of BMWcars. In the USA, we designed notonly the BMW 6-series, but alsoother products such as the NokiaCommunicator. It’s a good thing fora designer to be confronted withmultiple design problems.”“Problems are good.They force creativity”Adrian van HooydonkDirector Design, BMW carsGraduated in 1988www.bmw.com6

“I’m partner and co-founder of anindustrial design firm with studios inLeiden, Hamburg and Hong Kong. Myresponsibilities include the Hamburgstudio and npk products. Our firmemploys fifty skilled designers,engineers and model makers. Theyall intend to develop products thatstand out from the crowd. Productsthat are a pleasure to use and thatare loved by the people. Our job is totranslate the promise of a brand intonew products and services.”Wolfram PetersPartner / co-founder npk industrial designGraduated in 1978www.npk.nl“We intend todevelop productsthat stand out.”“A broad viewenables you to sharedifferent passions”“After working for Sony Ericsson, Inavigated my career towards TomTom.I truly value the combination of differentskills taught at IDE: a broad viewenables you to share the passion ofboth the designers and the engineers.This ability is a crucial factor foraccomplishing maximum performanceof all parties and is desperately neededwhen balancing on the thin line betweensuccess and failure.”Joost van der MadeTomTom Product Line ManagerGraduated in 1993www.tomtom.nl7

The courseIndustrial Design Engineering is atechnical degree course concentratingupon product development.BachelorDuring the bachelor’s phase, students developa solid technical background and are introducedto the various aspects of product development.These include:• production and construction techniques;• human-product interaction;• design;• marketing;• (innovation) management.These, together with the methodical aspects ofthe process and design skills, are brought togetherthrough design projects.MasterStudents of Industrial Design Engineering have achoice of three master’s degree courses and threespecialisations (automotive, medisign and retaildesign).Integrated Product DesignCovers the whole design and engineering process,integrating all aspects relevant to productdevelopment.Design for InteractionGraduates on this course specialise in the analysisand conceptualisation of designs for humanproduct interaction.Strategic Product DesignThis course emphasises the fuzzy front endof the new product development process(product planning) and also addresses thecommercialisation phase.AutomotiveAutomotive is a specialisation in the automotivedesign domain from a strategic perspective.Automotive design is a field that, more thanothers, drives on tacit knowledge and theapplication thereof.MedisignThis specialisation trains dedicated and skilledengineers in human anatomy, physiology, medicaltechnology, healthcare systems and some basicsurgical techniques.Retail DesignA specialisation in retail design enables studentsto guide, manage and execute the developmentof successful retail concepts/formulas throughgaining knowledge about the context of retailing.8More information about our courses:www.bachelor.io.tudelft.nl | www.ide.tudelft.nl/masters | io@tudelft.nl

Unique skillsDuring their time at TU Delft, studentsof Industrial Design Engineering developa number of valuable skills.Technology marketmatchingKnowledge of market conditions, consumerneeds and technological possibilities is essentialto product development. The industrial designengineer combines an understanding of all three.From problem to solutionThe industrial design engineer is good at analysingproblems, and can convert them into useablesolutions.Technology roadmapsTechnology only really becomes valuable oncean appropriate use is found for it. The industrialdesign engineer identifies those uses.Multidisciplinary teamsThe industrial design engineer has the know-howto communicate effectively with those working inother aspects of product development.Context mappingThe industrial design engineer can very quicklymaster the terminology and ‘state of the art’ ofan industry. The innovation processes learnedat TU Delft are applicable in a wide variety ofenvironments.VisualisationIndustrial design engineers are able to explainideas fully yet concisely by visualising them. Onpaper, as models or in presentations.9

The added value ofindustrial design engineersSpeed and qualityA structured approach to innovation means thatindustrial design engineers create products which:• respond to market needs and therefore have agood chance of success;• are truly innovative;• have a short time to market.The industrial design engineer also has a numberof other talents, which are crucial to productdevelopment.Better communicationThe industrial design engineer knows about everyaspect of product development. So he facilitatescommunication between specialists drawn fromdifferent disciplines.Focus on resultsThe industrial design engineer makes sure thatproduct design teams always focus upon the finalresult, not upon the specialisations of individualmembers.Creative inspirationWhen part of a team, industrial design engineerscan act as creative catalysts. They are goodat generating ideas, devising concepts andfacilitating creative sessions.All aspectsThe industrial design engineer considers everyaspect of a product: user-friendliness and design,but also distribution and technical factors likeproduction and assembly.LifeStrawAfter an extensive user testing in Ghana, PrabhuKandachar and his team re-designed a 25 cmlong personal water purifier that canturn most of the world’s surface water into safedrinking water. The LifeStraw Child consistsof several filters and two compartments withhalogen-based resin and carbon, respectively.The straw has a capacity of 700 liters or oneyear. “Over a billion people are without accessto safe drinking water”.Designer: Prabhu Kandachar (team leader)Product: LifeStrawwww.lifestraw.comEXAMPLE10

Products that make a differenceUsing the talents of an industrial designengineer delivers tangible results:products that are easier to use, fasterto make or reflect a new and inspiringvision.EXAMPLEFootlooseWomen wearing high heels take discomfort forgranted. Marte den Hollander graduated on thedesign of a shoe that combines the looks of highheels and the comfort of flat shoes. She inventedan adjustable heel mechanism: adjusting the heelautomatically changes the curvature of the sole tofit the altered shape of the foot. The mechanismhas been patented. “Never think everythinghas already been thought of: all things can beimproved”.Designer: Marte den HollanderProduct: Footloosewww.martedenhollander.nlBabybloomIn a regular incubator, prematurely born babiescan suffer brain damage due to overexposure tolight and noise. Parents feel sad and powerlessbecause of the limited contact. Heleen Willemsengraduated on an improved design that invitesparents to embrace their child and to sit in acomfortable position. A flower shaped cap can shutout light and noise. “The friendly design bringsback the ‘babyness’ in the hospital”.Designer: Heleen WillemsenProduct: BabyBloomEXAMPLEwww.babybloom.nlSENZ UmbrellaAfter his third umbrella of the week turned insideout,Gerwin Hoogendoorn decided it was time for aredesign. He graduated on a design that eliminatesall possible umbrella frustrations by creating ana-symmetrical shape that allows the umbrella toslice through stormy winds. Rejected by a leadingumbrella producer, Hoogendoorn and his friendsPhilip Hess and Gerard Kool started their owncompany. Their first 10,000 copies sold out in justnine days.Designer: Gerwin HoogendoornCompany: SENZ Umbrellas BVEXAMPLEwww.senzumbrellas.com11

Partnership with industryA strong, active connectionPartnerships with industry are an important partof the teaching and research conducted by thefaculty of Industrial Design Engineering. We havedeveloped long and successful relationships withmany companies, encompassing degree, researchand design projects. Our links with the businesscommunity are further reinforced by the fact thatmany of our academic staff continue to pursuepart-time careers in the commercial sector.Business projectsStudents work on problems submitted to us bya commercial company. This type of partnershipoften yields excellent results and enthusiasticresponses from the firms concerned. They viewsuch co-operation as inspiring and productive.C,mm,nElmer van Grondelle and his student designteam are cooperating in a research initiatedby the Netherlands Foundation for Nature andEnvironment. Their goal is to develop a visionon sustainable individual mobility. “C,mm,nis an open-source 2+2 family car with ahydrogenpowered fuel cell system. The conceptis a showcase of communication technology.Open-source means no secrets or patented parts:anyone willing to share technology can improvethis design.”Selection of the business partners• Athlon Car Lease• Rabobank• GE Plastics• Philips• Akzo Nobel• Shell• e-Traction• Vredestein• Inalfa Roof Systems group BV• National Instruments• Greijm Form Technics BVProject manager: Elmer van GrondelleProduct: c,mm,n open-source carwww.autoindetoekomst.nlEXAMPLE12Interested in a business project? io@tudelft.nl

PlakkiesIDE students end their Bachelor with a finalproject in cooperation with a company orinstitution. The BSc final project is an exampleof IDE’s strategy of knowledge transfer. Someof the projects become actual products, suchas Plakkies: a sustainable flip-flop designed byMichel Boerrigter in cooperation with KidsRightsand Jan Jansen. “The Bachelor final project isthe last before entering the Masterprogramme,” says Kees Nauta, whoorganizes the projects. “KidsRightswanted to conduct a project in thetownships of Johannesburg. TheyEXAMPLEwere thinking about a sustainable plugsocket.We calculated the feasability of this ideaand suggested a broader approach: the designof a simple product, to be sold in Westernshops, manufactured with simple tools, by local,uneducated people. This challenge resulted ina range of product concepts, one of which wasPlakkies.Designer: Michel BoerrigterProduct: PlakkiesFHybrid scooterAsian, African and southern European cities arenotorious for their smelly, noisy scooters. Thefaculty of Industrial Design Engineering triesto tackle sustainability and mobility problemsby integrating design and scientific knowledge.Crijn Bouman graduated on the design of asilent scooter powered by hydrogen. “Thisgraduation project has led to a spin-off: thecompany Epyon, which designs super fastrecharging systems with lithium-ion batteries’’,says Sacha Silvester.EXAMPLEDesigner: Crijn BoumanProduct: FHybrid scooter13

Degree projectDuring the final phase of their course,Industrial Design Engineering studentshave to complete a research or designproject. They do this either individuallyor in groups. A degree project isInterested in trainees?Industrial Design Engineering ‘Stagebank’(workplacement exchange)www.io.tudelft.nl/stagebankstagebank-io@tudelft.nlsuggested by a company and finalisedin consultation with a professor fromthe faculty. Some 85 percent of ourstudents complete their studies with adegree project produced as part of awork placement in industry.EXAMPLELINKXHelma van Rijn graduated on an interactive toythat stimulates the language development ofautistic children. The toy consists of speech-ogramsand interactive blocks. Parents add speechto the speech-o-grams and attach them to objects.“If a child links its blocks to speech-o-grams,children hear the word matching the object, andthereby expand their vocabulary.” Her project waspart of project group LinguaBytes that developsadaptive toys for multiple-handicapped children.Designer: Helma van RijnProduct: LINKXhttp://studiolab.io.tudelft.nl/vanrijn/LINKX14

Researchand Product DevelopmentCombinationsHow do people experience a product with twobrandnames such as Senseo (Douwe Egberts +Philips) or Beertender (Heineken + Krups)? PhDresearcherLisanne Bouten confronts groups ofconsumers with new combinations to establishhow such products should be designed andintroduced. “Two brandnames are supposed togive a sense of double quality. My first resultsshow that this is not always true.”Researcher: Lisanne BoutenPhD-research: “Co-branding in new product developmentfrom the consumer’s point of view”EXAMPLEA world leaderThe research conducted at the faculty of IndustrialDesign Engineering focuses upon every aspect ofproduct development. No other faculty in the worldstudies this subject in such depth and breadth.Useable resultsOur research yields results which are widelyapplicable in the business world and society atlarge. And, of course, have a sound scientificbasis. This makes the faculty of Industrial DesignEngineering an ideal partner.More information about IDE research: www.ide.tudelft.nl/research | io@tudelft.nl15

Leading in Product DesignThis brochure introduces you to the world of Industrial Design Engineering. Theskills, the work and the added value. It also describes the opportunities availableto you at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. These include degreecourses, research and design projects.“Industrial Design Engineering, the human face of technology”Faculty ofIndustrial Design EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyLandbergstraat 152628 CE DelftThe Netherlandswww.ide.tudelft.nlT +31 (0)15 278 9166E io@tudelft.nlCirculation: 1,000 copiesMarch 2010Prof. dr. Cees de BontDean faculty Industrial Design Engineering