Importance of Prototyping in Packaging Design

Why do I Prototype? Be it simple cardboard models, paper mockups, or iterative 3D printed models, I try to prototype a ton before finalizing my concept and progressing to the next step, and I do this for 3 main reasons: 1. Funneling concepts - Qucik mockups serve as an amazing bridge between sketch/3D models on screen and how they actually look and feel in hand - It becomes a lot easier to eliminate ideas that don't fulfill the requirements or follow constraints. Simple paper mockups early in the process help me plan how I approach modeling complicated surfaces as well. 2. Refining the Design - 3D printing different iterations helps me in fine-tuning and amplifying the attributes that add to the design. Many times, I have found my V10 design to look very different from my V1 model. It also serves as a great medium to experiment with different details. 3. Storytelling - I have recently started using my prototyping process to walk the reader through my process, what decisions I take and what was the reasoning behind them - In the image below I try to show how I am labeling different designs and why they were not picked. Over the years I have seen myself prototype in different fidelities at different stages of the process, I have also found that pitching an idea to the team with the help of quick sketches and even for fidelity prototypes helps in more rich conversations and discussions. I would love to hear how you use prototyping -where does it make sense and where do you think it might be a little overkill?

The first mockup rarely works perfectly, but it reveals secrets CAD can't: - How an object feels to hold - How it lives in its context - How users interpret it - How proportions translate to reality Early in my career sketching and rendering fascinated me. I grew up with a love for art and visuals So, naturally I sketched a lot which meant tons of ideas to sift through. Probably also a result of being in design consulting for most my professional life. Now, I find joy in carefully selecting and refining ideas rather than generating hundreds. This is probably the natural transition for most designers as well. The real excitement in the process really comes from validating and knowing that your ideas work. I'll leave you with a few thoughts on building and validating: 1) Physical prototypes unlock tactile insights: CAD can't replicate the feel of a product in your hand. Build early to understand ergonomics and user interaction. 2) Context is king: Seeing a prototype in its intended environment reveals design flaws or opportunities invisible on screen. 3) Rapid iteration beats perfection: I've found that creating 3 quick, rough prototypes often yields better results than obsessing over one "perfect" version. 4) User feedback on physical objects is revealing: People interact with physical prototypes in unexpected ways, providing insights you'd never anticipate from sketches/CAD alone. 5) Prototyping develops your designer's intuition: The more you build, the better you become at predicting how 2D concepts will translate to 3D reality. Alright, that's it! happy building! #industrialdesign #productdesign

Rapid prototyping is NOT 3D printing. But 3D printing CAN be a type of rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is a mindset. It's a way of thinking. A way of building. A way of learning. What's working? What's not? How to know? Build it. Test it. See what breaks. Fix that. Don't spend time on "what if"... Don't spend time on "it might..." Don't spend time on features that nobody is asking for. Don't spend time creating drawings for parts that shouldn't exist. Don't speculate about edge cases when the core functionality is not working. Build, test, learn, iterate. Learn faster, and launch sooner. Ask me how. Here, I'm testing what form-factor we should make this housing. Should it have a portrait screen orientation? Landscape? Size, aspect ratio, curves or straight? I'm using a pile of packaging foam from Wayfair as raw material. A $30 hot wire from Amazon. Look how fast I can bang out rough shapes. Look how fast I can learn. The faster I can get feedback on a design decision, the faster I can edit, and rebuild. Rapid means fast. Don't accept 2-3 week turnaround from your prototyping vendors. Find ones that can deliver in a few days. Or take the processes in-house. Get your hands dirty. Build something. Look for ways to slash time out of your prototyping feedback loop. #engineering #design #prototyping