The constituent pieces of a product

A product can be regarded as the sum of decisions taken about its constituent elements. Look at the pages in any book once again; any piece of paper and any random typeface would do to make a page, but because other elements are missing, or decisions taken about them incorrect, then it may appear to be unsatisfactory, crude or incomplete. Inclusion of more elements can develop and improve it, making it more practical, attractive, readable or even beautiful. The performance and quality of the finished product varies because clients, designers and users take different views about the selection or significance of specific elements. A good designer will create a competent result and may even say something new, exciting or inspiring, depending on what is required or what could be possible, reflecting what both client, designer and user expect of the finished product.

At its simplest level, designing can be seen as collecting and assembling elements as a problem- solving exercise. Think for a moment about the way one might solve or ‘do’ a jig-saw puzzle. The pieces (or elements) can be randomly laid out with no regard for the relationship between each piece or what the whole picture should look like. The result will be an accidental image of some sort, created as a consequence of the nature of the individual pieces, which have been handled without any appreciation of the way in which they should interact, and with minimal expectation of outcome. It is unlikely that a solution can be achieved by this method that bears any relationship to what the picture should look like.

Clues are needed to solve the puzzle. The finished picture on the box lid is useful, but it is still not easy to locate each piece. However, some pieces can be placed with certainty. For a rectangular picture, if the four corner pieces and all the pieces with straight edges are connected in the right way, the outline of the picture can be established. The remaining pieces could be forced together to complete a picture, but if they don’t fit properly, compromises or omissions limit success. Choosing other pieces as the starting point, such as those of the same size or colour will produce a different result, but still it will be incomplete and unsatisfactory.

Ultimately, the puzzle will only be solved when all the pieces are attached to each other in a rational way, arranging them so that location, size, shape, colour and connections are correct and the finished picture is completed. This is essentially a process of applying logic to the problem of organizing bits of cut card (tangible elements), but moments of inspiration such as spotting a particular clue that sorts out a difficult area can play an important part.

Although the jig-saw puzzle may be difficult to solve, it has the major advantage that all the pieces are present at the outset, and there is usually a picture on the lid to follow. However, to create a new product, the designer only has some of the pieces; the remainders have to be discovered, or shaped by experience, intelligent guesswork and inspiration. Just like the jig-saw puzzle, some pieces obviously fit together whilst others obviously do not. But unlike the jig-saw puzzle, a clear picture of the finished product is not available. It is only an idea in the client’s or the designer’s mind, waiting to be conceived in response to many known and still unknown pieces of information. The process of design, the relationship of designer to other people and disciplines, constraints yet to be encountered may lead to the discovery and management of important elements which can generate solutions which were unimaginable at the beginning.

Some of these elements are very important, whilst others are consequential or incidental. Some of them are fundamental, whereas others are relatively trivial. The importance of each one may only become clear as work proceeds and in the light of experience as solutions are tested. It may be necessary to re-evaluate the priority given to an element at the beginning, which eventually merits less attention once the problems are better understood.

There is of course, a significant extra problem for the product designer. Unlike the example of the page referred to already, most products, and certainly all buildings are 3D. This means the designer has to develop an ability to see elements in a 3D context, resolving or balancing all the issues associated with design, production and consumption. This is an important concept, described as taking an holistic approach, which could be described as the principle aim for the good designer, endeavoring to create a product which fully satisfies its users, and its critics alike.