[USER=67309]@Levi - Doesn't all design stem from some sort of inspiration? [/USER]
IMO Not really when it comes to product design.... product design is about creating something that solves the problem that the brief sets out not looking for someone elses design and recreating it - the latter is what you seem to be doing at the moment. A good designer will come up with what they want to solve, draw up some rough ideas and then refine them as they look into different ways of creating those ideas. You've basically missed out the stage of finding out what you're going to fix and so all the research you're doing isn't going to help because you don't know where it's going to be used....
This is one of those things where it's really hard to explain because it's kind of a process that you should have been taught in the first place.... I will say that product design isn't really something that should be taught at a-level as 90% of the teachers don't know enough about it.
Say for example we take Pauls tilting table idea, ignore the fact we found one. Well our initial idea would be in essence a single pivot with a flip up part of the desk surface but is that the best idea. Based on your posts this is where'd you stop and then go off and find 'inspiration' but what you should be doing is coming up with alternatives first which may be better ideas..it could be better to have a tilted table with bits that fold flat or maybe a section that slides out like a keyboard drawer for example so you don't have to clear the top surface but your inspiration might stop you from finding them. Please note it's always hard to put things in writing when you aren't seeing things first hand because you often go on limited information.
In essence product design goes like this
Brief
- Breakdown of Brief
- Analysis of Brief
- Spider Diagrams
- All the above can include quick sketches as ideas pop into your head
Market Research - surveys (things like what people want via multiple choice etc), looking at what tables etc are out there
Analysis of market research
- Good and bad points on good/bad tables
- Hands on testing etc if possible
Initial Ideas stage - taking what you've done above and coming up with initial ideas... no refinement, no creative elements, just the basic 'concept'.. ie like adding in the tilting table part or an extending table or an origami folding table. You don't need to know exactly how they'll work at this point.
Initial Idea analysis - analyse these ideas like you did the market research to see if any are viable or would interest other people.
'Inspiration' - This is the point where looking at 'inspiration' should be imo because any point before this could stifle finding an area that needs fixing. For example your origami could have pigeon holed you into folding desks because your research shows small desks for students etc.
The below can be repeated multiple times if the client isn't happy with direction etc:
- Develop chosen concept(s) further into development stages working out how they'll look (ie materials etc) and how they'll work (ie the pivot on the tilting table idea). Includes prototyping, 3D modelling/rendering etc. - This is where your 'inspiration' should be being used, not trying to come up with solutions.
- Take feedback from client (this can be quite repetitive) and do further refinement to design until client is happy
Create technical drawings/3D models etc
Sign off on final item
Oh and my uni desk was HUGE.....size of desk is often defined by the size of the room rather than any other factors these days.[/user]