With the rapid pace of technological innovations, it’s no surprise that speed to market usually wins. Your whole design process needs to be fluid and all the tools you use should allow you to move fast.

Creating the initial design is the easy part. The design tools you choose should allow you to quickly create multiple design iterations so that you can find the right balance to achieve the desired form, fit and function. You should be able to pivot fast when you hit design issues. Therefore, make sure the tools that you select don’t constrain you, but instead are very flexible to design changes.

Here are some specific things to consider when choosing design tools. Ask yourself how easy is it to:

  1. Make design changes and have the change reflected in all other documents that reference the component being changed?
  2. Collaborate and get feedback from your cross-functional team (other designers, manufacturing, quality control, purchasing, etc.) starting from the conceptual stage without having to email files back and forth?
  3. Version control your designs so all team members are working off the same version of the design in order to avoid costly errors?

Also consider the reputation and innovation history of the vendors whose tools you choose to use. For example:

  1. Who else uses the tools you want to use?
  2. How often does the vendor release new enhancements or fixes to their products?
  3. How long has the vendor been in business and how much financial backing do they have? (You want to choose a vendor who will be around for the long run).

Of course, the above questions represent only a small fraction of what you should be asking yourself before you even log into your CAD platform.

To make your design journey easier, Onshape’s latest eBook provides a must-have checklist for you to pressure-test your ideas. The “10 Design Questions That Can Make or Break a New Consumer Product” come from mid-career engineers and designers who graciously shared their decades of product development experience. Their companies specialize in a wide range of products, including: acoustic equipment, home furnishings, baby products, athletic gear, power tools, farming equipment, FM radios, and bicycles.

Despite the diverse focus of these successful companies, it’s remarkable how much their product design and development processes share in common. Their hard-learned lessons can now benefit you, potentially saving your company time, money and frustration.

Download your copy of “10 Design Questions That Can Make or Break a New Consumer Product” today!