Introduction to Designing

A design is a detailed blueprint or specifications for the design of an object orsystem or even for the realization of a process or activity, or the product of which the blueprint is a model. The verb to design normally indicates the procedure of designing a design. But in cases where the term design is used without further defining words like blueprint, specification or plan, it denotes merely the act of planning.

Every designer has some idea of the objects and processes to be produced by a given invention. The job of the designer is to translate his ideas into actual designs and then bring them into production. A product designed is a well-constructed machine or an appliance whose overall efficiency and usefulness are better than its description. To design products, one needs to have a sound knowledge of the technical problems involved in producing a design and the corresponding technological solutions. It is usually a very lengthy task. Even when the invention is a new one, the design process is usually a continuous one as the inventor keeps on changing his mind about the best way to design the object he has produced.

A number of people lay stress on designing rather than on engineering design. However, there are people who believe that design should be associated with engineering design and it should be thought of as an integral part of the overall process of product design. In the design process, designers work with members of the production staff and other personnel to determine the problem-solving and production methods to be applied in order to solve any design problems. They develop a rational model, which will guide the engineers in producing the final product according to the specifications provided by the client.