How is concept design development changing?

By Concurrent Engineering Ltd
schedule24th Sep 14

The ways that designers can use and develop their concept designs is changing. In the past, concept design work always started on that scrap of paper or spare napkin. However, with developments in the way that CAD tools work and changes in the design process, this offline method is no longer the only way to record initial ideas.

In fact, by starting those initial concepts using CAD technology, it now means that the journey from concept to finished product can be made just that bit smoother.

How has technology enabled this development?

Essentially, this change is enabled by direct modeling technology. Designers can now modify existing design models to easily create new concepts. By having your concept work integrated within your CAD tool, you’re able to access all of your current design collateral and use this as a starting point for your work.

Also, with the new Design Exploration Extension for Creo Parametric 3.0, users are able to experiment with different design options with ease. Plus, with this extension, you don’t have to save a web of folder to your hard drive to store all the different design concepts.

What are the benefits of integrating early concept work?

But why should you consider changing the way you do your concept design work? The real benefit of using 3D as part of early concept work comes down to the fact it saves times. This time saving can be used in multiple ways. For a start, it could enable you to get your products to market faster. On top of this, design teams are free to explore and develop their ideas at a much earlier stage. This enables them to investigate more options, without having to commit to a length development process to test them out fully.

Another advantage of using an integrated CAD tool means more people can get involved during the concept design stage because they all have access to the same tool set. This means more expertise can review the product before it goes into development and products and more opportunities to prevent poor products from reaching the market.