Product development funnel
The Product Development Funnel is what I call the process of taking many ideas, narrowing them down to one, then bringing that idea into reality.
Below is an edited transcript:
Mark Brinkerhoff shares the new product development funnel. It is a process of taking many ideas, narrowing them down to one, then bringing that idea into reality.
New Product Development Funnel
This session is on the New Product Development Funnel. It's called a funnel because the process begins with many product or service ideas at the top. Some of those concepts funnel downward as a result of your research efforts, and a fraction of those ideas become actual products when they reach the bottom of the funnel.
Background Research
The first step is background research to understand the marketplace and available technologies.
Concept Development
Then comes concept development or concept sketching. In concept sketching, you draw as many as a hundred or more sketches of possible solutions. These are quick and usually pen and paper; rarely is it a computer sketch at this particular phase. This list is narrowed down to 12. Together with the client, those 12 are reviewed and narrowed down to three.
Refinement Phase
We do photo renderings, simple CAD models, external shape models, and skin models in the refinement phase. Sometimes we'll do simple models that are either foam or quick rapid prototypes in this effort. So at this point, we narrow down from that three to one.
Control Files
We looked at a hundred or more solutions and narrowed it down to the ultimate one. We then create a control file.
With these steps, an industrial designer, as well as a mechanical engineer, have been involved. We involve the mechanical engineer at the early stages to ensure that the invention is producible in volume. At the control stage the industrial designer is generally finished at this stage.
Mechanical design
We produce 3D CAD models in SolidWorks or Pro/ENGINEER. From these 3D models, we will create 2D mechanical drawings of each part. Depending on the complexity, the assembly may have a set of drawings.
Prototype Stage
Once we have those done, we go to the prototype stage. Prototyping is crucial because we merge the creative imagery done in the industrial design effort with the actual functional solutions done in the mechanical design effort. It all comes together. Many times this involves electrical development for circuit boards, as well as software development.
Release to Production
Lastly, once we review the prototype, we typically update our documentation and release it to production.
So you can see this funneling process starts very broad and narrows the options down to one concept which can be successfully implemented and brought into reality.
