Concept development
Especially for products with a high level of innovation, the development and verification of the product concept is essential before starting the detailed engineering work. During this time it may also be necessary to carefully examine the strength of the product idea once again.
Examples of relevant questions:
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What need will be fulfilled by the product in development? |
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How will the product be positioned in the market? |
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How will the product distinguish itself from competitor’s products? |
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Is the product concept already optimised in regard to its intended use? |
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Which functions are essential and must be fulfilled by the product?
Are there any non-essential functions that can be eliminated? |
Tasks involved in concept development:
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Creating drafts of concepts involving the layout and positioning
of different components |
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Creating drafts of principles and quantitative structures to
fulfil required functionality |
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Comparison and evaluation of the different concepts |
Depending on the project and its complexity, concept development can consist of freehand sketches or initial 3D-CAD visualisations or even involve the creation of functional models. |
