Article

Speeding up
the magic of generating ideas

Increasing the fidelity of a first idea is where AI excels. Vizcom AI accelerates the generation of ideas by both giving draft ideas more body and building new ideas on top. This immediate ideation allows for multiple directions and applications, enriching the creative process and ensuring no idea is left unexplored.

It’s needless to say this tool can save hours of creative effort, essentially becoming your sparring partner during an ideation session.

Example: at Made, we used AI to ideate on ideas during the early phases of a car design project. The tool added various unexpected elements to the initial design ideas, sparking further creativity and inspiring innovations.

Adding the icing
to your concept design cake

Since AI now makes it possible to quickly add a layer of realism to your designs, these tools shine during a concept creation phase. It enables designers to show an increased variety of options to their clients without jeopardizing the quality.

Although CAD will remain essential in a subsequent phase aimed at production, Vizcom makes it possible to create very understandable concepts whilst completely bypassing labor-intensive 3D modelling work in the concept phase.

Example: at Made, we used AI to rapidly improve the quality and realism of the cushioning of one of the concepts that were created for an outdoor furniture design. This helped to convey the intended comfort and material choice to the client, enabling them to make a more rational design.

What to do next?

Once you’ve harnessed AI to create stunning concept designs, the next step in the innovation journey is validation. This ensures your product not only looks great, but also meets user needs and expectations.

Effective validation is crucial for staying ahead of the competition, bringing products to market quickly, and reducing development costs and risks.

Here’s how innovation managers can leverage AI and proven validation techniques to streamline this phase:

• In-depth interviews: Gather detailed user insights to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points. These insights are invaluable for refining your product to better align with market demands.
  
  

• Smoke screen testing: Measure market interest and demand with minimal investment. This technique helps gauge potential success before committing extensive resources.
  
  

• A/B testing: Compare different versions of your product to determine the best-performing option. This data-driven approach ensures you choose the design that resonates most with users.
  
  

• User surveys: Collect broad feedback to highlight common trends and user preferences. Surveys help validate assumptions and guide product adjustments.
  
  

• Usability testing: Assess how easily users interact with your product. Identifying and addressing usability issues early ensures a smoother user experience upon launch.
  
  

• AI / Synthetic panels: AI can create synthetic panels by simulating internal stakeholders' perspectives from qualitative interviews and data inputs, enabling a structured and objective assessment of ideas and strategies.

The future of AI within product design

Today, AI tools in industrial design primarily create, enhance, and redefine 2D information. In the future, we expect AI to handle 3D information, converting 2D sketches into fully realized 3D models. Some tools are already exploring this, but more development is needed for professional use.

As AI advances, it will make the design process more efficient and creative, allowing for rapid experimentation and innovation. This evolution will transform how designers bring ideas to life, integrating 2D and 3D design seamlessly and expanding the possibilities in industrial design.