Issue 003:

The product design pilgrimage known as the development trip. This odyssey took me deep into the heart of manufacturing, where my digital sketches are reborn into tangible objects.

The goal of this trip was to better understand production, assembly, and developing ongoing programs and build new relationships with new factories. From the rhythmic hum of machinery, every detail created provides clues about a factory's capabilities. Armed with this knowledge, designers can make informed decisions about materials, timelines, and costs, ensuring their vision is realized with precision and efficiency.

This trip is a valuable opportunity for designers to witness first-hand how their vision is translated into a tangible product. Product designers have the chance to work closely with manufacturers and other professionals involved in the production process.

By seeing the production process up close, it allows designers to actively participate in the manufacturing of their designs, troubleshoot any issues, and ensure the final product reflects their overall vision.

Over the course of the week, I visited three factories. When touring any facilities, I look for several signs of quality and conditions such as cleanliness, ventilation, safety, line dynamics, technology, efficiency, size, and scale. These things along with discussing lead times, costing, resources, and capabilities with the factory managers all help in deciding when, where and why we choose to work with who we work with.