Abstract
Plastic Product Designs that Combine Aesthetics and Industrial Design are Easier to Sell
The marketing of successful plastics product design is possible through a completely optimized
convergence of the form and function of industrial design (ID) with plastics material and process
selection, manufacturability, and recyclability. In some cases, efficient and excessive marketing
provides consumers with a plethora of choices in plastic designs. There are two reasons for this
abundance of designs, especially in North America. The first is that domestic producers have started
indulging in niche marketing by producing smaller quantities of variations of the same product,
which are customized to appeal to the unique preferences of different identifiable markets.
Secondly, all companies around the world view North America as a hotspot market for plastic products
designs.
This Frost & Sullivan research, Plastics Design--Emerging Technology and Trends, examines
110+ plastics design related trends from a leading-edge, company-specific focus, in a concise yet
comprehensive format. It describes and defines the value of plastics product design engineering in
the important segments of ID, fundamental plastics design, plastics companies in design, design
houses, and global industry design awards.
Changes in the Field of Design Engineering Are not Limited to Software or New Material Advances
The plastics industry is witnessing fundamental shifts toward both ID and manufacturing segments
of product development. Design engineers that solely focused on function and performance are now
considering form and manufacturability, aesthetics, tool design, and cost. This change has occurred
due to two reasons. One was the drive to differentiate products through design, decoration, and
color. The other involves time-to-market and shrinking product life cycles.
Concepts of concurrent or simultaneous engineering have subtly made their way into the design
engineering field. "Design for excellence (DFx) methods such as design for manufacturability
and assembly are becoming prevalent as new variables including design for recycling and decorating
are being added to the overall design process," says the analyst of this research.
Emerging Technologies and Trends Pervade all through Plastics Design Industry
For a companys integrated plastics technology program to succeed, the personnel involved should
have thorough knowledge of emerging, cutting-edge trends in critically related, similar segments.
"For instance, companies dealing with ethnographic design use ethnographic research to find out
the requirements of their target users by observing their behavior in the environment in which a
product will be used," notes the analyst.
Other areas covered by plastics design technology include eyeglasses. While cellulosic plastics
have unique properties and the flexibility for an accurate and adjustable fit in eyeglasses,
copolyester, which is extremely chemical resistant and clear, will be suitable for both frames and
lenses. Companies have also come up with a technology that will help beekeepers harvest comb honey
from their beehives with minimum labor/expense by eliminating the need for foundation wax.
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