12 Things you need to know about choosing a good product designer:

1. Choose a designer who is flexible and will go outside of their comfort Zone. It may involve the designer creating work and doing research in an industry or consumer situation they are not familiar with, this is good because it will give you the client more insights. I was on holiday when I received a call from Lyngdorf Audio asking if I could fly within a few days to work with their team in Skive, Denmark. Working relationships are crucial to the process of design. Trust and respect need to be built quickly.

2. Choose a designer who feels they have an abundance of ideas to give you. If they have an unlimited supply of great and inspiring ideas for your project then that’s the place to start. The designer should assist you with brainstorming and to maintain a positive energy.

3. A designer experienced in your market is very beneficial, but not essential, in-fact if a designer has experience in another product area this can be very dynamic. The designer can bring a perspective your company may not yet have considered. As an Industrial Designer with 13 years experience of consumer electronics I have a wealth of knowledge of that product category, but Synapse called upon me as a designer to design Children’s furniture and storage containers for their client.

4. Choose a team player who goes for win win. most designers work in teams, but when a designer can see themselves in the bigger picture, they can offer even greater value. Their vision and ideas are important but so is the ultimate aim of a project and it’s company, this needs to involve everyone, so that everyone wins. A designer needs to be able to accept feedback and compromise with other designers, the board, marketing, engineering, production, distribution, sales, customers and anyone who is part of the whole. A designer who celebrates others successes as well as their own is essential.

5 Choose a designer who plays to their strengths. As a consultant and creative designer I am great at getting projects started and can deliver solutions to tight deadlines that are timed well for the market. I will then follow through to final manufacture and evaluation.

6 Choose a designer who will persevere with your project. Projects like the remote controls I have designed for NAD have required much perseverance to complete, working on these involved an understanding of the electronics. For example: I considered how the surface mount LED’s were neatly concealed within the casing and how the LCD display housing was designed to fit inside the casing.

7 A designer with strong links to model makers and prototyping facilities is a must I have worked with Synapse Model makers since 1997, both as a client and a collaborator. They provide very high quality models, from rapid prototypes and themo-jet prints to final presentation models. See www.synapse-point7.com for more info.

8 Choose a designer who has knowledge of mechanical engineering, this ensures your product will become a reality rather than just an interesting concept! While studying for my Degree in Industrial Design Engineering at UCE (University of Central England) I undertook a variety of engineering courses.

9 A good product designer will have a firm knowledge of contemporary design theory and how this is used to create profitable consumer goods. My Master of Arts Degree from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design is a touchstone for my research and understanding of the complexities of our global consumer society. Firstly I learned great insights into the use of Semiotics and how to simply apply this to product design, and secondly I learned much about the nature of my own creativity and thirdly how to research effectively to create original design proposals.

10 Choose a designer who has links to Production sourcing and manufacturing in Asia and China, this one many people already know much about, I have experience working on consumer products with manufacturers in China, Korea, USA, Denmark, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.

11 Choose a designer who wants to contribute and get your product or service aligned with a charity organisation. This is being proved effective right now by companies like Starbucks, this is a win/win because it helps others and promotes your product or service.

12 Choose a designer who understands the retail environment and knows what sells and what doesn’t, the designer should be a consultant who has an understanding of the connotations of colour, shape, form, texture, language and the techniques used to influence human perception. Finally budget - The best and most experienced designers usually cost more, although this can often be mitigated. However, passion and enthusiasm, tempered by diligence, can often compensate for inexperience.

So if you want to choose a good designer then please call Gary J Merrington for a FREE 15minute telephone consultation on +44(0)7981 432137. Or contact me via email at garymerrington@yahoo.co.uk view my work at www.merrington-design.co.uk.