When I was studying Industrial Design at NCSU, my thought was that I would be designing “products” once I graduated and that was that. What I did not realize at the time was that my degree was teaching me something far beyond designing just "products." I was developing my process for solving problems. It does not matter if I am designing a new coffee maker or the layout of a new kitchen remodel; my process is the same. Here is a brief description of my design process. Not all problems require all of these steps but this will give you an idea of how I work. 1) Idea or Problem: This is the time when I ask myself or someone asks me, how can we do this better? Or says there has to be a better way. 2) Research: I look at what exists today that addresses this problem. What are the pros and cons of what is currently out there? What are the current trends? What new technology is available? 3) Ideation (Concept Generation): This process starts with hand sketches exploring various concepts that look at overall form and function. I will sometimes incorporate physical 3D scale models to help get the feel of interacting with the concept. Some CAD work will be done at this stage. 4) Concept Refinement: After evaluating the ideation, a direction is selected and further refined. This will generate further exploration of form, color, materials, and manufacturing process. The Concept Refinement phase will include CAD drawings and early stage 3D models to really get a feel for the User Interaction. 5) Prototyping: Prototyping refines the 3D form to an almost finished product that allows one to handle and experience what the end result will be. This is where the materials, color, and manufacturing process are nailed down. 6) Design Documentation: After the design is finalized, 2d and 3D CAD files are produced for manufacturing. 7) Product Management: This is where I work with the manufactures on scheduling, timelines, and quality control to ensure the best result.