Peter Dabbs - Product Design Styling

An imprint of Quercus Editions Ltd
www.laurenceking.com/student

Published in Great Britain by

Laurence King Student & Professional

An imprint of Quercus Editions Ltd

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y 0DZ

An Hachette UK company

Text and drawings 2021 Peter Dabbs

The moral right of Peter Dabbs to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

TBP ISBN 978-1-78627-784-8

E-BOOK ISBN 978-1-52942-092-0

Quercus Editions Ltd hereby exclude all liability to the extent permitted by law for any errors or omissions in this book and for any loss, damage or expense (whether direct or indirect) suffered by a third party relying on any information contained in this book.

Design: Blok Graphic, London

Picture research: Giulia Hetherington

Dedicated to Tim Ball whose passion and drive for product design inspired us all

B Purely functional: adjustable spanner

C Functional design: Anglepoise Type 75 Mini lamp

The goal of product styling is not always to create beauty. A more visually robust, playful, quiet or brand-focused style may be appropriate in some contexts. Regardless of the chosen theme, the design should always appear harmonious. You must learn to spot and improve unappealing details, or risk creating products that consumers perceive as undesirable or low-quality.

By targeting the customers aspirations and creating several styling options for review, you can reduce the subjectivity of product styling, and move logically towards an ideal design that will appeal to the majority of the chosen market (see Del Coates, Watches Tell More Than Time, 2003). The challenge for the designer arises when styling functionally innovative products that may have odd proportions, but the arsenal of styling techniques, knowledge and references in this book will enable you to achieve good results with even the most demanding of design briefs.

We have included several examples of car design in this book. This is because of the commercial importance of the automobiles appearance, and to expand into more complex styling methods than are commonly found in product design. Automotive designers have been developing complex styling techniques for decades, and some can be effectively applied to other categories. Once you understand these methods and have a reliable styling process, you will be able to explore complex solutions more quickly.

It is important for designers to develop their own styling process and preferences if they are to stand out and drive future styling innovation. The classic Lamborghini Countach is anything but dull, but if every product resembled it they would all appear generic. It is often the perceived originality of a product that makes it appealing, and that is why styling innovation is so important. Products that resemble the competition can be successful, but will struggle to stand out, risk design infringement prosecution and not fulfil their potential. For a brand to be distinctive it must lead with its design and styling, not follow.

Sketching allows designers to suggest several solutions quickly, as well as being an invaluable visual tool for exploring and communicating design proposals. Many books are available to help you improve your technique in this area, but dedicated practice is key. Without a basic level of sketching it will be difficult to evolve a products design and styling, but not impossible. Some celebrated designers produce very rough-looking sketches, while others rely on handmade prototypes, CAD (computer-aided design) or the Adobe suite (Photoshop and Illustrator).

This is not a book about how to sketch. Instead, it breaks down a structured professional styling process into digestible stages, guiding you through styling your own consumer-focused products successfully. It is aimed at helping design students and professionals (as well as engineers, teachers, marketers and entrepreneurs) improve their understanding of the subject, and enabling them to style their own products. Each stage will examine and illustrate what designers should be focusing on, how to evaluate what has been designed, and how to optimize it if required. You will become better versed in critiquing the styling of competing products, as well as your own work, and can use this awareness to produce superior designs confidently and quickly.