The Seven Deadly Sins of

Product Development and Design

By Michael Paloian – Integrated Design Systems
 The Seven Deadly Sins of
Product Development and Design
By Michael Paloian – Integrated Design Systems

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Essentials in Successful Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Deadly Sin #1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Deadly Sin #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Deadly Sin #3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Deadly Sin #4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Deadly Sin #5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Deadly Sin #6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Deadly Sin #7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Summery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Michael Paloian & IDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

© Copyright 2021

Integrated Design Systems Inc

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771

516-482-2181 • idsys.com
 Introduction

Listen to the voice of experience,

avoid the mistakes of others,
and chart a path of essentials
in design for success.

S uccess in design evolves from

many factors. With more than 35
years of experience, we have found an
overarching concept among all projects:
avoid fatal mistakes.
It is vital to begin with the experience,
knowledge, tools and guidance. And, as
the process unfolds, follow a plan. By
taking a lesson from the errors of others
(who have learned the hard way), you
can boost effectiveness and take the first
steps on the road to success.
Based on our experience, here are the
guiding concepts that avoid pitfalls and
drive success.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
Essentials in Successful Design

L et’s face it, nobody likes mistakes. But for truly successful product design,
there’s far more to “doing it right” than “not doing it wrong.”
Experience tells us that design is a creative, usually collaborative, process that
can be challenging, even painful. This eBook describes how to identify and avoid
the 7 Deadly Sins of Product Development and Design. What’s more, we present
an outline of the essential process steps for success in what to do instead.
Every designer has a personal list of essentials for success. Their ideas are
beyond the basics of technical expertise, imagination, materials knowledge and
engineering knowledge, etc.
My perspective begins with some overarching qualities. These form doorways
to every decision or idea in the process. These are:
• Integrity
• Honesty, and
• Knowledge
In general, a successfully designed product embodies a strategic balance
of qualities defined by the developers, including, of course, the designer. The
quality of information and options used to formulate these decisions are largely
based on a designer’s values that are inextricably tied to his or her integrity and
honesty.
Design integrity means that the product is designed to perform safely, with
ease of use, high quality and affordability.
Honest designs express form and function without clichés, overly trendy styles
or misrepresentations.
Products designed with these attributes are sometimes referred to as
“intelligently designed products, creatively developed from a comprehensive set
of specifications.” We have found that these are the pillars of every successful
design because they provide a logical pathway for critical observation,
evaluation, problem solving and creativity.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
1 Failure to accurately define
product specifications

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I t’s surprising how often the critical step of project planning is overlooked,
trivialized or minimized by product developers. I’ve been involved in many
projects where the specifications are vague or non-existent.
Designing is an activity that
involves creativity and the
organization of information within
a logical set of plans to either solve
a problem or serve a purpose.
It requires a comprehensive
understanding of the application
and project objectives at the
inception of development.
Specifications can vary from
a shortlist of product features
and requirements to a very
comprehensive document with
many hundreds of detailed
specifications.
However, without a well-defined set of specifications no product can attain
any level of success because the parameters defining its very purpose are
based on the specifications.
Inclusion or omission of the many design parameters and details will help
define the marketing strategy, advertising messages, sales and profitability of
the product. A concisely defined list of product features that are fully integrated
with selling price and marketing strategy will dramatically improve the chances
for a product to be successful.
Product specifications can vary in comprehensiveness from a single page to
a multi-chapter document that defines everything from surface gloss to how
the product will be shipped. Thoroughly researched and well-prepared product
specifications establish the boundaries for project management, product
function and, ultimately, the product distribution.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
2 Not understanding the end user,
competition and the marketplace

“Focus on how the end-users perceive the impact of your

innovation – rather than on how you, the innovators, per-
ceive it.” —Thomas A. Edison

A vital subset of product specifications is

understanding the end user. Because virtually
every product is purchased and manipulated by
another human, this is one of the most important
planning and development considerations.
The design, and the final product, must
provide value to the buyer by either performing
a task or serving some functional purpose at a
desired cost. Further, the product exists among
competing products in the marketplace and in
the mind of the buyer/user. Product value is a
perception, based in part, on intangibles. These
might include prestige, image and aesthetic
design versus pure function.
In addition to buyer’s price elasticity,
achieving a successful product design includes
understanding the overall market, competition,
technological, social trends, etc. These and other
factors influence how a product is positioned
and designed to sell within a particular market
segment. This information will not only
influence the design but also material selection,
manufacturing process, performance and
advertising.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
3 Being inflexible about creative options;
deconstruction/reconstruction

“It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.” — Jean-Luc
Godard

P roduct design is not a linear process that simply cascades from one step to
the next. It is a dynamic and creative activity that often reveals unexpected
surprises that can dramatically change the course of any project plan.
Creative thinking is a dynamic, complicated and elusive process where
stimulations affecting it vary from one individual to the next. Creativity requires
one to be flexible and receptive to many ideas, some of which could be at
odds with other factors. Creative problem solving also requires keen analytical
thinking to evaluate information and ideas based on a
multitude of parameters.
The ability to examine problems on multiple levels
provides the ability to eliminate problems at the
source. This can be done, for example, by creating an
alternative design solution that avoids the conditions
causing the problem in the first place. Great ideas are
often attained by assembling a group of individuals
with the common objective of solving a problem
or planning some strategy based on a constructive
exchange of ideas.
Innovative solutions are highly dependent on
personal as well as social perceptions. Initial
perceptions and assumptions can impose significant
restrictions on solving problems. These limitations can
be minimized by deconstructing complex problems
and isolating fundamental parameters that are
essential for a product.
Assuming the basic requirements and conditions have been identified,
concepts can be explored to reconstruct the particular product in a completely
new form. During this reconstruction or design process, many of the limitations
that existed with the initial set of parameters may no longer be present.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
4 Minimum consideration for product aesthetics
and proportion, and for end user/human factors

“A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychologi-
cal and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that
could possibly detract from it.” – Dieter Rams

R egardless of what purpose a product serves, appearance is always important. Appearance

expresses the values of the manufacturer as well as the product’s intended use and quality.
In addition to function and performance, products ranging from highly functional electrical
connectors to stylish accessories, for example, should value the importance of appearance.
Well-designed products are neatly detailed, well proportioned
and designed with simplicity. Designing a product to be as
simple as possible is the most difficult challenge for any designer.
Elegant designs express clarity in the execution of details that
appear to be obvious to the average person.
The sophistication of the engineering and development
required to attain the simplest design typically goes unnoticed
by the novice. Designing products with a minimal number of
parts and features equates to products with lower cost, higher
reliability, ease of use as well as high value.
In addition to simple, neat details, a well-designed product
always accounts for the end user. The terms ‘ergonomics’ or
‘human factors’ are often used to describe product features
that have been included to optimize the man-machine interface.
Virtually every product comes in contact by a human at some point. Therefore, well-designed
products have been optimized for ease of assembly, operation and service.
Human factor considerations can influence a product’s safe use, cost of assembly, field
service costs, ease of use, repetitive use injuries and many other parameters.
Proportion, overall shape, color and attention to details are extremely critical to the user’s
impression. Honest designs creatively integrate these characteristics into the product on
multiple levels.
A product design that miscommunicates with its user can suffer with limited market acceptance,
inappropriate use or more serious consequences. A designer is responsible for skillfully applying
these considerations within the product based on balancing priorities within the specifications.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
5 Insufficient knowledge of materials, processing,
manufacturing and costs

“To know that you do not know is best. To think you know when you do not is a
disease. Recognizing this disease as a disease is to be free of it.”— Lao Tzu

This critical stage is where the realities of the physical world must be
creatively adapted to the abstract requirements in the design concept and
product specifications.
Unfortunately, the cost, investment of time, knowledge and skills required
to forge through this phase are often under-appreciated by non-technical
personnel in marketing or upper management. But the significance of this effort
is usually noticed when a product fails to perform as anticipated.
Design engineers are continually challenged to
keep abreast of new materials, decorative methods,
processing advancements, tooling technologies and
regulatory requirements both domestically and globally.
This constant awareness of changes in technology
is an essential part of developing designs that are
cost competitive, reliable and optimally designed for
maximum value to the purchaser.
Today’s successful products are optimized with
numerous simulation programs that minimize material
weight, maximize structural integrity, cycle time
and dynamic behavior. Dozens of rapid prototyping
technologies are also compressing the development cycle
and permitting designers to quickly see their designs in
advance with minimal investment.
Despite the endless stream of new technologies being
offered to designers today, the end result is only as
good as the person or persons who created it. Design
engineers can never become complacent. They must constantly challenge
themselves and their ideas by objectively comparing their design solutions to
competitive parts of similar type.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
6 Inadequate or improper testing,
evaluation and verification

“Quality means doing it right even when no one is looking.” – Henry Ford

O ne of the most difficult, and sometimes costly, tasks in product development is testing and
verification. Testing is an essential part of validating product function, safety, as well as
long-term exposure performance under a set of conditions.
Testing conditions should verify product performance under normal and extreme conditions.
Designing an appropriate test requires a comprehensive knowledge of material properties,
regulatory requirements, human factors, applied physics and, ultimately, the application.
Regulatory requirements increase each year with the expansion of international trade, growing
environmental requirements, complexities of new products and unforeseen factors introduced
by new technologies that must be regulated. These parameters are governed by international
laws and have a major influence on design.
Plastic designers and others in the transportation market, for
example, are often challenged with minimizing weight, improving
safety and accounting for recyclability. Disposable packaging is
another market that is increasingly regulated by domestic as well
as international laws.
Determining how the product might be used by a human could
unveil a potentially life-threatening problem that would otherwise
go unnoticed. Designing a test procedure to reveal potential
safety issues requires careful thought and critical thinking.
A designer must create scenarios where the product could be
inadvertently misused. This is often done with the assistance of
a human factors specialist, psychologist, or an expert. Human
factors testing is a vital part of the process for medical equipment,
sporting goods, control panels, power tools and others.
A product designer’s understanding of basic physics is essential
for developing a successful product. Applied physics can be described as those conditions
during which a product will be subjected to some environmental stimulation causing an affect.
These conditions could be thermal, load bearing, chemical, electrical, vibration, etc. A designer’s
understanding of the application is critical in determining what parameters to include in the test
procedure and how they will be evaluated.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
7 Neglect the production follow-up
and final review

“To those who say that “if you need testing at the end, you’re doing it wrong,” would
you prefer a Boeing, or are you going Air Icarus? – Michael Bolton, Consultant

The last phase of product design is the beginning of production. This is the
moment in a project when all the planning and decisions are culminated in a
set of parts. During this phase of a project, parts can be measured, assembled,
touched and tested in accordance with their design intent.
Smooth transitions to production
startup are not achieved by
luck. They are only realized
with methodical planning,
extensive knowledge of tooling,
communication with key members
of the supply chain and intelligent
decision making. Designing a set of
parts with reasonable clearances,
proper draft angles, appropriate
textures, allowance for gate location
and adequate wall thickness is
essential for smooth transitions
to production.
During production startup,
designers are often confronted with
identifying causes for interferences,
loose fits or cosmetic issues. These
problems are often difficult to pinpoint, requiring methodical problem solving
methods to identify the exact cause of the condition. Premature changes to the
design often compound the problem, leading to further problems, lost time and
added cost.

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
Steps to success…

A voiding pitfalls is a strong step forward. But each designer

has his or her set of skills and area of expertise. Moving
forward means addressing the negative considerations, and
investing in the positive steps for successful product development
and design.
Product design, industrial design and product development are
fascinating professions that are continually evolving with social,
economic and technological changes. Designers must therefore
maintain honesty and integrity to guide them throughout this
challenging process.

Let us know if we can help…

We understand what works and what doesn’t work on the road
to success. We bring years of professional experience to the
product design process, and we can support your project.
Please call us if you need help with the rough spots or guidance
with the creative process.

Call us today at 516-482-2181 or

paloian@idsys.com, and we’ll help
get all your questions answered.

10

74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021
 M ichael Paloian, President, Integrated Design
Systems, is a uniquely qualified authority
in industrial and commercial product design.
He often provides insightful presentations for
design and manufacturing events, webinars
and seminars. Mr. Paloian is a knowledgeable
and dynamic speaker, inventor, lecturer and
educator. He is a faculty member, Plastics
Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell,
and a Contributing Design Editor for industry
publications. Michael’s education as an industrial
designer and plastics engineer has provided him
with a unique set of design skills, enabling him to
design products from concept to production.
For information about booking Michael for a
design industry speaking engagement, guest
author requests, or to check Michael Paloian’s
availability, please contact IDSYS directly at
516-482-2181 or paloian@idsys.com.
Integrated Design Systems Inc. (IDS) is an
award-winning industrial design firm located
in Oyster Bay, New York. For over 35 years,
this company has successfully guided product
development in medical, analytical and testing,
and plastic display and plastic product design.
Mr. Paloian holds more than 45 patents and has
lectured hundreds of times for organizations such
as the SPE, SPI, ARM and IDSA. Michael has also
written numerous articles concerning design for
publications such as Machine design, Design
News, Innovation, Rotation and Plastics
Design Forum.

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74 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 • 516-482-2181 • idsys.com • ©2021