Case Study: Engineering Design Consulting
From the start, as thoughts form around new design concepts, a trajectory begins to emerge. The starting thoughts in design are often the most critical because they influence results — for good or bad. The importance of “beginning” is recognized across industries, and considerable focus is given to setting a trajectory for success. Subjects and buzz words like “Brainstorming” and “Sprint” are coined to represent methodologies of thinking — all with a focus on quickly connecting the path to success.
One proven ingredient for setting the right trajectory is inviting input from experienced and thoughtful perspectives. This ingredient has proven helpful in all the methods, because it expands the conversation to consider context that expedites progress.
If you could increase confidence in the direction of your design, would you do it?
Calling in experienced design consulting is one ingredient in success for some of our customers.
Case Study Example
One of our customers is a well established and well equipped Engineering Firm. They design and construct very large and complex projects — usually as one-off’s in aesthetic function. You may have seen their work — large, beautifully functional structures in or around big buildings. One example is a large winding staircase that appears to float in the air.
The business of one-off unique design and engineering often throws a curve simply because the designs are all new. Furthermore, there is no room for error because only one is being built, and the cost is often in the millions of dollars. So how do they stack the deck in their favor?
These folks are good at what they do, and very capable in their field, so we are honored to be called in occasionally for design consulting. Our input is not usually in the aesthetic area, as the artists have already defined that. Our job is to assist in making it happen in ways that are safe, robust and functional. Normally we don’t do a lot of the engineering. We support specific tasks in a design consulting role to answer key questions.
Much of their business is in the Civil Engineering arena, and we are not Civil Engineers. However, in all areas of engineering design, sound understand and creativity are important. Whether it be analysis of a beam structure for deflection, or a motorized system for containment, the physics don’t change. The fields of Mechanical Engineering are vast. More to the point, when starting the design process, the most important piece is always finding the best ideas that will guide to success.
Engineering Design Consulting
In design consulting with this and other customers, we almost always work with a team to flesh out ideas and to analyze possibilities. This usually includes discussing ideas or brainstorming to develop concepts, then separating to analyze or model the concepts for further team evaluation. Often scaled prototypes convey concepts and enhance communication within the team, to the extended engineering personnel, and to the end customer.
Our objective in a design consulting role is not to complete the project, but to give valuable input into the engineering and design. Depending on the specific needs of the customer, sometimes we bring creative ideas about how to accomplish the project. Sometimes we offer design analysis to give confidence in the direction they are going. Then, sometimes we assist with ways to prove a concept before it goes to production — often with prototypes of one kind or another. For us, it’s all about helping customers find a path of confidence, then expedite their progress along that path.
Because our experience spans numerous industries including design and manufacturing, we have a wealth of acquired knowledge to draw from. We combine the experience with creativity to mutate and apply previous concepts to new roles. And, we cross pollinate with ideas from other industries — which is the essence of value for design consulting. We invite you to connect with us to discuss ways that design consulting can assist in expediting your next project.
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