In this six-part series, we share how industrial design shaped the evolution of a long-standing customer product: the Autani Manager.
Understanding Industrial Design – Part 1 – Industrial design is more than aesthetics.
#IndustrialDesign is often misunderstood in the #ProductDevelopment process. It’s sometimes treated as surface styling, when in reality it is a strategic discipline that connects user experience, usability, interface development, engineering, manufacturing, branding, and the environment where products live.
The original Manager was engineered as a rugged, industrial device, with limited production expectations. It performed well technically. But as installations expanded beyond traditional equipment cabinets and into visible workspaces, it was time to update the design.
The original Manager, a mix of stamped and sheetmetal parts using COTS items wherever possible
The next-generation Manager needed to:
🚀 Balance advanced technical capabilities with a clean, modern presence
💡 Improve usability across installations, support toolless maintenance, and upgrades
🏭 Streamline manufacturing for reliability and scalability
🎨 Establish a design language that would anchor a future product family
This first phase focused on defining requirements, clarifying product goals, and organizing real-world lessons learned from years of deployment.
Before sketching begins, clarity matters.
A concept outline
#UserExperience #Usability #DesignForManufacturing #HardwareInnovation #RPMTech