Point of Purchase Design ID Software?

Skills software and technology
1

I’m a Point of purchase designer. My group is assigned the task of selecting new software to improve speed to market.
Doing ID for the Point of purchase is a little different because it’s very client driven at a super fast pace. Pretty pictures and cool concepts are what make the sale. Many companies and agencies submit concepts when a client issues a creative brief to their suppliers like us so presentation is everything. My stuff looks like this…

I submit about 4-5 concepts in 3ds Max. Once a design is picked, the drawing goes to my engineering buddies & totally redrawn in Concepts Unlimited so that drawings can be generated for manufacturing. …Feedback please!

2

Why don’t you go to CU directly? I’ve been pretty happy with it for modeling. If I need really nice renderings I export vrml to C4D. Concepts itself has a pretty good renderer if you put your own lights in

3

Your process sounds logical assuming you can use 3D Max efficiently for rapid visualization.

In your situation I’d probably use Max to rough out the concept and use Photoshop to fudge the details (and keep it loose/expressive.)

Don’t fall into the trap where prototypes (ie. your 3d Max art) aren’t disposable. Keep the engineering process separate.

4

I’m curious, why do you say that?

I have always made my Rhino work that goes into Max useable downstream by engineers.

5

Most of the POP companies that are process managed are proud of it and proudly post their 4,5 or 7 step “concept to consumer” process on their websites. Each and every one of them seperate “Creative Developement” & “Engineering” which is the way I think it needs to be as well. Extra special care needs to be given in the “Creative Developement” stages to assure the manufacturability, structural integrity, price point, ext, ext…
…just like extra special care needs to be taken in the engineering stages & beyond.

Does anybody know anything about the “Inventor Plugin” that comes with 3ds Max? I believe my board of directors has a thing for Autodesk. I can get Viz for $1800 with an old AutoCAD liscense upgrade and get a full seat of Max as a companion program for about $1600! I went for a Inventor demo last week.

6

Usable downstream how? I can wave my hands in the air and my engineers would call that usable.

There’s two major reasons: 1. Don’t waste time engineering concepts you know won’t make the cut (money saved.) 2. Cconcept refinement (money earned.)

7

I worked for a kiosk enclosure manufacturer for 2 years. What you say sounds like a waste of money to me because what is the point of coming up with a kiosk design that cannot accomodate the components the client needs?

An efficient product development process to me is on where each step builds upon the previous and you don’t waste time by spinning your tires and redoing work someone already has done before you.

8

I have designed interactive kiosks too in the past. It took at least 10 concept drawings from the group & I before we could get a design selected. After that, I was able to build it from existing componants that were selected based on the look of the concept drawing. Everyoe in the group had something to work off of. I don’t believe it would have been cost effestive to fully design 10 working proto-types.

9

How much would it have cost to tell your customer that he can’t have the design he picked because not enough thought was put into the design up front so it can accomodate the specific Elotouch FPD and Telpar printer he wanted?

That’s my point. I can’t tell you how many times clients would come to my company because other kiosk people didn’t think about that stuff.

10

This is the kiosk I was thinking of…

Flexibility is the key here I guess.
All the componants on this item had to be added subtracted according to the clients changing budget. a couple cpu suppliers where considered as well as the flatpanels.

I dont know if this is a good example here though. The stuff I do now is just make fancy freestanding shelf units that will compliment a specific product. The deadlines are tight and the competition is fierce. Being able to do some kick-butt concepts real quick while keeping the cost, manufacturability & Clients’ needs in mind is good too. What do ya think?