How Cloud Computing Helps Innovators with Product Design

Cloud computing has undoubtedly become an essential part of the internet. It has dramatically helped in storing, managing, and processing data. Also, product designers and innovators have had their fair share of benefits to rip from the adoption of cloud computing technology. For that reason, the product design industry has grown so immensely in the last few years. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the challenges that led to the adoption of cloud computing and how it is helping to solve them.  

What are the challenges of product design?
Product design can be a daunting task, especially when getting started from scratch. This means you have to deal with new products, a complex development process, and interact with new customers. 

Below are some of the biggest challenges of product design. 
● Product complexity: Design can be affected very much by product complexity. Making the product too complex may make it difficult to use and may introduce errors and redundancies, influencing the development.

● Speed of Development: Product design speed matters a lot, and there are many ways to improve the production rate. However, this can be very challenging without the help of good technology. 

● Customer Involvement: Keeping customers and clients involved in development is critical for product design. For this to happen, the customer must receive proper feedback and suggestions. But the main problem is that clients outside the product design spectrum may not offer productive opinions. 

● Sustainability: Many designers have top-notch design ideas that may be hard to implement due to their financial or environmental unsustainability. For example, a product may be good, but producing it in large quantities may be too costly. At the same time, the products used for the design should be recyclable and have no harsh impacts on the ecosystem. Designers who solve these two problems get a better chance of having a more sustainable design that could last for ages.  

● Networking: Designers need to be in touch with the companies with high-quality manufacturing materials that they can use for their design. This relationship can be an excellent supporter for better production and long-term success. 

How cloud computing helps overcome these challenges
Cloud computing has been a significant booster in solving fundamental challenges previously experienced in the product design industry. One of the essential breakthroughs it has brought is the optimization of part geometry. Cloud computing enables product designers to set the exact geometry of their products, including weight, material, and style of manufacturing. 

It has also improved production speed by offering a network between designers, manufacturers, and aftermarket service engineers. This has been boosted by its ability to provide Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) which ensures the design is smooth and runs efficiently. 

Another major problem that cloud computing has solved is the issue of copyright. Manufacturers must carefully protect their intellectual property (IP) while creating parts - even the geometry of crucial pieces is sensitive. DRM (digital rights management) blocks access to designs, whereas watermarks on CAD files guarantee that the IP is preserved even if they are duplicated.

While the product design industry has had many challenges in the past, cloud computing has proven to offer an ultimate solution. It has made work much easier, connected vital players in the sector, and protected designers and innovators from copyright violation.