Have you ever wondered how the diving gear that you own is designed and developed?
The product development process for dive equipment is incredibly creative, exhilarating, and exciting. While dive equipment designs can take on a limitless number of shapes and forms, one must remember that dive equipment is essentially underwater life support equipment. This realization drives a product development process that is not only creative and imaginative, but also serious and rigorous.
The process is essentially the same for every piece of dive equipment I've designed. There are eleven developmental steps. Each step is essential to acheiving product success. To illustrate the process, let's dive into to the one I used for the design of the award winning Impulse 2 Snorkel for U.S. Divers:
The product development process for dive equipment is incredibly creative, exhilarating, and exciting. While dive equipment designs can take on a limitless number of shapes and forms, one must remember that dive equipment is essentially underwater life support equipment. This realization drives a product development process that is not only creative and imaginative, but also serious and rigorous.
The process is essentially the same for every piece of dive equipment I've designed. There are eleven developmental steps. Each step is essential to acheiving product success. To illustrate the process, let's dive into to the one I used for the design of the award winning Impulse 2 Snorkel for U.S. Divers:
Phase 1: Goals and Specs
The design process begins with the creation of a set of goals and specifications. What will the new gear do? How will it be better? Who is the user? What is the cost? What specs need to set the bar for performance, ease of use, and most importantly life support? The goals and specs need to be agreed upon at the highest levels of the manufacturing company.
For the Impulse 2, my goal was to improve on the the success of the original Impulse, designed by Mark Faulconer, and invented by Tony Christensen. The new Impulse had to weigh less, cost less, be more streamlined, be easier to use, look snazzier, and meet or exceed the performance of the original.
Phase 2: Schedule
Here, it is necessary to identify as many tasks in the process as possible, so there are no surprises. Each task is assigned a responsible party. The designer estimates how long each task will take, which can occur at the same time, and which need to be done in succession. Again, this needs to be agreed upon at the highest level.
The schedule for the Impulse 2 needed to be as streamlined as the snorkel itself. The time for the majority of the steps would be limited, because the required time for injection mold tooling was estimated at 16 weeks (4 months)! The mad dash across the water had begun.
Phase 3: Research
Upfront research is a necessary step in product development of any kind. Its here where the designer learns about the product and the user in detail, looks at existing designs and patterns of use, and projects improvements to be made.
For the Impulse 2, I examined every snorkel in the market. I tested the snorkels in the ocean and in the lab, and collected a list of usability and performance data for every competitive model. This "benchmarking" told me what already existed, and set the bar for the new design. By testing users, I learned the experiences they were craving: improved comfort, ease of use, and pride of ownership.
Phase 4: Concept
The concept phase is one of my favorites. Its here where a designer can explore every option. This is where it really gets creative, exhilarating, and exciting! The phase begins with brainstorming - creating as many ideas as possible. Very soon it becomes apparent which ideas are more viable, and those that are not. Usually a minimum of 10 sketches are generated by hand, brought into the computer, and rendered in color.
For the Impulse 2, I needed to maintain a number of design elements established by Mark Faulconer with the earlier Impulse. The "cone" at the top would still be a key element, and some remnant of Mark's famous louvers needed to stay. Everything else was on the table. The result was an "evolutionary" design. After a number of quick foam mock-ups it was on to the next phase.
Phase 5: 3D Modeling
Creating a 3D model of the "concept of choice" in CAD is key to evolving the design, and solving the many fit and function challenges that are part of any design. We modeled the Impulse 2 in Pro-E, but increasingly Solid works has become my software of choice, and I use it exclusively.
The 3D CAD model is the vehicle for communication from design to production. It must include all of the elements necessary to use and to manufacture the product. This is because the 3D model is used to produce rapid prototypes for testing, AND tooling that will be used to mold the product.
It is in this phase that the design process becomes quite serious and rigorous. The designer must balance design creativity with a constant concern for the safety of the diver. The design is no longer conceptual. This is the actual design of the equipment.
Phase 6: Prototypes
Finally, we are able to make parts and assemblies that can be dived. Rapid prototypes are virtually indistinguishable from the eventual production products. The advantage is, they are relatively in expensive, and avoid the time and expense of making a mold to test a design.
For the Impulse 2, I used the SLA (stereo lithography) process for my prototypes, but increasingly, I've used FDM and Objet rapid prototyping. For all of these processes, the parts are laid down in multiple layers. Since my rapid prototypes were rigid, I needed to create molds in which I could cast flexible tubes for testing (for the main tube and flex tube). It was these SLA and cast prototypes that moved on to the next phase.
Phase 7: Laboratory Testing
Phases 7 and 8 are performed at essentially the same time. These two steps are the first time the scuba product can truly be checked in the real world to confirm whether and how they work. Again, the process is both serious and rigorous.
For the Impulse 2, lab tests included inhalation and exhalation testing, pull testing, UV testing, and saltwater testing. It was here that I was able to establish that I had achieved decreased inhalation and exhalation effort - that is, it would be easier to breath through the Impulse 2!
Phase 8: Immerse as User
Scuba diving gear needs to be tested in the laboratory, but it must be tested in actual diving conditions as well. I believe it essential that the designer do the primary test diving, and take on the role of the user, to gain the insight necessary to evaluate scuba design. I call this Immersion as User.
Of course the prototype needs to be dove by others. The U.S Divers / Aqualung test dive team dove Impulse 2 prototypes at Catalina Island in California (on our monthly test dives), and at the company pool for several weeks, before giving the design their thumbs up.
A little know fact: Jacques Cousteau himself, test dove the Impulse 2 Snorkel on one of our Catalina test dives. You can read about my dive with Jacques Cousteau in a previous blog entry.
Phase 9: Detail Drawings
An essential step in communicating the final design to the manufacturer, is providing a set of drawings that identify critical dimensions and specifications. The 3D CAD file includes all of the product's dimensional information, including surfaces - but there dimensions that must be held within specific tolerances, to ensure proper function. For the Impulse 2 a simple two sheet drawing was all that was necessary.
Phase 10: Production
It is in the production phase that an efficient and repeatable manufacturing process is established. The phase begins when the 3D CAD file is finalized by the designer, and it is handed off to the manufacturer.
The designer typically travels to the injection mold maker, and to the factory where the molding and assembly will be performed - to ensure the integrity of the design is maintained. It is only fitting that the designer make these assurances - who has a bigger stake in the success of the design than the designer themselves?
Phase 11: Launch Success
Once a representative sampling is tested again in the lab, and in the ocean - the new scuba product is released for production. If the designer has done his or her job, the result is Launch Success and sales of the new scuba product meet or exceed all expectations.
In the case of the Impulse 2 Snorkel, the result was the largest selling professional snorkel in the world, an IDEA Award (Industrial Design Excellence Award), and safe and fun diving for scuba divers and snorkelers all over the world.
The designer typically travels to the injection mold maker, and to the factory where the molding and assembly will be performed - to ensure the integrity of the design is maintained. It is only fitting that the designer make these assurances - who has a bigger stake in the success of the design than the designer themselves?
Phase 11: Launch Success
Once a representative sampling is tested again in the lab, and in the ocean - the new scuba product is released for production. If the designer has done his or her job, the result is Launch Success and sales of the new scuba product meet or exceed all expectations.
In the case of the Impulse 2 Snorkel, the result was the largest selling professional snorkel in the world, an IDEA Award (Industrial Design Excellence Award), and safe and fun diving for scuba divers and snorkelers all over the world.
