How do you balance aesthetics with manufacturability in product design?

Hi Jon L., I’ve definitely encountered similar issues in my projects especially with intricate tooling designs in SolidWorks. Involving our manufacturing team early in the design phase was one way we addressed this challenge. This allowed us to obtain immediate feedback from manufacturing concerning any potential challenges related to snags in a given design at its onset. That saved time, money, and some of the other resources required to finalize an actual product for sale. Regarding your mention of the high-gloss finish, we once switched over to a matte or textured finish, which solved handling problems while maintaining a premium appearance.

For complex shapes, consider breaking down the part into modular designs. Instead of having one difficult piece, you can break it into smaller, simpler parts, making assembly easier at a later stage. This usually simplifies production without largely affecting the looks too much. Also, think about materials when designing for manufacture—sometimes a slight change in material can yield major production benefits and still achieve the desired look.

Hello Jon L., see if you can simplify the design by reducing the number of tight tolerances or by getting rid of features that don’t really represent much value to the customer’s demands but only make fabrication more difficult than it needs to be. It’s all about striking a balance between an attractive-looking product and one that can actually be made cost-effectively.