Creating Product Art
Creation of product art requires the synthesis of many different streams of information.
Many streams of information have to be combined to create accurate, controlled product artwork. Failure can lead to incorrect artwork, incorrect parts, customer dissatisfaction, and possible regulatory or legal issues.
Multiple parts interact to increase complexity.
From a Graphic Design standpoint, the application of correct and coherent visual brand language is paramount. In the 13 years in which I created product graphic artwork for the Whirlpool corporation I was able to apply and shape the on-product application of multiple brands. The continuous back and forth between established brand graphics and new production or marketing influences allowed me to be involved with the day to day experience of branding a huge number of products.
This is an example of an in-mold decorated part. Created for three or more brands, this artwork had to interact with two other parts while functioning within tolerance and VBL. Later, this part was created as a PSA, or Pressure Sensitive Adhesive overlay which dictated small differences in graphics and color application.
Design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In order to apply a VBL to a product technical drawings and requirements must be met. While on the surface the idea of product graphics may seem simple, they are the primary mode for customer interaction for many touchpoints and sometimes define the entire mental model for Ux. Product graphics are also used to convey regulatory information, warnings, and other mundane information necessary for the user. This is no small task when dozens of models are multiplied over multiple brands, and each part has the potential to interact with other parts.
Technical understanding is also necessary for the accurate creation of product graphics. Starting with a firm grasp of engineering drawings and practices, a designer must be aware of production issues and tolerance. To complicate matters, each manufacturer or supplier has their own unique production limitations due to process or cost.
In this case two backlit artworks were required to interact with a tint layer, and a conductive switch layout.
Proper organization and execution of branded on-product graphics is not something that should be taken for granted. A single mistake can cost you dearly if parts are scrapped, or if engineering changes aren’t aligned with customer facing graphics. Once a system like this is mapped, the complexity is apparent.
“I had the pleasure to work with Zach in different projects in Whirlpool. Not only is he a very talented Designer, but also very detailed, customer focused and hard working individual. While his technical talents makes him a great team member, he always finds opportunities to create standard work and training assests for his team so that the team can deliver consistently regardless of the location or language of the team members. He is an excellent team member to have in any company. I wish him all the best. ”