Accelerating the Product Design Process in the Age of AIAccelerating the Product Design Process in the Age of AI

Learn how AI-powered tools transform product design to accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency.

Autodesk Fusion user at desk doing some fine product design
Autodesk

The pace of product design, development, and manufacturing is accelerating like never before, and consumers are demanding more from their products. Many products, like coffee makers and even doorbells, are now smart devices, and it is expected that companies will continuously improve these products even after they go to market.

As a result, AI is increasingly becoming an integral part of the design process, enabling product designers to innovate faster and more efficiently. “The design and manufacturing industry is getting more competitive," says Jeff Kinder, executive vice president of product development and manufacturing solutions at Autodesk. “To keep pace, designers and engineers are leaning into technology like AI. They’re looking for new ways to work and reinvent their approaches.”

generative design in Autodesk Fusion

Design tools powered by AI automate repetitive tasks, facilitate data-driven decision-making, and enhance creativity. Designers can now leverage AI to generate design alternatives, optimize designs based on specific criteria, and predict potential issues before they arise. This shift not only accelerates the design process but, when used correctly, also enhances the overall quality and functionality of the final product.

In a market where speed and innovation are paramount, AI tools are now essential for staying ahead.

Related:Sustainable Manufacturing – From Product Design to Vast Data

Leveraging machine learning for faster concept design: Designers across all fields are leveraging AI for faster concept design. Traditionally, concepting involved time-consuming manual sketching and 3D modeling, often resulting in discarded work after selecting a final design. Now, teams can use large language model (LLM) tools to research industries and target markets, and image-based AI to generate basic visual concepts. This saves time and simplifies numerous processes, including initial client presentations and implementing client feedback ahead of 3D modeling.

Japanese start-up Final Aim recently collaborated with Yamaha Motor, Co. on C451, an electric vehicle for agriculture and light farm work. “We first used text-to-text AI to see the potential for the design concept and gain a broader perspective about the future of agriculture,” says Yasuhide Yokoi, co-founder and CDO, Final Aim.

Yamaha four-wheeler design - leveraging AI during concept design

Once the initial research was completed, Yokoi and the team used generative AI to explore visual concepts. “Using generative AI, we ideated more than 2,400 different design images in just a couple of weeks,” he continues. “From there, we narrowed it down to a couple that we wanted to pursue.” They then used Autodesk Fusion to create manufacturing-ready 3D models, completing the process in just two months – a timeline almost unheard of in the automotive industry.

Unlocking optimized design options with generative design: Unlike general AI image tools used for initial concepting, generative design is an engineering tool that uses algorithms to produce a wide range of design options based on defined parameters. It helps product designers explore various design alternatives that not only meet a project’s specific technical requirements but also often require lightweighting and reduction of material usage. The common results are time savings and reduced material costs.

French sports equipment company Decathlon reimagined the diving fin to merge performance and sustainability, turning to generative design for inspiration. The team generated hundreds of design options, analyzing details from weight distribution to flexibility. The resulting React fin uses 50% less material and cuts the carbon footprint by 50% compared to the market benchmark. “Generative design has opened unexplored horizons for us, allowing us to explore design solutions that were previously beyond our reach,” says Raphaël Vis, circular project leader and designer, Decathlon.

decathlon diving fin - internal design

Configurations: Imagine developing an entire product line without creating new models for each variant. Better yet, envision streamlining your manufacturing workflows by swiftly adapting a core design to various production stages or materials. Configurations in Fusion allow you to manage multiple design variations within a single model, automatically updating parameters across all configurations. For example, if you’re designing a hand drill in multiple colors and decide to improve the handle’s ergonomics, you can make this change once in the configuration table, and it will be applied across all variations of the hand drill.

Unik Metal, a custom fabrication company based in Waterloo, uses configurations in Autodesk Fusion to ensure all design options fit dimensionally in the space without creating and editing multiple separate design files. Founder Francis Deslauriers explains that the team can create each configuration in minutes, saving time and keeping things organized. Once ready, they send the options to the customer for review using the Fusion web viewer. “You simply send a link, and they can view the design in real time. There’s no need to use an app or anything. Customers, interior designers, and architects love it,” says Deslauriers.

Reducing errors with automated constraints for sketches: Automated constraint tools automatically apply geometric and dimensional constraints to sketches, ensuring that designs adhere to specified parameters. This new feature in Fusion helps maintain design integrity and reduces the likelihood of errors during the modeling process. By streamlining the sketching phase, designers can focus on refining their ideas and exploring new concepts, ultimately leading to more innovative solutions.

“Sketch constraints govern a sketch's shape and geometric properties, but they are time-intensive to create. As a result, this step is often skipped,” explains Kinder. “That leads to manual rework if you ever change the orientation, size, or position of the sketch. With auto constrain, Fusion analyzes sketches and suggests the best constraints to maintain design intent, freeing up valuable time for highly skilled designers and engineers.”

Communicating manufacturing intent with Drawing Automation: There’s nothing more frustrating than multiple rounds of back-and-forth edits to engineering drawings based on factory feedback. Drawing Automation in Fusion uses AI to generate detailed technical drawings from 3D models, significantly reducing the time and effort required for manual drafting and edits. This automation ensures consistency and accuracy, enabling designers to quickly iterate and refine their designs throughout the design process. As a result, productivity is enhanced, communication with factories is streamlined and the time-to-market for new products is shortened.

UK-based company Photocentric designs and manufactures 3D printers. With Autodesk Fusion, Photocentric can collaborate easily and quickly to speed up their workflow. The team uses generative design to evaluate potential design options and then automated drawing to quickly generate complex drawings that often require fast turnaround. “Tools like automated sketch constraints and drawing automation are practical AI capabilities that make you more productive,” says Kinder.

A look at ongoing AI research for product design

Though AI seems to have infiltrated every industry these days, it is still a relatively new technology with much more potential yet to be unlocked. Project Bernini is Autodesk's cutting-edge research initiative focused on advancing AI in product design. This project explores new AI methodologies and develops innovative tools that push the boundaries of what is possible in design automation. Using a simple prompt, it can rapidly generate functional 3D images, which can then be converted to editable geometry in Fusion.

“Project Bernini is indicative of how we can use future models to augment your creativity, how you can overcome your own inertia and jump three steps ahead in the process,” says Kinder. The Autodesk AI Lab within Autodesk Research is continuously testing and improving Project Bernini to provide designers with the most advanced and effective tools to drive innovation and efficiency.

Leveraging AI tools during the design process is becoming essential to stay ahead in today’s competitive industry landscape. AI tools help teams make smarter decisions, predict what’s coming next, and explore new opportunities. “AI is everywhere, and it will change the way you work,” says Kinder. “As your transformation continues, you can rely on Autodesk to be one step ahead like the pacesetter.”

About the Author

Aishwarya Balamukundan, Senior Director of Marketing, Design and Manufacturing at Autodesk

Aishwarya Balamukundan leads global marketing for Autodesk’s Design and Manufacturing business, shaping the future of manufacturing through innovative marketing strategies. With 10+ years of experience in the industry, she has spearheaded initiatives that drive digital transformation, enabling manufacturers to transition from traditional workflows to advanced cloud-based solutions.

Her expertise spans product marketing, audience insights, and growth strategies, helping manufacturers unlock productivity and efficiency gains. Aishwarya is deeply committed to addressing the unique challenges of the manufacturing sector, collaborating with sales teams, and leveraging data-driven approaches to deliver impactful customer experiences. As a marketing leader, Aishwarya is committed to fostering strong relationships with industry partners and continuously evolving Autodesk’s go-to-market approach to meet the complex needs of modern manufacturers. She is passionate about leveraging audience insights and cutting-edge technology to deliver impactful marketing campaigns that resonate with customers at every stage of their journey.

Sign up for Design News newsletters

You May Also Like