New Design Apps for a New WorldNew Design Apps for a New World

New design applications are popping up everywhere. From advanced touchscreen applications to new ways for finding lighter and stronger materials, design applications are springing up to improve design productivity. Each one is created to help the design engineer survive and thrive in an environment of ever-increasing speed-to-market.

Multi-touch screens with gesture control are showing up on large displays. Plus, touchscreens on phones are becoming more detailed. They now respond to a finer touch. The image can be enlarged for more detailed manipulation on a mobile device. 2D sketching is now more sophisticated and easier to integrate into 3D CAD, and enhanced PLM systems are helping with materials selection and collaboration.

In some cases such as CAD, the new applications have familiar but improved technology; in other cases such as design collaboration tools, the emerging technology is pushing the design process into new directions to meet business requirements.