Product Design Show - ENGINEERING.com

Designers at Pland developed a way to highlight the “waterfall” effect of a commercial urinal. This created a surprisingly attractive fixture for customers at high-end venues.

Secure institutions such as jails present unique design challenges, including anti-vandalism and anti-ligature. Vince and Allison show us how bathroom sinks meet those challenges using a combination of materials and geometry.

Allison and Vince talk to Quirky, a product design company that designs 2 products a week. Quirky starts selling virtual products before they begin manufacturing. Quirky designers tell us about their costing process that gives accurate costing without burning vendor relationships.

What if you had to design 2 new products every week? Quirky is a company that helps people invent tons of consumer products. In this episode, Vince and Allison walk us through the design process using a can-opener example. This stuff is so fascinating we could make an entire series about them.

Vince and Allison talk about challenges of transporting larger patients. Design engineer from Stryker Medical covers the latest improvements in their hydraulic cots.

Vince and Allison talk about design challenges faced by JR Automation as they create large assembly lines used to make cars, medical devices and furniture.

Have you ever thought about how high a ball is supposed to bounce off a playing surface? And how a court can provide grip for your shoes, yet not be so rough that falls tear your skin? Designers at Sport Court share their secrets in this episode.

How did Wagic design a line of multi-tools in a few weeks? Allison and Vince take us inside the design process showing rapid prototypes so realistic that they were the basis for the first orders.

The 2010 NASCAR had some clear "non-production" features, including the front end. In this episode Allison and Vince dig into how designers made the 2011 cars look more like the production versions without compromising performance. NASCAR engineer Bill Ferguson gives us the inside scoop on the 2011 nose design.

X-ray sensors and Whirlwind mills represent advances in woodworking equipment design. This week Allison and Vince explore several such advances, with their trademark tongue-in-cheek perspective.

Allison and Vince get the lowdown on indoor surfing from the engineers at American Wave Machine. They explain the standing wave phenomenon that results from a hydraulic jump and show how designers manipulate bottom contours to give an endless ride.

How does Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs fit into concept design? Allison and Vince show how The Psycho Aesthetic approach helps guitar designers forecast future consumer needs to create next generation instruments.

RKS uses emotion as a starting point for new product design. This episode of the Product Design Show looks at the Kor water bottle and how decisions designers made at the concept stage makes buyers feel better about themselves.

Vince and Allison uncover the engineering advances that make home appliances use 75 percent less energy compared to 25 years ago. Specific topics covered include the refrigerator, dishwasher and oven.

Vince and Allison talk about design challenges that toymakers face when creating toys.