Say you’re building a smart table fan, something as ordinary as it gets, but with a twist: Better airflow, smart controls, energy savings and a sleek design to suit modern homes.

Now the big question: How do you turn it into something people want to own, not just use? That’s where industrial design plays a critical role and no, it’s not just about making it “look cool.”

It’s about creating a complete experience: intuitive usability, long-term comfort, efficient function, and emotional connection.

Let’s walk through how industrial design integrates into the product development process, step-by-step using this smart table fan as our running example.

Step 1: Design Research — Understanding How and Where Fans Are Used

We begin not with the fan, but with the people who use it.

For a smart fan, this means:

• Observing homes, offices, and bedrooms noticing how fans are placed, adjusted, cleaned, and stored.

• Talking to users across India, understanding needs from Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

• Exploring frustrations: difficult to clean grills, noisy oscillations, confusing remote controls, cheap plastic finish.

Insight Example: Many users tilt the fan awkwardly to cool specific areas. That suggests poor vertical adjustability or unclear angle settings.

Deliverable: User personas, behavioral insights, product usage contexts, feature gaps in existing options.

Step 2: Concepting — Rethinking Form, Features, and Feel

We take those insights and begin ideating:

• Could the fan’s neck offer 360° smooth rotation?

• What if the base docked into a wall charger?

• Could we hide the motor inside a sleeker, quieter form?

• What kind of minimal control interface works for both young and elderly users?

Example Concept: A fan with a magnetic swivel head, a soft-touch control ring instead of push buttons and a detachable grill for easy cleaning.

Deliverable: Multiple design directions via sketches, storyboards, visual moodboards.

Step 3: Ergonomics — Making Everyday Interactions Smoother

Next, we prototype quick foam or 3D printed models to test physical touchpoints:

• Is the fan easy to lift and move?

• Can users tilt or rotate the head effortlessly?

• Is the power dial readable in low light?

• Do kids or elderly people find it intuitive to use?

Realization: Elderly users struggle with forceful clicks. We introduce a pressure-sensitive dial with soft haptic feedback no more hard presses.

Deliverable: Physical mockups, user testing results, ergonomic refinements.

Step 4: CAD Development Designing What Can Be Made

We then bring the approved concept into detailed CAD models, working closely with engineers:

• Internal space planning for motor, electronics, and heat dissipation

• Structural design for stability (especially for oscillation)

• Snap fits vs. screws for easy assembly

• Tooling considerations to keep parts minimal and cost-effective

Example: A fan head that looks like a seamless cylinder but hides vented airflow channels and a brushless motor behind a detachable rear plate.

Deliverable: Engineering-ready 3D models, exploded views, mechanical drawings and tolerancing plans.

Step 5: Prototyping Bringing the Fan into the Real World

Now it’s time to test:

• How does it feel when turned on?

• Is the noise acceptable?

• Does the base feel stable on uneven surfaces?

• Can a child adjust the height without toppling it?

Feedback Loop: A prototype shows instability when tilted at full speed. We tweak the base to include a weighted ring and anti-slip rubber finish.

Deliverable: Functional prototypes, user feedback, iterations with each physical test round.

Step 6: CMF Giving It the Right Look, Feel, and Durability

Here, we define the Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) strategy:

• Should it be matte or gloss? White or anthracite?

• What material hides dust while staying cool to touch?

• How do we make it premium without pushing up costs?

Design Decision: We choose a matte-finish recycled ABS body in clay grey, with brushed copper accents on the fan ring balancing elegance, dust-resistance and brand positioning.

Deliverable: CMF boards, sample swatches, supplier-ready material and finish specs.

Design Is Iterative, Not Linear

Each step feeds into the next but also loops back. A change in prototyping may impact ergonomics or tooling. The key is to treat industrial design as a central pillar, not an afterthought.

Why This Matters for Indian Brands

In today’s cluttered markets, customers don’t just buy performance — they buy experience. Even in categories like fans, mixers, or dispensers, good design becomes a business moat.

By bringing design in early:

• You reduce development waste

• You align better with your user

• You create a product that earns loyalty, not just sales

Let Studio deMonk Help You Design It Right

At Studio deMonk, we partner with brands across India to help them:

• Understand their market

• Reimagine their product design from Day 1

• Deliver category-defining user experiences

We don’t just design for aesthetics. We design for impact, business, user, and brand.