# S7E16 Chad Walters | Constraints, Iteration, & Industrial Design in Product Development

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2026-04-10
- Length: 51m
- Episode: 15
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen

## Summary

Chad Walters, an industrial design leader with experience at companies like APR, LLC and Viking Range, LLC, discusses the role of industrial designers in product development, emphasizing user research, storytelling, and collaboration with engineering teams. He explains how industrial designers define product behavior and brand identity early in the process, using tools like SolidWorks and Adobe Illustrator to iterate on concepts and resolve constraints. Walters highlights the importance of embracing failure through rapid, low-fidelity prototyping to uncover true user needs, such as reducing battery size by rethinking a device's charging cradle, and using narrative to build trust with clients and engineers.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=0) Introduction and Rapid Fire Questions
- [3:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=232) Chad Walters' Path to Industrial Design
- [7:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=479) The Role of Industrial Design in Product Development
- [17:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=1079) Overcoming Engineering Pushback and Brand Language
- [22:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=1351) Tools of the Trade: CAD and Digital Sketching
- [31:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=1882) Embracing Failure and Rapid Prototyping
- [33:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=1984) Storytelling to Build Trust and Validate Decisions
- [38:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=2283) Case Study: Reducing Battery Size Through User Insight
- [44:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-04-10-s7e16-chad-walters-constraints-iteration-industrial-design-in-product-developmen#t=2675) Mentoring and Future Connections

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- APR, LLC (company)
- Viking Range, LLC (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Adobe Illustrator (tool)
- Sketchbook Pro (tool)
- Pro/E (tool)
- Coca-Cola Freestyle (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [082: Smooth Product Flow from Visual Design to Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-06-30-082-smooth-product-flow-from-visual-design-to-engineering) (Product Startup)
- [188: Use Inventor Narrative to Design Great Hardware Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-08-11-188-use-inventor-narrative-to-design-great-hardware-products) (Product Startup)
- [IDology #5 - Mindsailors industrial design process](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-01-03-idology-5-mindsailors-industrial-design-process) (IDology)
- [150: Building Product Prototypes with Your Design Team](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-11-16-150-building-product-prototypes-with-your-design-team) (Product Startup)
- [IDology #12 - How to communicate in a product design project](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-04-12-idology-12-how-to-communicate-in-a-product-design-project) (IDology)

## Citing this page

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