IDology · 6 Feb 2024 · 19m · Episode 15
Voytek Holysz, Rafał Piłat, and Anita Rogoża of the industrial design studio Mindsailors discuss integrating generative AI into their product development workflow. They detail using tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Cloth AI for pre-design research, inspiration, and enhancing 3D renders, while noting AI's limitations in generating novel, functional medical device designs. The team emphasizes that AI serves as a speed-up tool for sketches and marketing materials rather than a replacement for technical engineering and final design decisions.
Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.
DesignMidjourney
The team used Midjourney to create visual mashups and inspiration during the pre-design phase, allowing them to explore new forms and concepts quickly without producing industrial-grade designs.
“in midjourney, I can create some wild mashups. So let's say that we are creating the vacuum cleaner, Apple style vacuum cleaner. So I can create some inspiration with fast mashups.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 0:54
DesignChatGPT
ChatGPT was used to rapidly collect samples and information during the research phase, enabling the designer to jump into specific fields of study more easily.
“while I do research, I can jump towards more specific fields more easily while I'm using ChatGPT because with that, I can quite fast collect a lot of samples about different subjects in my research.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 0:54
DesignStable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion was used to generate photorealistic images of designs in real environments to increase the fidelity of 3D renders for marketing materials.
“I use it a lot for beefing up our 3D renders, especially those environmental ones, which we try to reach photo grade, let's say, material, and we can then quickly generate highly realistic, um, um, photorealistic pictures of people using our, let's say, um, designs in real environments…”
Speaker 3 · Hear it at 1:54
DesignStable Diffusionspeed up the process significantly
The team used Stable Diffusion to automatically generate sketches from existing 3D models (SolidWorks), which significantly sped up the process of creating marketing materials and graphic work.
“we had a case recently where we had to generate a pretty significant amount of sketches, and it turned out that the best way and the fastest way was actually to generate those sketches from solid works. Okay. So that was a very good use case for us, we could speed up the process significantly.”
Speaker 3 · Hear it at 4:34
early-stage companies
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Industrial designer and AI consultant Rupert Warries joins hosts Tom Constable and Phil Staunton to discuss how generative AI is transforming product design workflows. Warries explains how tools like Vizcom and ComfyUI allow designers to accelerate ideation and 3D rendering while managing stakeholder expectations regarding the realism of AI outputs. The conversation covers the legal ambiguities of AI training data, the risk of over-reliance on AI as a 'crutch', and the future impact of AI on design roles and hiring practices.
Emily Laird, an AI integration technologist and host of the Generative AI 101 podcast, discusses how generative AI is transforming manufacturing by making historical data actionable for predictive maintenance and demand forecasting. She draws parallels between fast fashion and manufacturing, highlighting how AI accelerates design cycles and material efficiency through rapid prototyping and 3D modeling. Laird emphasizes the necessity of combining AI literacy with deep domain knowledge, arguing that AI acts as a co-pilot to preserve tribal knowledge and enable specialized roles rather than replacing human workers.
Jordan Nollman, founder and CEO of Sprout, a Boston-based multidisciplinary design consultancy, discusses the evolution of industrial design from a solo practice to a 60-person studio offering strategy, branding, UX, and engineering. He details the business realities of running a consultancy, including the critical importance of retainers, the pitfalls of all-equity deals, and the strategic use of AI tools like VizCom to accelerate storyboarding and visualization without replacing core design thinking. Nollman emphasizes that while AI speeds up execution, the value lies in solving real-world problems, citing projects like a microplastics sensor and a solar-powered milk trolley that balance aesthetics, function, and sustainability.
Chris Szigeti, a tech consultant and founder of the pre-launch honey brand Froth and Honey, explains how early-stage CPG founders can leverage AI to reduce overhead and accelerate development. He demystifies foundational models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, distinguishing between general and reasoning models, and advocates for using 'Deep Research' for market analysis. Szigeti shares practical strategies for CPG brands, including using AI as a virtual advisory board, generating conceptual packaging designs, and building websites with tools like v0, while warning against losing brand authenticity.
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.
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