CARDS - ID Cards provide a name, example and description for key design representations used during new product development (NPD)

Oct 23, 2026

ID Cards provide a name, example, and description for key design representations used by industrial/product designers during new product development (NPD). The cards are grouped into four categories: sketches, drawings, models, and prototypes, mapped to NPD stages via yellow, red, and blue tabs. Tabs indicate the communication focus: design information, technical information, or both, and specify the type of information on the tab. The document describes a research outcome from Loughborough Design School and outlines the study’s methodology and design information and technical information types.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

CARDS

Design representation categories and NPD stage tabs

Design information types and areas of concern

Technical information types

Research Methods

PhD engagement and methodology

Data collection and outcomes

Loughborough Design School DA taxonomy of designrepresentations to supportcommunication andunderstanding duringnew product developmentIDSA.LoughboroughUniversity # CARDS ID Cards provide a name,example and description for the key design representationsused by industrial/product designers during new product development(NPD).They are grouped into four categories:sketches,drawings,models and prototypes.Yellow tabs indicate the stage of NPD when the design representations are mostcommonly used (concept design,design development,embodiment design or detail design).Red and blue tabs show if the design representation is used mainly to communicatedesign information (red),technical information(blue)or both,with the specific type ofinformation being indicated on the tab itself.All of the names and descriptionscan be applied to design representations that have been produced using methodsthat are digital,non-digital or a combination of both.CreditsCard Layout Dr Mark Evans:PhD supervisor,ID Cards concept,graphic design Dr Eujin Pei:PhD researcher,ID Cards concept,artwork Dr lan Campbell:PhD supervisor Card numberName of design representationTabs for designTabs for information(red)design stagesand technicalinformation(blue)Icon for10design informationInactive tab 四 oncept in greyLayoutRendering Type of Form Activedesign informationdesign stagein extendedyellow tab Development Icon for ◆ technical informationName ofdesign stage Embodiment Components Type of Defines the product proposal as atechnical informationthird angle orthographic projectionwith precise line and colour. Detai □LoughboroughDescriptionUniversityof designImage ofrepresentationdesign representation Background Results ID Cards are one of the outcomes fromResearch findings indicated a need toa Loughborough Design School PhDfacilitate greater understanding of theundertaken by Dr Eujin Pei andlanguage and methods used by industrial/supervised by Dr Mark Evans andproduct designers and engineeringDr lan Campbell.The aim of thedesigners.The key design representationsresearch was to improve collaborationemployed during NPD were identified andbetween industrial/product designerssurveys undertaken to establish whenand engineering designers during NPD.they were used and for what types ofinformation.This generated large amounts◎ Evans,M.A.,and Pei,E.,ID Cards,of data that was converted into a playingLoughborough University 2010.card based tool for use by designers.IDISBN:9781907382352Cards have translated and modified keyelements of the 114 double-side cards intoa more portable and accessible format tosupport the education and practice ofLiterature review,action research,surveysdesigners at all levels.and observations were used to collect # Research Methods Further details on the PhD can be accesseddata during the development of the IDCards.A central feature of the researchat http://hdl.handle.net/2134/5432methodology was a high degree ofglobal engagement with educators andLoughborough Design School would likepractitioners,with support beingto thank its industrial/productreceived from leading universities,design students for contributingthe 32 images used on the ID Cardsconsultancies and manufacturers. and the IDSA for its on-going support.SketchesConcept DesignPreliminary,loose visualThe most visuallyrepresentations of designcreative stage,employingideas that lack the detail oftechniques that facilitate speeda more refined proposal.and spontaneity.DrawingsDesign DevelopmentFormal representations toInvolves a process of selectiondefine design intent withoutand refinement to ensure thatambiguity.More structuredproposals are capable of meetingand controlled than sketches.the product specification.ModelsEmbodiment DesignExplore and define function,Creates a fixed layout by selectingperformance and appearance.the most suitable configuration andUsed to progress designevaluating this against technicaldevelopment.and comme

FAQs

What are ID Cards used for in new product development (NPD)?

They provide names, examples, and descriptions for key design representations to support communication and understanding during NPD.

How are the NPD stages and information types shown on the ID Cards tabs?

Yellow tabs indicate the NPD stage where representations are commonly used. Red and blue tabs show whether representations communicate design information, technical information, or both, with the specific information type stated on the tab.

What categories of design representations does the document identify?

The document groups them into four categories: sketches, drawings, models, and prototypes, each aligned with design development activities.

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Jordan Avery