Industrial Design – Marcelo Caetano

January 8, 2025May 22, 2025

My Journey with AI as an Industrial Designer: Creating a Circular-Shaped Printer

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a powerful tool in industrial design, offering unprecedented opportunities for creativity. However, it comes with significant challenges—especially when creating something truly novel that deviates from established norms.
Try to design a circular-shaped printer, and you will discover AI’s key limitations:

Training – AI is trained on existing ideas and products; anything new will confuse and challenge the AI.

Manual Editing Required – AI-generated outputs often need extensive manual adjustments to achieve desired quality, shape, and accuracy.

Limited Context Understanding – AI tools struggle to grasp nuanced project requirements, necessitating constant manual refinement.

Creativity Balance – While AI handles complex calculations, human designers bring essential intuition and emotional intelligence.

Skill Adaptation and Transparency – Integrating AI into the design process requires learning new tools and methods while adapting workflows. Additionally, there’s a growing need for transparency in how AI algorithms work to build trust among designers, stakeholders, and end-users (more on this in my next article).

My Strategic Approach

To overcome these challenges, I developed a structured workflow:

– Use AI for initial concept generation.
– Manually refine designs using Photoshop, Affinity Design, Sketchbook, SolidWorks, and other tools.
– Create an iterative design process.
– Push creative boundaries beyond AI-generated outputs.
– Validate designs with stakeholders.

Following this approach, I was able to get the results I was looking for.

November 8, 2024May 22, 2025

Young Innovators: A Mentor’s Journey in Industrial Design

As an Industrial Designer and mentor, I had the incredible opportunity to guide a group of seven young students in a competition that would challenge their creativity and problem-solving skills. These students, the youngest in the competition, were French-speaking and full of enthusiasm for the task at hand.

The journey began with my initial presentation to the group. I had prepared a presentation with one of the slides featuring Stan Lee, the legendary comic book creator, as inspiration for the students. However, on my way to the school, I heard the news on the radio of Stan Lee’s passing. This unexpected turn of events added a bittersweet note to our first meeting.

Despite the language barrier and their young age, these students showed remarkable dedication and ingenuity throughout the project. Their task was to create a survival object, a challenge that required them to think critically about real-world problems and devise practical solutions.

As their mentor, I was impressed by how quickly they grasped complex concepts and applied them to their designs. The mentorship process was not without its challenges, but it was incredibly rewarding to see their ideas take shape and evolve.

The culmination of their hard work was nothing short of spectacular. Not only did they create an innovative survival object, but they also went on to win the international prize at the competition. This achievement was a testament to their creativity, perseverance, and ability to work as a team. Not only that, but their prototype “Le Cardio-pelleto” was the only electronic prototype in the competition that actually worked.

What struck me most about this experience was the students’ unwavering enthusiasm and their ability to think outside the box. Even years after the competition, I am filled with joy to see that some of these students continue to pursue their passion for innovation, participating in and winning other competitions.

This mentorship experience highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for young minds to explore their potential in fields like industrial design and problem-solving. I wish I had the same opportunities when I was their age.

As a mentor, I learned as much from these students as they did from me. Their fresh perspectives and creativity served as a reminder of why I entered this field in the first place. It’s experiences like these that continue to fuel my passion for industrial design and mentorship.

In conclusion, this journey with these young students was a highlight of my career as an Industrial Designer. It demonstrated the incredible potential that lies within our youth and the importance of nurturing and guiding that potential. As mentors, we have the privilege and responsibility to inspire the next generation of innovators, and I look forward to many more such rewarding experiences in the future.

Pour en savoir plus sur ce projet et les réalisations de ces jeunes talents, je vous invite à consulter les articles suivants :

February 27, 2020May 22, 2025

Design Done Right (and Wrong), Banking vs Parking Machine

On November 14, 2019, I observed a striking contrast in user-centered design between two machines: an RBC banking machine and a parking lot payment kiosk. The RBC machine, which was being introduced at the time, stood out for its user-friendly design. Its most compelling feature was the ability to process bill payments without requiring envelopes. The machine presented a streamlined interface, characterized by a limited number of clearly labeled slots and buttons, complemented by a large, easily readable screen. The overall aesthetic was clean and intuitive.
In contrast, the parking lot machine presented a design riddled with usability issues. The sheer number of buttons, combined with a small display screen, created a sense of complexity and confusion. The layout was so counter-intuitive that the designers seemingly anticipated user difficulty, even including a button marked with a question mark. Ironically, the building management had to hire a staff member to assist customers in using the machine, effectively negating the purpose of automated self-service.
This real-world observation highlighted the critical importance of intuitive design in ensuring technology is both functional and accessible.

Lessons for new Industrial Designers

These examples underscore critical principles for creating effective user-centric products:

– Prioritize simplicity and intuitive interfaces to enhance user experience.
– Conduct thorough user research and testing to identify and address pain points before implementation.
– Focus on the primary task flow, ensuring that secondary functions do not overshadow the main purpose of the device.
– Embrace innovation to improve functionality while maintaining ease of use.

By adhering to these principles, industrial designers can create products that not only fulfill their intended purpose but also provide a seamless and satisfying user experience.

Transform Your Products with Intuitive Design

If you’re looking to elevate your product’s user experience and drive business success through effective design, I can help. As an experienced Industrial Designer consultant, I specialize in crafting user-centered solutions that enhance functionality and accessibility. Whether you’re launching a new product or revamping an existing one, let’s collaborate to create intuitive designs that delight your users. My services include:

Conducting thorough research to identify and address pain points.
Developing a cohesive product strategy that aligns with your business goals.
Creating prototypes that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Ensuring designs are optimized for efficient production.

Contact me today to explore how we can work together to bring your vision to life and transform your products with intuitive design!