A design system and method

A computer-implemented method for product design, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user for inputting or selecting product specifications, said GUI including a plurality of design modules each providing specific product specification customisation options, each design module comprising a database of different options for a specific product specification selectable from a group consisting of product type, product cost, product size, product volume, product surface area, product material, product decoration type, product decoration style, product manufacturing method, and product colour, with each design module configured to provide specific product specification customisation options for each of the available product specifications;
• said GUI further having a pricing engine comprising a pricing algorithm adapted to provide substantially real-time product pricing information according to any of the selected product specifications whenever the user selects and/or changes the product specifications;
• in response to receiving such product specifications, providing a substantially real-time user-manipulable visualisation of the specified product via the GUI;
• in response to receiving a final product approbation via the GUI, automatically sequencing the product specifications required for manufacturing the final product;
• and
• outputting such manufacturing sequence in a predetermined format.

A system for product design, said system comprising:

• a communications interface;
• storage means;
• and
• a processor arranged in signal communication with the communications interface and storage means, said processor adapted to:
• provide a graphical user interface (GUI) whereby a user is able to input or select product specifications via the communications interface, said GUI including a plurality of design modules each providing specific product specification customisation options, each design module comprising a database of different options for a specific product specification selectable from a group consisting of product type, product cost, product size, product volume, product surface area, product material, product decoration type, product decoration style, product manufacturing method, and product colour, with each design module configured to provide specific product specification customisation options for each of the available product specifications, the GUI further having a pricing engine comprising a pricing algorithm adapted to provide substantially real-time product pricing information according to the selected product specifications whenever the user selects and/or changes the product specifications;
• in response to receiving such product specifications, providing a substantially real-time user-manipulable visualisation of the specified product via the GUI;
• in response to receiving a final product approbation via the GUI, automatically sequencing the product specifications required for manufacturing the final product;
• and
• outputting such manufacturing sequence in a predetermined format.