There’s been a great deal of press about the benefits of metal 3D printing, and rightly so. We are only beginning to experience the impact that this technology will have on all aspects of manufacturing.

While there are many different types of trends you can and should reference throughout the new product design and development process including macro, consumer and industry, aesthetic design trends may be some of the harder nuts to crack.

Problem solving starts before a problem is even defined.

There’s lots of talk about a manufacturing renaissance. Some call it a resurgence, others a revolution, but the name doesn’t matter. There’s also been a lot of argument over the magnitude of the decline in manufacturing and how to measure it. Some say there wasn’t a decline at all. None of that matters, either.

The late novelist John Le Carré once said, “A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.” As it turns out, what was good advice for spies is equally good for manufacturing and design engineers.

Engineers don’t know how to reduce part counts.

PORTLAND, OR—Autodesk has partnered with design and manufacturing firm ADX to create a new space here called The Bridge. This new space will give engineers access to advanced CAD software and 3D printers.

In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received more than 400,000 reports of adverse events related to medical devices. More than 12 percent of those events resulted in hospitalization.

To move your company to a better place, it matters more where you are than where you want to go. And before you can see clearly where you are, you must clarify your perspective.