Modern Trends in Creative Product Development

The 19th and 20th centuries saw the development and refinement of most of the products we use today. The 21st century ushered in a new industrial revolution, which comes with rigid requirements for product development, imposed by the global problems of mankind – the depletion of natural resources, the energy crisis and the impact on the environment. In order to satisfy these requirements, engineers must orient their activity in the following directions: the development of products with a high degree of creativity and major scientific intensive content; expanding the functionality of the products; immaterialization and miniaturization of products, getting more by consuming less; manufacture of products from biodegradable materials; humanization of the environment (natural and objective). The social purpose of industrial products in contemporary civilization consists in protecting, “humanizing” and “sensitizing” the environment (natural and objective) of human vitality, by using the so-called “technological humanism”. Products generate a standard of living, fuel a level of cultural conduct (note how the last product – cell phones, among others, led to behavioral and social changes). Many of Toffl er’s predictions have won the battle with the skeptics, and the ones not yet realized still have time to come to fruition. “Third wave” technology to the question: How to get more from less? Answer: Through technological innovation. The author presents an analysis of the periods required for the development of products from the idea to the industrial exploitation of the most famous inventions. In the new industrial revolution, the quality of the products, through its economic effects, becomes decisive, also the systemic approach to the life of the product along the entire trajectory, from production to consumption, and then to recycling. This systemic approach requires engineers to have good fundamental training, knowledge of physical phenomena and mathematical models for simulating physical phenomena. The article presents aspects on the development of products with a high degree of creativity and major scientific intensive content, the expansion of the functionality of industrial products, the immaterialization and miniaturization of industrial products.