When products were crafted one at a time, the design and manufacturing processes were often done by the same person. For example, a craftsman would design and build a chest of drawers or a carriage. Some trades would employ apprentices to learn the craft, which also included design.

Larger projects, like a railroad or a bridge, for example, might have included an architect or lead designer along with a team of engineers. The railroad engineer’s shop or the bridge site was not far away, allowing close communication between the ironsmith and design team.

With the rise of production systems came the rise of production facilities that specialized in mass production of an array of designs. Clothes, home appliances, and consumer products are examples of products that separated the designer from the day-to-day manufacturing experience. The advent of mass production gave rise to the necessity for product design teams to learn about the capabilities and limitations of a production system.

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