Glossary
A shared vocabulary for physical product development.
These definitions reflect real-world usage, constraints, and tradeoffs encountered when designing, prototyping, manufacturing, and scaling physical products. They are not academic definitions or marketing language.
A
Assembly Strategy
The planned method for how a product is physically put together, including part order, fastening methods, tooling, and labor assumptions. Assembly strategy directly affects cost, yield, repairability, and scalability, but is often ignored until it becomes expensive to change.
Used in: Product Prototyping, Manufacturing
B
Bill of Materials (BOM)
A structured list of every component required to build a product, including part numbers, materials, quantities, and sourcing notes. A BOM is not static — it evolves through prototyping, validation, and production, and small changes can have large cost or supply-chain impacts.
Used in: Product Strategy, Manufacturing
C
Calibration
The process of adjusting hardware and software parameters so sensors and systems produce accurate, repeatable results. Calibration requirements increase manufacturing complexity and cost, especially when they must be performed per unit rather than per batch.
Used in: Hardware–Software Integration, Manufacturing
CM (Contract Manufacturer)
A third-party manufacturer hired to produce a product based on your designs and specifications. A CM is responsible for execution, not design decisions, and misalignment here often leads to quality or timeline issues if expectations are not explicit.
Used in: Manufacturing, Scaling
CMF (Color, Material, Finish)
The combination of surface color, base material, and finishing process used to define a product’s look and feel. CMF decisions directly affect tooling cost, durability, perceived quality, and unit economics, and often introduce constraints that pure form design does not reveal.
Used in: Industrial Design, Manufacturing
Costed BOM
A BOM that includes unit pricing, tooling amortization, and volume assumptions. This version is used to model margins and pricing, and is often where early product assumptions are challenged or corrected.
Used in: Product Strategy, Manufacturing
D
Design Freeze
The point at which a product’s design is considered stable enough to proceed into tooling or validation. In practice, design freeze rarely means “no changes” — it means changes now carry cost, delay, or risk that must be consciously accepted.
Used in: Product Strategy, Product Prototyping
DFM (Design for Manufacturing)
The practice of designing products in a way that accounts for real manufacturing constraints such as tooling, tolerances, materials, and process capabilities. DFM is not a checklist — it is a continuous negotiation between design intent and production reality.
Used in: Manufacturing, Industrial Design
DFA (Design for Assembly)
A subset of DFM focused specifically on reducing assembly time, complexity, and error. DFA decisions influence part count, fastening methods, and human or automated assembly requirements.
Used in: Manufacturing, Product Prototyping
Draft Angles
Intentional taper applied to vertical faces of molded parts to allow release from tooling. Insufficient draft is a common cause of tooling rework, cosmetic defects, and unexpected cost increases during manufacturing.
Used in: Industrial Design, Manufacturing
E
Ergonomics
The study of how physical products fit the human body, including reach, grip, comfort, and fatigue over time. Poor ergonomics often pass early prototypes but fail in real-world usage, returns, and long-term satisfaction.
Used in: Industrial Design, Product Strategy
EVT (Engineering Validation Test)
The first formal build phase where the product’s core engineering assumptions are tested. EVT focuses on functionality, electronics, firmware, and mechanical feasibility — not cosmetic finish or manufacturing efficiency.
Used in: Product Prototyping, Hardware Development
F
Firmware
Low-level software that runs directly on hardware to control core device behavior. Firmware constraints are tightly coupled to hardware choices, making late hardware changes risky once firmware development is underway.
Used in: Hardware–Software Integration
H
Hardware–Software Integration
The process of ensuring physical components and digital systems function reliably together. Integration issues often surface late because hardware changes are slower and more expensive than software changes.
Used in: Hardware Development, System Design
L
Lead Time
The total time required for a part or product to move from order to delivery. Lead time includes manufacturing, testing, and logistics, and is a critical but frequently underestimated risk in product timelines.
Used in: Manufacturing, Supply Chain
Logistics
The planning and execution of product movement from factory to customer, including packaging, shipping modes, warehousing, and customs. Logistics decisions can materially affect margins, timelines, and customer experience.
Used in: Product Strategy, Manufacturing
Looks-Like Prototype
A prototype built to represent form, size, and visual intent without full functional capability. Looks-like prototypes help validate perception and ergonomics but should not be used to infer manufacturability.
Used in: Product Prototyping
M
Margins
The difference between product cost and selling price, typically expressed as a percentage. In physical products, margins must absorb manufacturing variability, logistics, returns, and inventory risk — not just material cost.
Used in: Product Strategy, Manufacturing
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
The smallest quantity a supplier or manufacturer is willing to produce or sell. MOQs directly affect cash flow, inventory risk, and iteration speed, especially in early-stage products.
Used in: Product Strategy, Manufacturing
P
Pilot Run
A limited production run used to validate manufacturing processes, quality controls, and supply-chain readiness. Pilot runs are where many hidden issues appear before full-scale production.
Used in: Manufacturing, Scaling
Power Management
The strategies used to control energy consumption across hardware, firmware, and software. Power management decisions affect battery size, thermal behavior, enclosure design, and user experience.
Used in: Hardware–Software Integration, Product Design
PVT (Production Validation Test)
The final validation phase before mass production, focused on repeatability, yield, and quality at scale. PVT failures are costly because tooling and suppliers are already locked in.
Used in: Manufacturing, Scaling
S
Scaling
The process of increasing production volume while maintaining quality, cost targets, and delivery reliability. Scaling is less about making more units and more about controlling variability.
Used in: Manufacturing, Product Strategy
Scrap
Material or finished units that cannot be sold due to defects, damage, or process failures. Scrap rates directly impact true unit cost and are often underestimated in early-stage financial models.
Used in: Manufacturing, Product Strategy
T
Tolerances
The allowable variation in dimensions or performance of a part. Tight tolerances increase cost and risk, while loose tolerances can cause fit, function, or quality failures.
Used in: Industrial Design, Manufacturing
Tooling
Custom equipment such as molds, dies, or fixtures used to manufacture parts at scale. Tooling decisions lock in geometry and materials, making late design changes expensive.
Used in: Manufacturing, Product Prototyping
V
Validation Phases (EVT / DVT / PVT)
A staged approach to product development used to reduce risk by testing engineering, design, and production assumptions in sequence. Skipping or compressing phases often leads to costly failures later.
Used in: Product Prototyping, Manufacturing
Viability / Feasibility / Desirability
A framework used to evaluate products across business sustainability (viability), technical achievability (feasibility), and user demand (desirability). Physical products often fail when feasibility constraints overwhelm the other two dimensions.
Used in: Product Strategy
W
Wall Thickness
The thickness of material sections in molded or formed parts. Inconsistent or excessive wall thickness can cause sink marks, warping, and cycle-time increases in manufacturing.
Used in: Manufacturing, Industrial Design
Works-Like Prototype
A prototype built to validate functional performance, electronics, mechanics, or system behavior, often without final materials or appearance. Works-like prototypes reduce technical risk but may hide manufacturing constraints.
Used in: Product Prototyping