What is product architecture?
Product architecture is the chunking (or arrangement) of a product’s functional elements. It’s how these elements interact with each other—linking to System-Level Design and System Engineering principles.
An architectural design for a product and its many functions aids in developing its schematic strategy and numerous operations. Rather than showing the product as a prototype, the product is disassembled into its constituent parts and expressed geometrically. This makes redundancy more prominent and allows for a more accurate representation of the links between distinct elements.
The Advantages of a Product Architecture
When you map out a product in this manner, you are forced to pay more attention to its functional design, which results in:
● Increased visibility of vestige or design choices that aren’t necessary
● Clarity surrounding overlapping features – are there two items meant to accomplish the same goal?
● Greater devotion to the product’s functional performance (divorced from its aesthetic design).
Product Architecture Development
This topic may appear to be more challenging to grasp than it is. However, developing a product architecture is a relatively straightforward exercise. To map the product’s functions and features rather than the product’s physical design, you must take the following steps: Consider the following example: you might draw a rectangle named “Product” when your product is a tricycle instead.
You might see bubbles coming out of your “Product” rectangle that has been labeled “Handlebars” or “Wheels” if you follow the example above. Other bubbles and squares labeled “Brakes” and “Shifters” may be connected to those bubbles and may be labeled “Brakes” and “Shifters” as well.
Types of Product Architecture
Modular Architecture
The modular architecture includes certain essential operations to meet the ultimate product’s goal. This type of architecture allows product modules to focus on a single task. It emphasizes the link between product attributes.
Depending on the customer’s needs, a modular architecture is a collection of a product’s building components that you can configure at any time.
The use of modular design aids in creating a more polished product. It promotes product feature visibility, which aids in rectifications and error management. You can replace any module without altering the overall design.
Integral Architecture
In integral architecture, components are explicitly created for a product. Various pieces carry out functions rather than being drawn up in assemblies. Essential architecture focuses on the intricacies of each aspect, intending to understand the relationships between them. Integral design can help you save money.
How to Choose Your Product Architecture
As mentioned above, product architecture is typically classified into two categories.
The first is composed of modules. When designing a product, modular product architecture pays close attention to the relationships between its many aspects. These roles are outlined briefly, although how they interact is detailed in greater detail.
Integral product architecture is the second type of product architecture. Essential architecture is the polar opposite of traditional architecture: it emphasizes the function, purpose, and inner workings of each component, with brief annotations explaining the relationships among them.
Integral design is an excellent method of lowering the expenses connected with a product while simultaneously increasing its overall performance.
Modular design, on the other hand, contributes to the creation of a smoother, more refined result. You can design products with a longer lifespan, less susceptible to faults, and require minor updating due to the increased visibility of dependencies.
