What is Product Design?

I liked this one a lot. I liked the timeline-it was helpful to get that visual. This article talked a lot of about different periods in design, which coincided nicely with my History of Modern Design class this semester. It was cool to read about that in another context, and I'm sure that that will happen again. The reading asked a lot of good questions. Some of which I feel like I'm already trying to figure out. I liked that. This reading had a lot of good quotes. So I'm going to list them?
"Product life cycles shorten as fashion and technological improvements affect our product selection criteria. How can we create in more innovative and challenging ways to embrace new social trends?" Haha what a great question. The answer is harder.
"Is it a designer's responsibility to be designing for our future and to find new and effective ways of producing what people what?" I wouldn't say that it's a designer's responsibility to figure out what people will want in the future; however I think they might want to make it their responsibility if they want to be successful and come up with the idea first.
"An object becomes a desirable product when it gives the appearance of having improved functionality; additional cultural meanings or additional processes in design or production create an increased demand for a product. Demand requires improved production methods to enable adequate supply."
"The quest for individuality and mass appeal will always be the designer's focus, with an everlasting note to self-keep an eye on the present, understand the past, and look towards the future." That's a little daunting, but makes sense.
I really like the disposable mobile phones! I had never heard of that before. The things people come up with...How cool!