Every time a product is launched without the ability to communicate with its environment, we miss an opportunity to make it more useful, efficient, and connected. But what if, from the very first sketch, we were already thinking about sensors, data, and connectivity? In the midst of industrial digitalization, conceptual design is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The new approach, Design for Sensorization and Digitalization (DSD), proposes exactly that: to start thinking digitally from minute one of the design process.
Conceptual Design Evolving: From Object to System
Designing a product is no longer just about shape and function. Today, it increasingly involves anticipating how that product will connect, be measured, and understand itself and its environment. DSD, or Design for Sensorization and Digitalization, is emerging as a new discipline within product engineering.
This doesn’t simply mean adding sensors at the end of the process—it means sensorization and connectivity are embedded in the original idea, the sketch, the concept.
What Does DSD Mean for Engineering?
This new paradigm brings a different approach to design:
- Sensors are no longer “added,” they are “integrated”: The product is imagined from the start with its data-capture system as part of its DNA.
- Team dynamics shift: Digital enters the conversation earlier. Electronics, software, and data analysis sit at the design table from the beginning.
- Design success is measured differently: It’s no longer just about whether the product works, but whether it can speak, understand, and adapt.
A Solution for Industry Needs
The rise of digital twins, cyber-physical systems, and the need for traceability in industrial sectors is challenging traditional design methods. More and more products need to know what’s happening in real time: how they’re used, where they fail, and when they need maintenance.
To achieve this, simply installing sensors afterward is not enough. We need products designed to sense, connect, and operate within larger systems. That’s why DSD isn’t a trend—it’s a natural evolution.
A Mindset Shift in Product Engineering
Adopting DSD isn’t just about changing tools—it’s about changing perspective. It requires rethinking processes, breaking down silos between departments, and starting to see the product not as an isolated item, but as a node in an intelligent ecosystem.
From our experience, this approach offers real opportunities to improve performance, traceability, and adaptability of products and infrastructure in sectors like automotive, civil engineering, energy, and urban mobility.
