If there's one thing that'll kill the creative process quicker than a computer crash with no Time Machine backup handy, it's a lack of understanding and communication when creating a new product in a collaborative environment. Our friends at IDSA have teamed up with Loughborough Design School to create a simple way to keep us all on the same page during the New Product Development (NPD) process. If you've been to a previous IDSA conference, you may remember their token informational fold-out iD cards (not to be confused with these). The cards break down the names, descriptions and images for 32 different design representations in four different groups—sketches, drawings, models and prototypes. The cards share what the representation stands for in terms of use and the information it provides.

The new app that consolidates the cards and information in one convenient, color-coded resource, taking the mystery out of unknown terminology with straightforward appeal to all levels and genres of design, making it easy for for teams to work together cohesively. Check out the video overview of the app and its features:

Loughborough University's Dr. Mark Evans, IDSA, spearheaded the well-designed app based on several years of Ph.D research in their Design Practice Research Group that had originally been published [PDF] in the form of actual cards in 2011. According to IDSA's recent announcement, the new concept was developed as part of an investigation of "barriers to communication during new product development and how these might be resolved."

The free app is now available on iTunes and Google Play.