When something will be made by the millions, the structure matters for the consumer, retailer, and the manufacturer.
Research has a place in the process. Start early, understand where the opportunity space is, and what your competitors felt was important enough to patent.
Observational research is a critical step. What isn't said is more often more important than what is said.
Early exploration sketches to get the ideas out early and focus on what details need to be prioritized.
Sketch refinement. Pen and paper to tighten things up.
From pen and paper into Photoshop. Long before SketchBook Pro was available. We didn't have touch screen phones back then and I didn't have a Cintiq at work. Mouse and Photoshop!
Seeing a product you worked on at shelf, in people hands, and everywhere in between is cool.