Product Development From Concept to Production. We've Done It 1,000 Times.
- 1,000+ products across medical, industrial, consumer, and cleantech
- Working prototypes in as few as six weeks
- Your IP stays yours, an NDA starts the process
Trusted by
Product Development Challenges We Solve
You're refreshing or building the next generation of an existing product
You need to hit a hard launch deadline without cutting corners
Project: Lūp Cable, shipped in 3 months
You're building a regulated medical or safety-critical device
Project: Neurovine, FDA + Health Canada
You need electronics, firmware, IoT, or edge AI added to a mechanical product
Project: Liberty Pumps, Connected Sump Pump
You have a working prototype that can't be manufactured yet
Project: ARC kiosk, to volume manufacturing
You're stuck on a technical problem your team can't solve in-house
Project: Tritonwear, Connected Swim Tracker
Got a challenge that doesn’t fit a box?
Products We've Developed
A sample from 1,000+ products developed since 1996.
Trusted by startups, OEMs, and Fortune 500 teams
We’ve been developing physical products since 1996. Here’s what that looks like.
1,000+
Products Developed
25+
Years in Business
Founded 1996, in Ottawa Canada
35
Senior Professionals
8
Disciplines
Industries we work in
- Medical Devices
- Industrial Equipment
- Consumer Electronics
- Cleantech & Energy
- Mining & Resources
- Telecom & IoT
- Robotics & Automation
- Transportation
Why Choose Us For Product Development
"We ended up with the best product in dentistry. FDA approval very, very fast. Design 1st came through."
David Turner
“I did extensive due diligence and Design 1st had the deepest bench of technical talent. Their broad range of commercialized products gave me confidence, and their prototype work helped us move from powder substrate to commercial product.”
Kurt Francis, CTO
Molecule · Ireland
“Design 1st took our Cobot from concept through final testing, handling electrical, mechanical, software, and manufacturing in one team. They developed our tank access system, finalized the swabbing robot, and responded quickly to every change.”
Richard Mineo, CEO and Founder
Swabbot· North Carolina
“We selected Design 1st because their team demonstrated the right creativity and technical understanding. Using advanced CAD and modeling tools, they addressed design challenges and delivered an easy-to-install, powerful marine hatch fan.”
Mike Tettenborn, Lead Engineer
Caframo · Ontario
Awards & Certifications
70+ Product Development Awards & Recognitions
Meet the Team
See how our integrated team develops products from concept to production.
James Henderson
How we've helped companies like yours
Meet the Team
See how our integrated team takes products from concept to production
James Henderson
Neurostimulation device redesign for FDA clearance
- Electronics + enclosure redesigned
- Transferred to contract manufacturer
Remote Drone Garage and Re-charging Station
- Complete development in under 12 months
- DFM for low volume production
IoT education platform with connected hardware
- Full electronics and firmware dev
- Deployed in institutions
Ready to Talk About Your Product?
Book a 30-minute call with our engineering team. No pitch deck. We’ll talk about your product, your timeline, and whether we’re the right fit.
what happens next
- We review your brief
- You receive an NDA + D1 overview
- 30-minute intro call
- Development plan with timeline and budget
Prefer to talk?
Tell Us About Your Project
We reply within 1 business day with an NDA and a next step.
"(Required)" indicates required fields
what happens next
- We review your brief
- You receive an NDA + D1 overview
- 30-minute intro call
- Development plan with timeline and budget