• Services
  • Portfolio

Category: News

Client GoldenEar Technology – Mass Market Success

Client GoldenEar Technology – Mass Market Success

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!
Ready to Start?
goldenear-speakers
Goldenear-Awards2


GoldenEar Technologies has concluded their one year anniversary on a high note, picking up two more awards at the 2011 CEDIA EXPO in Indianapolis including the CEPro Best Electronic Technology award and the Residential Systems prestigious RESI award. Both awards recognized GoldenEar’s physical design, with the CEPro focusing on functionality and ease of installation while the RESI award concentrated on industrial design factors including products’ design aesthetics, user-friendliness and originality. These awards add to the 4 previous awards GoldenEar won in 2011 recognizing their high-performance Loudspeaker product line, providing further evidence that challenging economic times have not stifled creativity and innovation in manufacturing.

The GoldenEar product line has taken the Loudspeaker industry by storm since its launch at last year’s 2010 CEDIA EXPO in Atlanta. Catching the attention of the audio industry GoldenEar Technology received consistent praise from audiophile press having their loudspeaker products  recognized by various industry awards – including 2 separate award wins at the 2011 CES (Consumer Electronic Show).

The success of GoldenEar’s product line has been built off the combined experience of founders Sandy & Gross & Don Givogue, who co-founded  loudspeaker firm’s  Polk Audio in the 1970’s and Definitive Technology in the 1990’s. GoldenEar’s goal when designing their new line of speakers was “to deliver more sonic superiority, with performance that is unequalled in competitors’ speakers selling for three, four or five times as much” – said Gross. This was accomplished through the audio engineering experience of their founder’s and the industrial design expertise of Design 1st’ product development team.

As one audiophile reviewer put it, “GoldenEar’s speakers aren’t just more branded boxes with drivers built in. These are audiophile speakers with uniquely engineered technology. They’re different than anything else on the market, and that alone makes them worth checking out.”

To get an up close look at GoldenEar’s speaker lineup and reviews visit: www.goldenear.com

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: February 24, 2023

Design 1st 2021 Year in Review

Design 1st 2021 Year in Review

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!
Ready to Start?

The Design 1st team and our clients met the challenges of 2021 head-on. Over the course of 365 days, we worked on 77 unique projects, oversaw six products move to volume manufacturing, and received award recognition for several innovative projects. See all our highlights below:

2021 Highlights:

1) Six New Projects Launched From Idea to Volume Manufacturing

Launching new physical products to volume manufacturing is tough. It takes time, expertise, funding, and a solid manufacturing strategy to be successful. So when we guide our client’s projects from their idea to the first volume production runs we are thrilled! This past year the Design 1st manufacturing team helped six clients in uniquely different markets to set up their supplier base and their manufacturing operations.

2) Exciting New Client Projects

In 2021, over a dozen of recently started projects will be moving into manufacturing and launching to market in 2022. This represents a 100% increase over our 2021 Client products, managing from the idea right through to their launch. Here are a few of our favorite projects over the past year spanning multiple industries.

3) Awards and Recognition

In 2021, the Design 1st team set a new record for award recognition! Alongside our clients, we won six prestigious awards that reflect our dedication to world-class product development. These awards include product-specific design awards and industry recognition for being a top global b2b design team. View them below:

4) Projects By Industry

In 2021, Design 1st set a new record – 77 unique projects were worked on! We took those 77 projects and spilt them into their respective industries to give an overview of the diversity of expertise and project innovation we work on each year.

5) Design 1st 2021 Company Highlights

Every we round up all the numbers that go into our day-to-day working activities. We use this data to create an annual infographic showing how the Design 1st team grew, stayed busy, and delivered our clients successful new products. We are excited to share this year’s summary below:

Share

Have a new project idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: February 27, 2022

Design 1st Named Top 2021 Global B2B Design Agency by Clutch

Design 1st Named Top 2021 Global B2B Design Agency by Clutch

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

Recognized for Global Leadership in Product Design

November 30, 2021 – Design 1st, one of the most trusted full-service product design-engineering firms across North America, today announced it was recognized by ratings and review platform Clutch as one of the top B2B Creative & Design Agencies for 2020. Design 1st was named a Leader in the Product Designers category.  

The Clutch Leader Awards recognize companies’ commitment to building their expertise, providing stellar customer service, and producing high-quality results for clients.

The leaders ranked are determined using a rigorous methodology to see each firm’s ability to deliver and industry expertise. The criteria include case studies, services offered, client success, and social media presence.

“Excellence, diligence, and innovation — those are the words that best describe the leader from the creative and design industries,” said Clutch Customer Experience Manager DJ Fajana, “The entire Clutch team is thrilled to celebrate another wonderful year for these world-class leaders! Their dedication inspires us!”

“Our clients are our most cherished asset and we’re committed to delivering an unmatched level of service and a proven design process to ensure their success,” said Kevin Bailey, CEO, Design 1st. Our inclusion in the Clutch 2021 Top Global B2B Providers shows we are making a real difference in helping clients bring innovative and technically challenging products ideas to market that deliver high value to their customers.” 

Among a thousand decisions that need to be made in the product design lifecycle, there are fewer than 10 critical decisions that if made incorrectly will lead to new product failure in the market. For over 25 years, organizations have turned to Design 1st for its full suite of end-to-end product development expertise – research, design, engineering, prototypes, testing, marketing support, transfer to production and finalizing product for first market release. 

The magic comes from nurturing a positive environment with specialist development teams of design, engineering and NPI manufacturing all working to one goal, the client’s business success. 

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: January 12, 2022

Zumio, in Partnership with Design 1st, Wins 2021 A ’Design Award

Zumio, in Partnership with Design 1st, Wins 2021 A ’Design Award

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

Provided custom services to ensure first of its kind, all-in-one toothbrush + toothpaste that’s reusable (30x), custom land paddle and next-generation woodworking router successfully delivered to market.

Ottawa – May 5, 2021 – Design 1st, one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, today announced that Zumio-i, a product designed in partnership with Design 1st, was named a winner in the prestigious 2021 A’ Design Awards.

The A’ Design awards are the world’s largest international design competition, featuring winners across 104 design discipline categories. Product entries are evaluated by an internationally influential jury panel composed of established scholars, creative design professionals and experienced entrepreneurs who use a blind-peer review approach to judging.

Zumio-i was recognized for its groundbreaking design and technology capabilities that provide a unique experience that is unmatched in the industry today.

Zumio-i was named a A’ Design Award winner in the ‘Adult Toys and Products Design’ category. Available now for purchase, Zumio i was recognized for several of its unique design innovation capabilities including:

  • Patented SpiroTip rotating motion technology with concentrated energy that creates an elliptical rotation pattern.
  • Spoon-shaped tip spreads stimulating energy that delivers high-precision stimulation and enables easy control in targeting specific areas of the body for different sensations.
  • Direct drive technology slows down the tip speed as gentle pressure is applied.
  • Ergonomic friendly grip that is simple to handle (much like a pen)
  • Broad contact area with spoon-shaped tip rotates at speeds as high as 7000 rpm and can slow with touch pressure to pulsing at 300 rpm.
  • Eight intuitive speeds with a simple touch button interface for customized pleasure.
  • Environmentally friendly all cardboard packaging and protective shipping materials.

Design 1st has been Zumio’s design partner of choice for the company’s full suite of pleasure and wellness products. All products feature the patented SpiroTip to deliver concentrated energy to create an elliptical rotation pattern, without vibration. This allows for the delivery of precise stimulation wherever the tip is placed creating a unique pleasure experience that is unmatched in the industry. Zumio continues to be voted one of the best choices of sex toys for partners because of its flexibility and intuitive ease of use.

Zumio products have been featured in several high-profile publications, including The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Oprah Magazine and Women’s health. To learn more please visit:
https://myzumio.com/shop/zumio-x/

Additional Resources


About Design 1st
Design 1st is one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, with a seasoned team consisting of diverse technical expertise, over 1,000 projects developed, and 130 client patents secured. From Startup to Enterprise, we enable companies to quickly scale capabilities throughout their new product development programs by leveraging our core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st’s plug-in experienced team has helped clients transform their physical ideas into commercialized hardware products across a variety of industries and influenced millions of people globally. To learn more, visit www.design1st.com.

About Zumio
Zumio is an intimate lifestyle company that designs, develops, and manufactures premium pleasure products. The Zumio portfolio of products are luxurious by design and feature an innovative patented technology to provide a unique pleasure experience that is unmatched in the industry. In recent years, the company’s innovations have received numerous adult industry international nominations and awards for product excellence and outstanding achievement, including Best Sex Toy of the Year, Best New Female Product and Best New Product. Zumio is a privately held company and products are sold in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. To learn more, visit www.myzumio.com 

Media Contact
Lisa Williams
[email protected]
+1 (339) 788-0067

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: July 12, 2021

Design 1st Named Clutch 2021 Top Canadian B2B Provider

Design 1st Named Clutch 2021 Top Canadian B2B Provider

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

Recognized for Leadership in Creative & Design Services 

 

February 10, 2021Design 1st, one of the most trusted full-service product design-engineering firms across North America, today announced it was recognized by ratings and review platform Clutch as one of the top B2B Providers in Canada. Design 1st was featured as a leader in the Creative & Design Category.   

The Clutch Leader Awards recognize companies\’ commitment to building their expertise, providing stellar customer service, and producing high-quality results for clients.

For the listing, the Clutch research team evaluated a variety of criteria including the company’s online presence, services offered, past awards, brand recognition, and verified Clutch reviews. Design 1st met Clutch’s methodology\’s standards of excellence and can be trusted by potential B2B buyers to excel at new projects. 

“Our clients are our most cherished asset and we’re committed to delivering an unmatched level of service and a proven design process to ensure their success,” said Kevin Bailey, CEO, Design 1st.

Our inclusion in the Clutch 2021 Top 500 B2B Provider in Canada listing comes on the heels of being named to the Clutch 2020 Top Creative & Design Agency listing and we couldn’t be prouder in knowing we are making a real difference in helping clients bring innovative and technically challenging products ideas to market that deliver high value to their customers.” 

Among a thousand decisions that need to be made in the product design lifecycle, there are fewer than 10 critical decisions that if made incorrectly will lead to new product failure in the market. For over 25 years, organizations have turned to Design 1st for its full suite of end-to-end product development expertise – research, design, engineering, prototypes, testing, marketing support, transfer to production and finalizing product for first market release. 

The magic comes from nurturing a positive environment with specialist development teams of design, engineering and NPI manufacturing all working to one goal, the client’s business success. 

Additional Resources


About Design 1st
Design 1st is one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, with a seasoned team consisting of diverse technical expertise, over 1,000 projects developed, and 130 client patents secured. From Startup to Enterprise, we enable companies to quickly scale capabilities throughout their new product development programs by leveraging our core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st’s plug-in experienced team has helped clients transform their physical ideas into commercialized hardware products across a variety of industries and influenced millions of people globally. To learn more, visit www.design1st.com.

About Clutch
Clutch is the leading ratings and reviews platform for IT, marketing, and business service providers. Each month, over half a million buyers and sellers of services use the Clutch platform, and the user base is growing over 50% a year. Clutch has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. and has been listed as a top 50 startup by LinkedIn. 

Media Contact
Lisa Williams
[email protected]
+1 (339) 788-0067

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: February 10, 2021

Design 1st Wins IoT Excellence Award

Design 1st Wins IoT Excellence Award

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

Momentum IoT in Partnership with Design 1st Wins 2020 IoT Excellence Award  

OTTAWA – January 27, 2021 – Design 1st, one of the most trusted full-service product design-engineering firms across North America, today announced that Momentum IoT: Eagle 1, a product designed in partnership with Design 1st, has received a 2020 IoT Excellence Award presented by TMC and Crossfire Media.   

The 2020 IoT Evolution IoT Excellence Award honors innovative products that support the availability of information being deduced, inferred, and directly gathered from sensors, systems, and anything else that is supporting better business and personal decisions. 

“We’re honored to receive the 2020 IoT Excellence Award in partnership with Momentum IoT,” said Kevin Bailey, CEO, Design 1st.

“As custom electronics and physical product design company, we strive for innovation excellence in all phases of the product development lifecycle and this is why companies turn to us to help them develop and deliver successful products to market. Working with Momentum IoT was no exception.

With Momentum IoT: Eagle 1, we delivered the necessary end-to-end services and technical expertise to transform a touchable idea into a successful, commercialized product by putting the power of telematics into the palm of your hand and in the form of a rugged connected device for easy control and management of your entire fleet.”  

Momentum IoT, a developer of telematics products for tracking small to midsize fleets, partnered with Design 1st to develop Momentum IoT: Eagle 1, a mobile -first, ultra-rugged real-time GPS tracking device that makes it easy to view and manage the entire fleet operation from a single pane of glass view. 

Rugged by design and completely modular so it’s simple to use, Momentum IoT’s Eagle 1 encompasses telecommunications, vehicular technology and engineering and computer sciences into a mobile, plug and play GPS fleet tracking device that works across more vehicles and equipment, from pickups to tractor trailers.

It can withstand even the most treacherous of conditions and features mileage and idling reports, battery detection, speed alerts, asset sharing and more. Users now have a mobile device to easily see and manage every asset across the fleet, know the location of all drivers, get notifications to when trucks and equipment arrive, and alerts to issues – all in real time and to deliver the best customer service possible.  

Additional Resources 

  • Go here to learn more about Design 1st’s role in developing Momentum IoT: Eagle 1. 
  • Read about the Design 1st case studies. 
  • Read the Design 1st blog 

About Design 1st  

Design 1st is one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, with a seasoned team consisting of diverse technical expertise, over 750 projects developed, and 130 client patents secured. From Entrepreneur to Enterprise, we enable companies to quickly scale capabilities throughout their new product development cycles by leveraging our core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st\’s plug-in experienced team has helped clients transform their touchable ideas into commercialized hardgoods products across a variety of industries and influenced millions of people globally. To learn more, visit www.design1st.com 

About Crossfire Media
Crossfire Media is an integrated marketing company with a core focus on future trends in technology. We service communities of interest with conferences, tradeshows, webinars and newsletters. Crossfire Media has a partnership with Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) to produce events and websites related to disruptive technologies. Crossfire Media is a division of Crossfire Consulting, a full service Information Technology company based in New York.  

Media Contact: 

Allan Kerr

[email protected] 

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: January 27, 2021

Design 1st Joins IoTerra Marketplace

Design 1st Joins IoTerra Marketplace

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

November 3, 2020 – Ioterra is pleased to announce a partnership with Design 1st, one of the most trusted connected product design-engineering firms across North America. After collaborating recently within a crowdfunding conference to provide a prize for startups, there was a recognized opportunity to provide Design 1st’s specialized services within the Ioterra marketplace.

For over 25 years, Design 1st has been helping entrepreneurs, startups, and enterprise organizations transform ideas into winning products. With expertise across all aspects of industrial design and engineering combined with a philosophy of incorporating human behavior science, Design 1st has developed over 750 products across a variety of industries that influence millions of people globally.

“Anyone who has developed a new hardware product knows that among a thousand decisions that need to be made, it’s the 10 critical ones that if not addressed correctly will result in project failure,” said Kevin Bailey, President of Design 1st. “Statistics show startups see the majority of failure during the transfer from design to product execution. Therein lies the opportunity. Connecting innovators with a hands-on, experienced team of designers, engineers, and manufacturing experts working closely together is critical to navigating the stages – from creative design to development, through to the delivery of a successful product to market.”

“We had been hoping to approach Design 1st with an opportunity to join the marketplace for some time,” said Danny deLaveaga, Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of Ioterra. “When we sponsored Launchboom’s CROWDFUNDED 2020 summit, we immediately wanted to connect with Design 1st to align our goals of providing professional assistance to startups. After the event’s successful reception, we were excited that Design 1st was on board to join us.”

Ioterra and Design 1st together will:

  • Convert high potential leads into long-lasting, trusted partnerships
  • Collaborate in developing marketing content that resonates with Ioterra’s and Design 1st’s audiences
  • Cross-promote to help small businesses turn a challenging concept into a successful commercialized new product
    As a certified service partner, Design 1st looks forward to continuing to provide professional design services to companies looking to get their products to market quickly and predictably bringing new innovation and consumer value by leveraging Ioterra’s network.

To learn more about Design 1st, visit design1st.com or ioterra.com/companies/design-1st

Additional Resources


About Design 1st
Design 1st is one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, with a seasoned team consisting of diverse technical expertise, over 1,000 projects developed, and 130 client patents secured. From Startup to Enterprise, we enable companies to quickly scale capabilities throughout their new product development programs by leveraging our core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st’s plug-in experienced team has helped clients transform their physical ideas into commercialized hardware products across a variety of industries and influenced millions of people globally. To learn more, visit www.design1st.com.


Media Contact

Lisa Williams
[email protected]
+1 (339) 788-0067

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: July 14, 2020

Design 1st Named Clutch 2020 Top Global Design Agency

Design 1st Named Clutch 2020 Top Global Design Agency

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

Recognized for Product Design industry expertise and ability to deliver

December 3, 2020Design 1st, one of the most trusted full-service product design-engineering firms across North America, today announced it was recognized by ratings and review platform Clutch as one of the top B2B Creative & Design Agencies for 2020. Design 1st was named a Leader in the Product Designers category.

For the listing, Clutch released rankings for the top 210 creative and design companies on their platform. Results showcase the top 15 companies across 14 categories.

Companies were selected for Leaders Awards based on set criteria, including Clutch team’s evaluation of a company’s industry expertise and ability to deliver.

“Design 1st is steadfast in its commitment in fostering a true collaborative partnership with clients and providing the necessary services and expertise to bring product ideas to market that deliver high value to customers,” said Kevin Bailey, CEO, Design 1st.

“Being recognized by Clutch as a Top Creative & Design Agency and Leader in the ‘Product Designers’ category is a thrill for us, but more importantly, a true testament to the value we deliver to customers worldwide in helping to turn technically challenging concepts into business focused, successful products that influence their customers.”

Among a thousand decisions that need to be made in the product design lifecycle, there are fewer than 10 critical decisions that if made incorrectly will lead to new product failure in the market. For over 25 years, Design 1st has been helping organizations, from startup to enterprise, identify risks, and transform ideas into successful, commercialized products.

Design 1st provides the experienced cross-functional teams to manage the end-to-end requirements and complexities required to build a product that can scale to mass manufacture and have a positive impact on customers.

Additional Resources


About Design 1st
Design 1st is one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, with a seasoned team consisting of diverse technical expertise, over 1,000 projects developed, and 130 client patents secured. From Startup to Enterprise, we enable companies to quickly scale capabilities throughout their new product development programs by leveraging our core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st’s plug-in experienced team has helped clients transform their physical ideas into commercialized hardware products across a variety of industries and influenced millions of people globally. To learn more, visit www.design1st.com.


About Clutch

Clutch is the leading ratings and reviews platform for IT, marketing, and business service providers. Each month, over half a million buyers and sellers of services use the Clutch platform, and the user base is growing over 50% a year. Clutch has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. and has been listed as a top 50 startup by LinkedIn.


Media Contact

Lisa Williams
[email protected]
+1 (339) 788-0067

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: July 14, 2020

Molecule Wins 2020 Innovation of the Year

Molecule Wins 2020 Innovation of the Year

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

Congratulations to Design 1st client Molecule on winning ‘Innovation of the Year’ at the 2020 Irish Laboratory Awards.  The award recognizes the unique properties of Molecule’s sponge-like nanomaterial in creating water from thin air.

Molecule chose Design 1st to help transform the material into a physical prototype for commercial testing. The video below describes the process:

The unique properties of the desiccant material were discovered by Molecule at The Bernal Institute at the University of Limerick: a world-class nanomaterial research laboratory. The key feature of the new desiccant replacement material is that it absorbs water just like the inorganic desiccants used today, but releases water at 120°F instead of 400°F. This provides existing commercial HVAC systems, the type found on top of buildings, to produce thousands of litres of water per hour.

A recent Fast Company article, highlights the potential of Molecule:

“The material can help HVAC systems save energy from pumping water around. Buildings consume around 40% of the yearly energy used in the U.S., and in-building HVAC systems are responsible for about half of the energy buildings consume.”

For comparison, energy consumed by US transportation accounts for 28% of total energy consumed each year. Therefore, Molecule’s potential energy savings for buildings is equivalent to taking all US gasoline cars off the road.

Molecule is now working with Design 1st to help accelerate the commercialization of the material. A large mall in Southern California may be the first pilot for the system.

Visit www.molecule.us to learn more about this world-changing innovation.

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: March 16, 2020

Design 1st 2019 Year in Review

Design 1st 2019 Year in Review

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

A passionate, creative, hard-working team can get a lot done in 365 days. How much? Take a look at our infographic below to find out:

Share

Have a new product idea?

We can help take you from idea to design, prototyping, and volume manufacturing.

Published on: February 25, 2020