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Industrial Design From Sketch to Shelf
Designers Who Sit Next to Engineers.
One team. Industrial design, mechanical, electrical, firmware under one roof. Tooling problems found in week 2, not month 8.
1000+ Successful Projects Since 1996
Consumer electronics. Medical devices. Industrial equipment. Connected products. We’ve designed them, engineered them, and watched them ship.
Your Last Firm Gave You a Render. We’ll Give You a BOM.
We think about draft angles, parting lines, and unit cost from the first sketch. The design you approve is the design that gets molded.
meet design 1st
See how our designers and engineers take products from sketch to factory.
Trusted by
Industrial Design Challenges We Solve
Click any scenario to see the disciplines and past work behind it.
You have an existing product that needs a refresh
Updated electronics, better UX, cost reduction, or new regulatory compliance.
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electronics Design
- DFM Optimization
- Regulatory
Your product goes into a hospital or a hard hat zone.
High-speed Air-driven dental drill designed system, prototyped, tested, and custom manufacturing setup.
ProDrive Universal High-Speed Dental Drill System
Mechanical design + testing and regulatory + DFM
- Mechanical Engineering
- Prototype + Test
- DFM Optimization
- FDA + Health Canada
Your prototype looks like a prototype
Award-winning 4K video production system, industrial design refresh to volume manufacturing.
ARC™ - Mobile Device Management Kiosk
Industrial design + mechanical + thermal management + DFM
- Industrial Design
- Mechanical Engineering
- Prototyping
- DFM Optimization
You need it designed and engineered. Fast.
Magnetic self-coiling USB-C cable designed and launched in three months, now Amazon best selling USB-C cable
Lūp Cable - Self Organizing Magnetic Cable
Electronics + testing and regulatory + DFM
- Electrical Engineering
- Firmware
- DFM Optimization
- Regulatory
Your product needs electronics or firmware integrated.
World’s first IoT sump pump alarm, designed and manufactured globally.
Liberty Pumps NightEye™ IoT Sump Pump Alarm
Electronics + firmware + IoT + industrial design + DFM
- Industrial Design
- Firmware + IOT
- Thermal Testing
- DFM Optimization
Your product needs design direction
Top-selling toddler door sensor, from Arduino prototype to mass production.
Toddler Monitor Safety Door Sensor
Electronics + firmware + industrial design + app connectivity + DFM
- Industrial Design
- IOT + Bluetooth Integration
- Prototyping
- DFM Optimization
Looking for a full list?
Products We've Designed
A sample from 1,000+ products designed since 1996.
Industry, Assistive Devices
Industry, Commercial
Industry, Smart Office
Industry, Mining Equipment
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Commercial
Industry, Health & Wellness
Industry, Health & Wellness
Industry, Medical Devices
Industry, Medical Devices
Industry, Health & Wellness
Industry, Assistive Devices
Industry, Smart Office
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Telecom
Industry, Commercial
Industry, Mining Equipment
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Consumer
Industry, Cleantech
Industry, Cleantech
Industry, Cleantech
Industry, Cleantech
Industry, Cleantech
Industry, Cleantech
Industry, Cleantech
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
Medical, industrial, consumer, cleantech
25+
Years in Business
Founded 1996, in Ottawa Canada
35
Senior Professionals
Design, engineering, firmware, supply chain
8
Disciplines
No outsourcing, no handoff gaps
Industries we work in
- Medical Devices
- Industrial Equipment
- Consumer Electronics
- Cleantech & Energy
- Mining & Resources
- Telecom & IoT
- Robotics & Automation
- Transportation
Why Choose Our Industrial Design Team
From first-time founders to engineering teams at public companies.
"We ended up with the best product in dentistry. FDA approval very, very fast. Design 1st came through."
David Turner
Dentist & Founder
“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
iF Design 2023
Grands Prix 2021
Clutch 2026
A' Design 2021
ACIDO
IoT Evolution 2025
IDA 2021
Mining Tech 2025
Meet the Team
See how our integrated design team develops products from concept to production.
James Henderson, VP of Product Design, walks through our process and how 8 disciplines work together on every project.
James Henderson
VP of Product Design · Design 1st
How we've helped companies like yours
Real projects, real outcomes. From first sketch to production line.
Meet the Team
See how our integrated team takes products from concept to production
James Henderson, VP of Product Design, walks through our process and how 8 disciplines work together on every project.
James Henderson
VP of Product Design · Design 1st
Medical
Full Development
Neurostimulation device redesign for FDA clearance
- Electronics + enclosure redesigned
- Transferred to contract manufacturer
Consumer
Concept → Mfg
Remote Drone Garage and Re-charging Station
- Complete development in under 12 months
- DFM for low volume production
EdTech / IoT
Electronics + Firmware
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
Your brief stay confidential. NDA signed before any details are shared internally.
what happens next
- We review your brief
- You receive an NDA + D1 overview
- 30-minute intro call
- Development plan with timeline and budget