Product Design, Development, and Supply Management
Whether you’re brand new to creating physical products, have an in-house development team, or are a long-time veteran of product development, we have expert teams that work with you to strategize, design, engineer, fully document and transfer the product specifications to manufacturing.
What Kind of Product Development Help Do You Need?
Whether you’re new to creating physical products, have an in-house development team, or are a product development veteran, our expert team works with you to strategize, design, engineer, fully document the details, and transfer your product to manufacturing.
With a Development Team
COMPANIES
Many organizations have their own R&D teams that, from time-to-time, require outside expertise to design specific elements of their new product concept.
Our experience is a catalyst to speed up projects for overloaded development teams and companies adopting new technologies.
We plug in easily to your strategy and engineering teams.
Without a Development Team
COMPANIES OR STARTUPS
Startups and Companies without dedicated physical product design teams have an advantage as product development teams and equipment are expensive to hire, train and maintain.
Our diverse team brings a world of knowledge to your new product concept to get your product from the idea stage to market-ready, quickly and at a competitive cost.
Need Help to Develop Your Idea?
ENTREPRENEURS
It is very difficult to find a team like ours with end-to-end product development experts, product marketing strategists and manufacturing setup specialists, all working together under one roof on many projects in many markets.
One poor decision, or defective component, is how companies that design and sell real-world equipment and devices fail. Risk identification, and knowing what things to leverage and what to avoid during product development is critical.
Our Expertise
We work creatively and tap into global information to explore more alternatives in less time, arriving at a qualified product solution that saves you time and money on your development budgets. Generative AI tools are at the heart of our requirements research, design concepts exploration, engineering constraints, risk avoidance and evaluation of part-supplier choices.
1. Product Design Strategy
Research your category and lay solid project plans.
Our cost-effective up-front analysis and user value testing provide a clearer picture of your competition, price/cost options, patent strategy, customer-valued features, market specific requirements, and more.
2. Industrial Design
Transform your vision into a useful engaging product.
Whether in the same room or collaborating from a distance with our state-of-the-art conferencing tools, we work closely with you and your team to brainstorm, develop concepts, and iteratively refine these ideas into a business-oriented product solution.
3. Mechanical Engineering
Engineer products that perform on every level.
Our engineering team has the analysis tools and technical expertise to help you reduce risk and solve tough problems. Tricky assembly; sophisticated materials selection; novel manufacturing processes; complex stress, thermal, or vibration concerns – whatever your technical hurdles, we can help.
4. Electronics Engineering
Add intelligence and connectivity to your product.
From industrial instruments and medical devices to Internet-connected consumer products and everything between, we have the electronics design experience to reliably navigate power, high speed circuitry, battery power and radios to deliver our piece of the market-ready product.
5. Embedded Software Design
Seamless integration of electronics into new products.
Embedded software plays a critical role with custom code to integrate all functions of a new product. Our expert team of software developers works with the development team to design and code compact efficient software with a small memory footprint and low power requirements.
6. Prototypes, Evaluation and Testing
Show and validate your design early to reduce your risk.
Prototypes are essential when developing physical products. With our in-house prototype shop and established network of reliable suppliers, we build thousands of prototypes yearly, including demonstration units.
Get Started Learn More about Prototypes, Evaluation and Testing
7. Parts Supply and Sourcing Strategy
Finding unique and critical parts and a reliable supplier is challenging.
Ensuring quality during volume production is critical to your product’s success. Obtaining low defect rates for dozens of critical components is challenging. We help you find, assess and specify requirements for key and critical challenging parts in a new product design.
Get Started Learn More about Parts Supply and Sourcing Strategy
8. Transfer to Manufacturing Support
Transfer to Manufacturing.
We leverage our manufacturing supplier network and find suppliers for challenging new parts required, integrating supplier selection and manufacturing realities into the early stage development process.
Get Started Learn More about Transfer to Manufacturing Support
Our Commitment to You
Our designers, engineers and product specialists provide you a fast, professional path from concept ideas to your first product sales.
We Recognize Your Ownership
It is your idea, your product, your patents, and your awards. We provide critical guidance to drive your project forward and get our motivation from your success.
Communication is Critical
Our process centres on close collaboration with you and your team. We invest in the best tools to collaborate remotely with you on design concepts and engineering details.
Tools to Save Time and Money
We invest in the most sophisticated tools for design, product visualization, engineering analysis, in-house prototyping, and manufacturing support.
Talented People Work Together
Our multi-functional design and engineering team works closely together with you to find solutions that work. Our manufacturing team guides our design choices.
Reduce Design Risk
Our Lean Product Design Process is based on rapid iterations to produce concrete ideas and tangible prototypes that can be viewed, assessed, tested, and refined.
Pride in Our Success
By sharing our skills, talent, and network of partners, we are committed to the success of your world-class manufacturable product as you move to market.
We Work As an Integrated Team
When you work with Design 1st, you’re accessing a tailored, cross-functional team of specialists customized for your specific project. As your project evolves, so too does the team working on it, so you get only the most expert people providing input every step of the way.
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Mechanical Engineering
Find creative mechanical solutions to technical challenges.
Mechanical Design Team
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Industrial Design
Transform your product concept into a refined manufacture-ready design.
Industrial Design Team
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Electronics Engineering
Add power, secure connectivity, and interaction control to your products.
Electronic Design Team
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Our Proven 4-Step Process
Together, with your business team, we help you navigate user value, part costs, quality and product-market fit. Our Stage-Gate® process and product management team deliver a predictable, positive experience and outcome.
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Concept Development
Turn your concept into a refined design, assess risk factors, and create architecture plans ready for engineering.
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Detailed Engineering
Select all parts, test risky items, evaluate design features and create specifications and documentation to build a working pre-production prototype.
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Prototype and Test
Build the first fully-working unit, validate product requirements, confirm usability and refine the details of the many parts and functions of your product.
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Manufacturing Setup
Transfer the product file, with design specifications, to your manufacturer, finalize the quality-control expectations, and oversee production builds, as required.
Portfolio of Projects
Across every industry, our team excels at developing technically complex projects.
Awards & Certifications
Design1st projects have received 75+ awards and we hold 1000+ patents.
From Napkin Sketch to Manufacture-Ready Product, Designed Right the 1st Time
Design 1st integrates our knowledge and expertise with yours to bring your product idea to life