What is a product development company?

A product development company turns an idea into a manufacturable, market-ready physical product. The work spans industrial design, mechanical and electronics engineering, embedded software, prototyping, regulatory testing, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st has provided full-service product development since 1996, helping startups, OEMs, and Fortune 500 companies launch hardware across consumer, industrial, medical, and IoT categories.

What does Design 1st do?

Design 1st is a North American product development firm headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. We specialize in custom design and engineering of useful, innovative physical products. Our 36-person in-house team covers technology research, industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, prototyping, regulatory and certifications, manufacturing setup, and supply strategy. Since 1996 we have developed more than a thousand real-world products.

How does Design 1st develop products?

Design 1st uses a refined four-stage process: Concept Design, Detailed Engineering, Product Prototype Testing, and Transfer to Manufacturer. The process has been developed over 25 years and more than a thousand products. It reduces time to market and lowers development cost by up to 50 percent. Risk identification and assessment is integrated at every stage so clients have good data to make decisions.

How long does product development take?

A typical hardware product development engagement runs 6 to 18 months from concept to manufacturing-ready, depending on complexity and regulatory requirements. Consumer electronics often complete in 8 to 12 months. Medical devices typically take 12 to 24 months due to regulatory testing. Design 1st phases work into Concept Design, Detailed Engineering, Prototype Testing, and Manufacturing Transfer.

How much does product development cost?

Hardware product development engagements at Design 1st range from approximately 50,000 dollars for early-stage prototyping to more than 500,000 dollars for full development of a connected consumer or medical product. The hourly rate is 165 dollars Canadian. Project cost depends on electronics complexity, regulatory scope including FCC, CE, and FDA, and the number of prototype iterations required.

What industries does Design 1st serve?

Design 1st serves twelve markets including medical and diagnostic, mining and industrial, health and wellness, smart home and IoT, construction and tools, consumer and home, cleantech and sustainability, transport and logistics, AI devices, robotics and automation, accessibility and safety, and telecom and networking. In 2025 the team is working on 104 new products across these markets.

Where is Design 1st located?

Design 1st is headquartered at 1840 Woodward Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The 36-person team includes industrial designers, mechanical engineers, electronics engineers, embedded firmware developers, supply strategists, and project managers, all working in-house under one roof. Design 1st serves clients across the United States and Canada and has shipped products to clients in Europe and Asia.

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Explore our extensive commercial product portfolio, where we specialize in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of innovative equipment and industrial products. Our focus is on developing and prototyping commercial-grade products for diverse industrial applications.

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Design 1st helped us deliver an exceptional product to market

“We didn’t look at this shipping container project as ‘one and done.’ We wanted a product that could be replicated for scale and the Design 1st team has enabled us to do just. Their team’s forward-thinking approach complemented ours and this partnership resulted in a customized container that protects, charges and transports our aerial vehicles virtually anywhere around the world.”

Didi Horn

Founder & CEO, SkyX

Fully Certified and Award-Winning

Our company and staff are certified with the Professional Engineers of Ontario and with ACIDO certified Industrial Designers of Ontario. We are also affiliated with Carleton University.