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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Electrode-Retaining Headband

A precision cranial positioning system for transcranial stimulation therapy.

An Inside Glimpse Into the Product Development of Nordoc's Electrode Positioning Headband

Product Design Requirements

Pinpoint both electrode sites on any head without the operator doing the math.
Let one person place and secure each sponge without disturbing the other.
Hold firm, even pressure so the current never concentrates enough to burn the skin.
Stay comfortable for a full treatment, even on a child.
Use only non-absorbent materials so saline cannot wick across the scalp and short the electrodes.
Survive repeated cleaning in a clinical setting.

Engineering Challenges

A medical device developer came to Design 1st with a procedure that had barely changed in decades. Placing tDCS electrodes meant measuring the head by hand, determining reference points, and holding the sponges in place while a second person wrapped an elastic bandage over them. It was slow, it needed two people, and small placement errors carried consequences. Design 1st was hired to invent something better, from first concepts through working prototypes.

The answer turned out to be weight, not tension. Once the band is in place, counterbalanced weights press the electrodes down, so nothing has to be cinched tight.
A rigid, ratchet-adjustable frame replaced the elastic bandage, ending both the upward creep and the saline wicking that shorted the electrodes.
Non-elastic, water-repellent straps and one-handed fasteners let a single operator set each pad on its own.
A set of percentage-marked cords, read against the standard 10-20 head map, locates each site by eye instead of by tape measure.

Product Results