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.

Archives: Portfolio

Description.

SoloRolo – Myofascial Release Ball

SoloRolo - Myofascial Release Ball

Therapeutic Tool for Myofascial Release and Trigger Massage

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of SoloRolo's Myofascial Release Ball

Product Design Requirements

Physiotherapist, John Pathrose, came to Design 1st with a product idea for a self-massage tool to help with trigger point massage to alleviate pain. John required full product development support, including design, engineering, prototyping, packaging, and manufacturing setup.

Engineering Challenges

After choosing a design direction, the Design 1st team began detailed engineering to define the materials, size, components, and manufacturing method. This process unrevealed several tough design challenges.

Product Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team developed an award-winning product that:

From concept idea to the #1 selling myofascial release tool on the market in under one year!

“Design 1st’s designers and engineers demonstrated the right creativity and technical understanding, managing the entire product design process from idea to manufacturing.”

John Pathose

Inventor and Founder, Solorolo Inc

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Published on: May 23, 2023

Rumidifier – Zero Energy Humidifier

Rumidifier - Zero Energy Room Humidifier

Eco-Friendly, Zero Energy Home Humidifier Went From Idea to 500K Units Sold

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of Rumidifier's Zero Energy Humidifier

Product Design Requirements

Rumidifier came to Design 1st with a napkin sketch idea to design a zero-energy humidifier device with no moving parts that would sit on top of household forced air vents.

Design and Engineering Challenges

The biggest engineering challenge for the design team was maintaining the airflow from the register while placing a moist object in front of the register vent.

Two rounds of prototyping were carried out to test the water flow rates, wicking, airflow, vent sizing and the overall size and appearance of unit
Selection of a good wicking material that would absorb water up to 10 inches high allowed for a simple bowl approach to the water system
Understanding the behavior of air flow in smaller and larger vents in homes across North America

Product Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team helped Rumidifer go from an idea to an award-winning innovative product that has sold over 1 Million units across North America and continues to grow.

One Stop Shop From Product Idea to Manufacturing and Store Shelves

“I needed to transform the Rumidifier napkin sketch design into a working prototype and then a real product. As a first time inventor, the importance of having a knowledgeable business-focussed product development partner like Design 1st, is very clear to me now.”

Jeri Rodrigs

Founder and CEO, Rumidifier

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Quirklogic – Enterprise Connected Whiteboard

QuirkLogic - Enterprise Connected eWriter

The World's Largest E-Ink Digital Whiteboard

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of QuirkLogic's eWriter

Background & Design Requirements

QuirkLogic came to Design 1st looking for help to transform their concept of an e-ink whiteboard from a scale model prototype into a 4ft. tall interactive touch surface.

Design and Engineering Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven product development process, the team was able to identify, test, and remove major product risks and deliver a functional prototype.

Structural honeycomb layers provided flex resistance strength while the aluminum rails add protection
During design of quick disconnect system, multiple rounds of user testing were done to achieve balance between form and function.
Explore rigid panel architectural construction, commonly used in marine applications for weight and strength
The only hiccup was the side rail parts were warping due to heat during molding. Design 1st fixed the issue with a cooling jig for use during assembly.

Product Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team developed an award-winning product for QuirkLogic, that received accolades for being the largest, commercial e-ink display in the world!

A custom manufacturing process was set up and refined to perfect the final product assembly process during volume production.
Quirk's e-ink display is the world's largest by a factor of 10 and the micro-thin glass with touch overlay makes replication difficult
Optimized screen flex tolerance, cable management and mechanics of the quick disconnect system
QuirkLogic won multiple awards include Deloitte Top 40 Tech, InfoComm iAward Winner, and A-Design Award

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Published on: May 23, 2023

QNX – Connected Concept Car

QNX - Connected Concept Car

Cutting-edge concept car wins CES “Design and Engineering Showcase" award

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of QNX's Connected Concept Car

Background & Design Requirements

QNX Software (owned by Blackberry) came to Design 1st wanting to showcase their car infotainment technology at CES (Consumer Electronics Show). QNX needed support integrating an innovative display into a brand-new Bentley.

Design and Engineering Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven process, the team was able to overcome several obstacles to:

Product Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team developed an award-winning product that:

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Published on: May 23, 2023

SanDisk – Enterprise SSD Device

SanDisk - Enterprise SSD Device

Revolutionary enterprise server SSD device sold to SanDisk for $327M

An Inside Glimpse Into the Product Development of SanDisk's Enterprise SSD

Product Design Requirements

Pliant Technology came to Design 1st with innovative SSD technology and required a unique enclosure that would alleviate thermal issues, distinguish the brand, and be cost-effective for volume manufacturing.

Design several new enclosure concepts that would prevent thermal heat issues and match the brand
Integration of heat sensitive electronics in an ultra-compact shape that maintains precise flexing characteristics
Develop a pre-production prototype for user testing and support manufacturing setup for volume production

Engineering Challenges

Pliant Technologies’ innovative approach to SSD packed a lot of power into a small enclosure, to ensure the product would not fail required several rounds of prototyping and virtual simulations to understand heat issues.

Product Results

The success of Pliant Technologies’ SSD was recognized by SanDisk, and the entire company and product line were acquired for $327M.

High quality production process and enclosure design built trust with enterprise users
Achieved rapid turnaround from concept to production in under 6 months.
Minimum component count and ease of assembly of the cast metal enclosure were critical to high quality volume production over multiple manufacturing runs

Solved a tough technical challenge and brought us to successful volume manufacturing in nine months

“We highly valued Design 1st as our product development partner. Their design and engineering expertise was exactly what we needed to be successful.”

Mike Chenery

CEO, Pliant Technologies Inc
Senior Partner, SanDisk

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Pannexx – Portable Solar Trailer

Pannexx - Portable Solar Trailer

Telescoping Trailer Mounted Portable Solar Light Tower

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of Pannexx's Portable Solar Trailer

Background & Design Requirements

Pannexx chose Design 1st to integrate existing solar technology onto a commercial-grade trailer to create a mobile solar-powered light tower for municipalities to use in construction and road maintenance events.

Design and Engineering Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven process, the team was able to overcome several obstacles to:

Optimize design for light coverage and battery usage.
Run multiple virtual simulations to understand weight distribution, assembly process, and air flow during travel
Build a fully-functional machined prototype for testing.
Meet highway safety regulations for trailers

Product Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team developed a production-ready device:

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Published on: March 31, 2023

Nuraleve – Neuromodulation Pain Therapy

Nuraleve - Neuromodulation Pain Therapy

Revolutionary Pain and Addiction Therapy Using Neuromodulation

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of Nuraleve's SmartStim for Cravings™

Background & Design Requirements

Nuraleve came to Design 1st to transform their innovative neuromodulation headband technology into a manufacturable medical device for clinical use of pain and addiction therapy. Design requirements included:

Industrial Design Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven process, the team was able to overcome several obstacles to:

Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team developed an innovative medical device:

Revolutionary medical device technology for pain and addiction therapy using neuromodulation.

“We came to Design 1st with an ugly black box and knew we needed a better solution. Design 1st came through and gave us ideas we never thought possible that exceeded our expectations.”

Matthew Lemay

VP of Service Delivery, Nuraleve

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NorthVu – HDTV Fractal Antenna

NorthVu - HDTV Fractal Antenna

HDTV Fractal Digital Antenna for Over-the-Air Television

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of NorthVu's HDTV Fractal Antenna

Background & Design Requirements

The client came to Design 1st with innovative fractal technology to capture over-the-air television signals and wanted to develop a production-ready consumer device to sell in twelve months. Design requirements included:

Product Design Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven process, the team was able to overcome several obstacles to:

Product Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the NorthVu antenna became one of the top selling OTA (Over-the-air) antennas to capture free television signals in North America:

Commercially successful partnership with NXP Semiconductor using their RF technology.
Achieved rapid turnaround from concept to regulatory approval and volume production in fourteen months.
NorthVu signed multiple distribution agreements with major retailers to become North America's top-selling OTA antenna in the indoor category.

North America's first commercially available indoor digital OTA (over-the-air) television antenna

“Design 1st delivered an ultra-compact, elegant and reliable enclosure and retail shelf packaging that will capture the attention of consumers and prospective partners. We are confident in outsourcing our requirements to Design 1st when we need them.”

Spenser Williams

CEO, NorthVu Systems Ltd.

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Published on: March 31, 2023

Neptec – 3D LiDAR Sensor

Neptec - 3D LiDAR Sensor

Extreme Condition 3D LiDAR Obstacle Detection

An Inside Glimpse Into the Development of Neptec's 3D LiDAR Sensor

Background & Design Requirements

Neptec reached out to Design 1st to integrate their custom PCBs and 3D LiDAR technology into a rugged housing that would withstand the world’s harshest working environments during operation. Design requirements included:

Engineering Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven process, the team was able to overcome several obstacles to:

Create fast prototype mock-ups to identify fit, function, and form issues early on.
Build 3D virtual model "digital twin" of device for FEA simulations on design concepts to review any thermal issues with air flow and internal heat.
Create bench-model engineering prototype for Neptec to run early-stage lab testing

Project Results

Through creativity and technical understanding, the Design 1st team developed Neptec’s flagship product:

Neptec Acquired by Maxar Technologies for $42 Million

“We needed an up and running engineering team and we needed them right away. We found that Design 1st had a lot of interesting ideas and paths that we probably wouldn’t have thought of because they have rugged electronics experience.”

Derek Butler

Director of Engineering, Neptec Technologies

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Published on: March 31, 2023

MyTrak – Smart Fitness Monitor

MyTrak - Smart Fitness Monitor

Award-winning wearable fitness monitor acquired by Curves®

An Inside Glimpse Into the Product Development of MyTrak's Slimcoach™

Background & Design Requirements

The client came to Design 1st wanting to transform the concept of a detachable clip-based wearable activity tracker with visual cues into a high-volume manufacturable product.

Design and Engineering Challenges

Implementing Design 1st’s proven process, the team was able to overcome several obstacles to balance the design requirements with long-lasting performance.

Testing of multiple plastics and features to achieve a durable clip that can be easily detached from device
Battery selection to achieve 16-hour life, with size that would be meet the required slim profile design
Selection of annular light pipe to spread beams evenly for real-time visual interaction during fitness activity

Product Testing: Issue Found

During pre-production prototype testing the material of the poly-carbonate material chosen for the detachable clip began creating problems and failing.

Users testing the device found it was difficult to detach due to friction, resulting in some devices breaking.
But by adding a lubricating compound called Lubriloy™ to the plastic, the clip attachment worked smoothly
A small low-volume production run and user test confirmed the additive lubricant fixed the issue

Product Results and Client Success

MyTrak transformed a concept idea into one of the world’s first mass-consumer fitness trackers on the market leading to an acquisition by Curves®

Moving from concept to industry-leading fitness tracker and acquisition by Curves® in five years

“The Design 1st team’s ability to diagnosis, solve and execute on multiple design challenges throughout the product development was the key to the Slimcoach’s success in the marketplace”

Reed Hanoun

CEO and Founder, MyTrak Inc.

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