From developing ideas to managing the design process, Dick Powell answers common queries about product design
I've got a brilliant idea for an innovative product - what should I do?
Ninety-nine per cent of brilliant ideas dreamt up by the average person turn out not to be so novel. So it is well to be prepared for the project to fail at an early stage.
- Get to a working prototype if you possibly can.
- Always ensure that anyone you show it to signs a non-disclosure agreement first. Few major companies will look at it for fear of later legal action unless it is patented.
- Establish that it is patentable and apply for a patent. If it's not patentable, you have precious little protection from unscrupulous manufacturers.
- Talk to potential manufacturers about taking it on and developing it.
- Failing that, talk to design companies and venture capitalists about going it alone.
How much will it cost to employ a design company to design my product?
Probably less than you think! Whatever they may tell you, only use the design company for those parts of your development programme which you cannot resource in-house. Pick a design team whose scope and ambition match your own - usually, a one-man band with the capacity to dedicate to your brief and a real understanding of your requirements, is a better option for a small business than a large design company. By and large though, you get what you pay for.
How early in our development cycle should I bring in designers?
It can never be early enough. Even though the hands-on design activity may be months away, get your selected designers on board as early as you can. Get them involved in milestone meetings well before you think you need them - it's a small investment in their time, but their experience and insight will pay dividends by bringing vision and clarity to the process.
How do I determine the 'handover' point from design team to development or manufacturing team?
Give the design team free rein through the concept and design development phases, at least until you have seen a finished model.
The last ten years have witnessed enormous change in the process and tools of design, blurring the divide between engineering and industrial design. Today, design companies are equipped almost as well as most manufacturers, particularly in 3D CAD capability, and are able to offer a depth of downstream engineering which you probably did not anticipate.
Ensure that your in-house development or manufacturing team is comfortable with the evolving design and has checked and is satisfied that it can ultimately deliver what you want. Once the model is complete and adequately defined, establish what you can handle confidently in-house (or via a supplier) and what you are less sure about.
As a general rule of thumb, anything on the outside should be defined by the design team, while anything on the inside should be defined by the in-house development team. In practice, it won't ever be that distinct, but it’s a useful guideline.
Where do I find a designer or design company?
Find out who designed products which are similar to your own. Ask around within their manufacturing companies for guidance. Check out the Design Business Association’s (DBA) list of membership or British Design Innovation’s (BDI) Design Agency Directory. Look for winners and short listed companies in design competitions (such as Design Week, DBA Design Effectiveness, I.D. - The International Design Magazine's competition and D&AD Awards). See also Design Week's Top 100 listing of design companies.