How to Hire a Product Design Firm
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Hiring a product design firm to assist in the development of a new product is a smart choice because it decreases the risk of product development while improving time-to-market. A product design firm helps businesses design great-looking products that function exactly as expected.
The outsourcing of product design tasks has become increasingly common because of its numerous benefits. For example, product design is often outsourced when a business needs a new take on an old product. Product design firms lend your business an outsider’s perspective, enabling you to revive your brand image and products.
There are plenty of product design firms out there to choose from, but selecting one to work with can be a daunting task. Some product design firms focus solely on one industry or aspect of product design, while others offer services that span a variety of industries and specialize in all aspects of product design and development. To determine whether a product design firm can meet your needs, visit their facilities, evaluate work they’ve done in the past, and talk with them in person to ask the following questions, among others:
- How large is your firm?
- How long have you been in business?
- Can you provide me with references?
- How do you plan on working with my organization?
- Have you worked in my market or a similar market before?
You may have trouble deciding between a large firm and a small firm. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Small product design firms typically charge less and tend to be quicker, but they usually offer fewer services and may not be able to provide as many examples of work they’ve done in the past. Large product design firms may charge higher rates and take longer if you have a small project, but they tend to offer a wider range of services and produce work of the utmost quality.
Prior to hiring a product design firm, determine exactly what it is you want them to accomplish. Do you simply want them to help with brainstorming concepts, or do you want them to take your product idea from concepts through design engineering, prototyping, and on to production start-up?
In addition, define the market and the needs of the market which the product is going to serve. If you want the product design firm to spearhead your project from start to finish, make sure you only define the needs that the product serves and not the actual product. If you define the product completely, it will be harder for the product design firm you hire to provide you with a fresh, new take.
Having a prototype in any form for the first discussions is an advantage in some cases and a waste of time in others. What you are trying to convey is the key user features of the product design. What material to use and what the parts will be are not needed as an initial concept only resembles a final product design from a distance. The design firm will ensure a professional product is developed. A prototype can be paper and tape or in many cases a sketch showing important features that may not yet be developed. An experienced product development team understands the intent and brings materials, parts, assembly and point of manufacture knowledge back to you in the form of potential product design concepts and solutions.
After you’ve determined who your product’s target market is and what their needs are, draft a request for proposal (RFP) that includes that information as well as details about the existing marketplace, competition, and any fixed schedule requirements you may have. Send an RFP to a few different product design firms. Once each firm reviews your RFP, they will meet with you again to provide you with an initial sketch/diagram detailing how they plan to design the product and in what time frame.
Follow the above steps to ensure that the product design firm you select is a good match for your business. Out of every 1000 product ideas, it is estimated that only 100 will be good ones, 10 will get through the prototype stage, and 1 will be successful. Make sure that your product will be that 1 in a 1000 by hiring a qualified and experienced product design firm to take the reins of your project.
Call Us toll free 1.877.235.1004 to discuss how a Canadian design firm can add value to your project.
