Product Strategy Expertise
Video: Meet the team at Design 1st (1:30min)
Trusted to develop manufacture-ready connected products for Enterprises, Start-Ups, and Entrepreneurs
Smart Product Strategy De-Risks Your Development Investment
Case Study: How one entrepreneur navigated the unknowns in product design
Our strategic product planning methodology starts at the early-stage design thinking.
- We Explore Opportunities – feasible/doable, key risks
- We build and test new features with target users – use value
- We identify critical parts – supply, manufacture and cost
- We assess technical requirements – feasible/constraints
- We plan out supply strategy – cost/sourcing issues
- We provide data – for go/no-go decisions
Product Strategy Planning Capabilities
We help validate physical product opportunities early—solving manufacturing feasibility before major investment.
Configuring Feasible Concept Options
Create one or more high level product options to weigh innovation and manufacture reality:
- Architect each concept – user interface, mechanical, electronics, software
- Assess the concepts – manufacture complexity, part-product cost, tooling
- Feature trade-off analysis – weigh each user value against new frontier risk
- Risk versus opportunity maps – to help integrate concept ideas into one
- Requirements and Targets – capture initial list, update as design develops
Exploration Research
For critical high-risk elements of a new product idea, we research available data and talk with users and experts to guide us on how to quantify and qualify these risks. Business, Market, User and Product risks are considered.
- Technical feasibility – find feasible solutions, assess new functions/parts
- Competitor products – analyze price, differentiate, competitive advantage
- IP landscape review – to identify obvious patent risks and opportunities
- Distribution channel options – analyze margins, logistics, costs, barriers
Business, User, Market Analysis
Explore target market value and product related business risks:
- Market research – surveys and interviews to understand features/value
- User needs research – surveys, user groups, talk with expert users
- Buyer research – understand purchasing decisions and influencers
- ROI modeling – R&D, costs, margins, and break-even analysis
- Supply strategy – landed costs and distribution expenses
Manufacturing Planning from the Start
We capture product requirements, track design changes to keep you in control:
- Define/document – technical specs, tolerance, performance requirements
- Compliance testing – for safety, environmental, and industry standards
- Quality and reliability – set part and product targets for part/cost selection
- User Experience – set/evaluate success targets as product idea evolves
- From strategy to solutions, we find risks, then build and test to guide us
4.7
What Clients Say About Working With Design 1st
Richard Mineo
CEO, Swabbot Solutions LLC
Design 1st Exceeds Expectations in Responsiveness
Design 1st took our Cobot from initial concept through final product testing, handling electrical, mechanical, software, and manufacturing needs all in one team. They efficiently developed our tank access system, finalized our swabbing robot, and created a benchtop version, keeping us updated and responding quickly to every change request.
George Tsintzouras
Director of Product, Christie Digital
Immediately understood what was needed
When we wanted to transition our older generation projector models to a more modern look and feel, Design 1st was a valuable asset. Given the depth of their design and engineering experience, Design 1st immediately understood what was needed. They worked with our internal engineering team through the process to provide us with compatible solutions to meet our needs.
Stephen Rayment
VP Engineering, Ericsson
Our trusted engineering partner for six years
Design 1st has been our trusted industrial design and mechanical engineering partner for over six years and they have proven themselves to be valuable, competent and committed to our success. They add value because they understand the tradeoffs between user value and cost, the need to balance both the business and product objectives, along with excellent knowledge of materials and manufacturing / tooling options.
Mike Tettenborn
VP Engineering, Caframo
Right balance of art and engineering
We selected Design 1st because their designers and engineers demonstrated the right creativity and technical understanding. With their CAD and modelling tools they were able to address the numerous design challenges encountered with this type of product. The end result was an easy-to-install, powerful marine hatch fan – unlike any on the market.
Kurt Francis
Co-Founder, CTO, Molecule
Deepest bench of technical talent
I did a lot of due diligence on product development companies and Design 1st had the deepest bench for technical capability. They worked on such a broad range of products with successful commercialization. Design 1st’s early efforts in prototype development helped us move from a powder substrate into a commercial product for testing.
John Lupton
Director of Engineering, GeoSight
Got up and running fast
The whole design was my idea and I had patents on them. The team’s main work was to solve the functionality issue of a piece of my design. On top of that, they helped identify one of our manufacturers.
Didi Horn
CTO, SkyX
Exceeded Our Expectations
The Design 1st team exceeded our expectations and helped us deliver an exceptional product to the market. As a startup, we were working within a budget but expected the highest quality product. Design 1st identified the risks up front, had the vast network of partners to find the right components, and customized it to meet our unique needs.
Product Strategy Expertise That Validates Opportunities Early
Product Concept Exploration
Early Risk Assessment
Hidden risks discovered mid-development destroy budgets and kill product sales. Many design teams focus on the solution first, developing exciting features tied to envisioned user benefits. They often overlook the critical technical constraints, regulatory hurdles, and cost contributors that can derail projects when this information is eventually uncovered.
With our deep experience in human factors, technical and supply expertise, we systematically identify and evaluate project-killing risks before major development cost spend begins. Our assessments and data collection helps you make informed decisions about a product configuration that balances your business and market goals with user needs and the best product configuration to develop and bring to market.
Market and User Research
Assumptions about market and demand lead to products nobody wants to buy. Most development teams rely on internal opinions and anecdotal feedback, building products based on what they think users need rather than qualifying their opinions with low-cost market research and testing.
We use structured research at several levels of data quality and cost that qualify your market size and user value early in the product development. Our systematic approach includes surveys, structured focus groups and data analysis to gauge market fit, user needs and buyer’s interest.
Go/No-Go Decision Framework
The Only Team You Need to Move Your Product Through Design to Production
Design 1st’s in-house team of experts works as a single unit across design, engineering, software, and manufacturing to reduce risk, streamline development, and launch your connected device faster.
Embedded Systems
Seamless integration of electronics into physical devices.
Embedded Design Team
Mechanical Engineering
Find creative mechanical solutions to technical challenges.
Mechanical Design Team
Industrial Design
Transform your product concept into a refined manufacture-ready design.
Industrial Design Team
Electronics Engineering
Add power, secure connectivity, and interaction control to your products.
Electronic Design Team
Transfer to Manufacturing
Move your product into volume manufacturing.
Manufacture Transfer Team
Design Strategy
Set your new product up for success with a well-laid plan.
Design Strategy Team
Portfolio of Projects
Across every industry, our team excels at developing technically complex projects.
Fully Certified and Award-Winning
Our company and staff are professional engineers with multiple industry certifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
NDA’s ensure confidentiality for both parties during conversations. We provide a mutual NDA where the terms apply to both parties. If your organization has an NDA that requires our signature, we handle this through email.
Our process has been refined over hundreds of projects. It is based on rapid iterations that produce concrete ideas and tangible prototypes that can be viewed, assessed, tested, and refined.
Need help tackling tough technical challenges in your product development?
Design 1st integrates our knowledge and expertise with yours to bring your product idea to life.