The industrial design process is one of the co-parents of a wide range of businesses and industries that invention development is central to. Its primary objective is to cater to user experience as much as possible in order to generate products that are exceptionally useful and aesthetically pleasing. When you follow the correct steps while developing your invention, customer interest and satisfaction will flourish.
In order to begin figuring out how to come up with and realize an invention, you will need to conduct extensive research regarding the ins and outs of the targeted industry you hope to launch your product in. In addition, it is critical to develop an astute comprehension of what the invention process entails as a whole. This encyclopedic field guide will allow you to enhance your understanding of the lingo used in the industrial design field and what the typical invention process flowchart encompasses.
Step 1: Develop Your Product + Create The Invention Process Flowchart
The very first step is a mind-mapping symposium so you can build an invention process flowchart. At MAKO Design + Invent, this entails our team of designers and product strategists picking your brain in order to develop an understanding of your preferences and vision and also to provide the best knowledge regarding definitions and parts of the invention process for you. This can include industry research, rough drawings, and potentially any software required to lay down the foundation. The general idea for this step of the design process is to identify questions that need to be answered. It can consist of:
- What does the design do?
- What problem will it solve?
- What does the function look like?
- What market are we targeting?
The beauty of working with an industrial design team during the invention process is the collaborative effort it allows for. It’s a harmonious orchestra of the inventors’ creativity and world-class proficiency in concept design and engineering. The information that is gathered will then turn into a more defined concept.
Our team will also discuss the importance of patenting your product early on. We take pride in knowing that we have developed long-standing relationships with patent attorneys from coast to coast over the last 20 years. Our network is ready to answer questions and assist in selecting the right type of patent. Not to mention, MAKO always exercises non-disclosure agreements (NDA) between all parties involved before the process starts.
If you would like to dive deeper into this topic, you can listen to Episode 105 of The Product Startup Podcast: Patenting Physical Consumer Product Inventions, which is hosted by our President and Founder, Kevin Mako, and features Senior Patent Lawyer Rich Goldstein.
Step 2: Build a Prototype
Now that you and your design team have solidified the invention idea and that it is both marketable and patentable, the process moves on to one of the most integral steps in creating an invention, product prototyping. This gives the design team a chance to develop several different potential models of your idea and understand what dimensions work. MAKO also values customer feedback as part of the bigger picture and ensures our clients are communicated with consistently throughout each prototyping stage. This step includes:
- Understanding the features and functional aspects that are important to the consumer.
- Explore the gaps in the industry that the product can solve.
- Discover which parts of the product can improved.
- Understand the best features of the product and how to leverage them for marketing campaigns.
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to consider what materials to use for your invention and test the materials that were previously considered for the prototype. Discussions regarding manufacturing and pricing typically also take place at this stage.
Step 3: Manufacture Your Product
When working with MAKO Design + Invent during the invention process, we recruit the philosophy of developing and designing for manufacturing. Our computer-aided design (CAD) renderings and manufacturing considerations are there to ensure the design is production-ready. MAKO produces the best designs when we meticulously consider every physical detail, material option, functional component, and assembly instruction to ensure the product is manufacturable and achieves maximal success.
The Process + Steps For Creating An Invention With An Industrial Design Company: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you invent a product?
Once you have documented your idea and performed comprehensive research to start the invention process, you will then be able to move into the product design stage. MAKO helps bring the vision of your invention idea to life by producing numerous designs and prototypes to set you in the right direction for manufacturing. Furthermore, we can facilitate communications with a patent attorney.
While you are here, you can get in touch with one of MAKO’s team members to arrange a consultation.
How do I find an industrial design company to work with for the invention process?
You can use resources such as The Better Business Bureau as an index. It can provide peace of mind knowing that you are working with an A+ business. At MAKO Design + Invent, we take pride in producing award-winning inventions that earn recognition from prominent organizations, such as Red Dot, Inc 5000, and DNA Paris. Moreover, we earned recognition on the Globe and Mail’s Great Place To Work list.
How much does it cost to work with an industrial design company?
The answer to this question essentially depends on how complex your invention idea is; however, if you are collaborating with MAKO, we will do our best to develop an optimally cost-effective plan. With MAKO’s business model, we can provide all of the development services you need in one location to streamline the invention process. This includes research, design, engineering, prototyping, patenting, manufacturing, and distribution. MAKO has spent years refining our invention process definition and empirical principles, and we have worked with hundreds of startups, small manufacturers, and inventors on limited budgets. It allows us to produce radiant and exceptional designs by only including what the design needs while avoiding unnecessary frills.
What are the benefits of working with an industrial design company?
The MAKO Design + Invent team introduced and honed the S.M.A.R.T Product Development Model: Skillful, Marketable, Accelerated, Responsive, and Targeted. This insight is incredibly valuable from the start of creating the perfect invention process flowchart to production. When you work with MAKO, you’re not only receiving product design and development services; you are also gaining years and years of hard-earned knowledge.
Final Notes
As we have discovered, the bulk of the process with an industrial design company comes down to the parental instincts of the firm.
At MAKO, you are always ensured that your product will be raised by a team that is nurturing, dependable, and diversely knowledgeable so that your idea will reach its fullest potential.
About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!
Bruce collins
2021-01-28 at 2:54 pmI have a invention idea I would like to run across someone that I could use help with making it Reality and believe it would be used by millions but I just don’t know how to bring the idea to life
Dennis Ralph
2021-01-30 at 10:29 amHow much does it cost from startup to get your product on the Shelf in stores
Mako Design
2021-02-02 at 1:37 pmHey Dennis! Thanks for your comment. We are a fee for service company so the cost depends on the types of services needed to create your product idea. We do provide a free quote for your product so we will email you to schedule the next steps. Looking forward to discussing with you!
Msrcus
2021-01-30 at 8:01 pmSame here I have an idea that I think can be of good use just need help on getting it started
Mako Design
2021-02-02 at 1:40 pmGlad to hear, Marcus! We would be happy to walk you through our process. The next step would be the schedule your free product consultation where we will give you an estimate on the cost of your project. We will email you at the email you’ve provided here. We look forward to discussing with you!
Cameron jack
2021-02-05 at 10:52 pmI have an idea, everybody has a hard time opening plastic bags to put fruit or vegetables in. Especially in canada super markets. I went into Walmart to buy fruit, I had winter gloves on that had little round rubber grips. This really helped open hard to open plastic bags. Would like my idea developed where you have small rubber grabs to put on with the thumb and pointer finger. This would help open plastic bags.
Mako Design
2021-02-10 at 10:10 amHi Cameron – thanks for sharing your idea. That sounds super useful! We will email you at the email you provided to set up your free consultation with our strategy team. We look forward to working with you!
Verdie Oberbrunner
2024-02-21 at 4:05 amThis article is a great resource, thank you for putting it together.