Industrial Design Services | MAKO Design

Industrial Design Services

User-Friendly Products.
Easy to Manufacture. Easy on the Eyes.

Industrial design is fairly straightforward – it’s about designing accessible, functional, manufacturable, and beautiful products. However, actually designing these types of products is anything but easy. Think about the complexity of a typical product blueprint. Every change, no matter how immeasurably small, will have a direct effect on the end product. MAKO’s industrial design services encompass meticulous processes that ensure each measurement, procedure, and material choice is optimized for the end-user. It’s how we help make it an easy decision for customers to pick your product over everyone else’s.

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What are Industrial Design Services?

Industrial design is the integral aspect of the product design process where we help ensure the product design looks, feels, and weighs precisely the way you envisioned. It’s one of two important elements of the product design process. Industrial design focuses on aesthetics – how beautiful and eye-catching the product is. The second part of the product design process is engineering. Mechanical engineering services and electrical engineering services are especially important for more complex products when it comes to manufacturability. Because a well-designed and engineered product helps ensure that every unit off the production line is impeccable, free of defects, and most importantly, provides an intuitive, compelling, and easy-to-use end-user experience.

How Industrial Design Services Work: Our Process

Our collaborative industrial design process starts once we’ve discussed and discovered your business objectives, timeline, product requirements, monetization plans, market, and other facets of your project early on via our product design services. From all of this, a Product Design Document is put together so we can keep accurate track of all design specifications throughout the course of this project. And as every successful inventor knows, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So it’s not enough to just create a beautiful product for any audience. A compelling product is one that’s intentionally designed to attract and catch the attention of your target audience – a key difference to making a better product in a competitive market. That’s exactly what MAKO’s industrial designers aim to do – to create jaw-dropping products that your end-users will love.

Research

1. PRODUCT RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

MECHANICS / ELECTRONICS / MATERIALS / MARKET


Starting with the Product Design Document mentioned above, we research and compare existing vs. new technologies to identify the optimal components for your product efficiently. With every selection, we carefully consider costs, supply chains, manufacturability, and performance. In addition, we’ll work closely with you to define your ideal target users and discover opportunities to capitalize on gaps in the existing market landscape based on your product vision.

Rough Sketch

2. ROUGH PRODUCT SKETCHES

EXPLORE / IDEATE / CONCEPTUALIZE


An iterative and creative design process with the objective of visually communicating each of the inventor’s product features inside their overall visual design of the product as a whole. Together with our design and engineering teams, you and MAKO will evaluate these individual parts and the overall design theme to ensure the user experience, functionality, and aesthetics are aligned with your product vision and business objectives. This sketch phase, although rough, is a very powerful way of bringing together a number of highly intelligent minds to find the best draft solution for your product.

Refined Sketch

3. REFINED INVENTION SKETCH

EVALUATE / CONSOLIDATE


Based on the rough sketches and ideation prior, the refined product sketch phase puts together all of the pieces and the overall design language into one product sketch. This allows our designers, engineering team, and the inventor time to deeply reflect on the product as a whole and make any final edits or adjustments before going into the next CAD Design phase. Since edits are relatively quick in the sketching phase, it’s best to use these phases to make any adjustments before getting into the heavy lifting work of subsequent CAD design, engineering, and prototyping phases.

Concept CAD

4. 3D CONCEPT CAD DESIGN

CAD / RENDERINGS


The CAD design phase is taking the refined sketch from above and then using state-of-the-art 3D CAD software to build the initial conceptual CAD design of your product. Even though this is just conceptual at this point, at MAKO, we start the building of these models with full manufacturing-grade top-of-the-line software such as Solidworks Premier or Fusion360. This requires more technical expertise; however, it makes the design and engineering process far smoother, and far easier to jump into product manufacturing (and creates far more product value in the design along the way). Also, we’ve curated a library of components and experience from over 1,000 product designs, all developed in-house, so we’re extremely efficient and effective at 3D CAD Design as it is the key part of the product design services Process.

Prototyping

5. PROTOTYPING

BUILD / MEASURE / LEARN


The purpose of the CAD is to confirm that the product design is feasible and functional from a virtual perspective. The product prototyping phase gives you the opportunity to hold and use a tangible product to learn how the product looks and functions in the real world. Prototyping also gives you the opportunity to refine and perfect the final design to minimize costs and risks before going to full production. Whether it’s iterative, parallel, rapid prototyping, or our very own Smart MVP process, our prototyping processes are designed to help ensure you’re ready for user testing, investment pitches, crowdfunding, and everything in between.

How MAKO’s Industrial Design Services Can Build Your Business

A tailored experience starts with a MAKO team built around your project. We don’t just pair you with any industrial designer on our team. We introduce you to designers who are right for your project based on their expertise in specific industries. And of course, you’ll have the opportunity to chat and get to know them well ahead of time. Just like how every invention and inventor is unique, we’re unique like that too.

Your vision is what guides our team at MAKO from beginning to end. Every decision is collaborative and we won’t make any changes or updates to the design unless you give us the green light first. That means if you’d like to spend more time on sketches, we can do that. If you’d like to spend more time on the 3D CAD, we can do that as well. Because at MAKO, we’ll never push you to rush your product to manufacturing – you are in charge.

Electrical Design

Designed for Your Target Users

  • Some inventors get a head start by using a product canvas for UX. But keep in mind, more than ever, people have the luxury of choosing from a vast number of brands and products. So how do you ensure your product stands out from your competitors? Together, MAKO’s multidisciplinary team helps uncover what your target audience truly values. Then based on these values, we’ll determine how to design a product that best resonates with your users.

Designed to Help Meet Your Bottom Line

  • As a small business ourselves, we understand firsthand that funding can is a luxury for many. That’s why we pride ourselves on being able to provide award-winning, world-class industrial design services affordably for startups, small manufacturers, and home inventors. To achieve this, we only use state-of-the-art equipment and software when it comes to design for manufacturing consumer products. By simulating your virtual designs We help you save precious dollars by determining ideal and cost-effective materials and manufacturing methods while simulating how your product will function in the real world. And that’s even before a penny is spent on manufacturing a production unit. We want you to be able to worry less about your coffers so you can focus on what really matters.

Designed to Minimize Risk

  • MAKO’s industrial design company is composed of experienced and senior designers from Fortune 500 product companies including Dell, Nike, Bose, and Boeing. We are also recipients of the most prestigious product design awards in the world, over 25 of them! Awards such as Red Dot (the top design award on earth), Inc5000, Growth500, Entrepreneur360, Best Design Firm in North America award, Good Design, Best Places to Work, just to name a few. Time and time again, we’ve proven that startups, small manufacturers, eCommerce brands, and home inventors can compete with the very best in the world when partnering with MAKO Design!

Industrial Design Company Services Tailored To Your Product

MAKO Design has spent over 20 years creating, testing, refining, and perfecting the industrial design process required to create global caliber products, specifically for startups, small manufacturers, home inventors, & eCommerce brands. Through our intense focus specifically on industrial design services for small businesses, we ensure perfect alignment with your product vision and help you succeed in every way. Our industrial design services are tailored to designing your product to a modern and top-tier caliber while also being able to execute quickly and efficiently, all at small business budgets. We created this product development niche back in 1999, and we’re still leading it today focusing on that same business model over 20 years later.


FOR HARDWARE STARTUPS

Whether you’re an early-stage startup or getting ready to scale, we’re here to transform your idea into a product design to help you disrupt the existing market, along with the many product market connections you’ll need along the way. MAKO is your one-stop-shop for it all, in addition to connecting our clients with some of the industry’s leading players in the hardware startup space.


FOR SMALL MANUFACTURERS

We are the original product design services firm tailored to small product businesses, so why not work with the best for your next big product? Whether designing something completely new, revitalizing your existing products, or improving something that already exists, MAKO provides world-class design at small business pricing and timelines.


FOR ALL HOME INVENTORS

No ask is too big, no detail is too small. We’re here to collaboratively design your product for success. As a new inventor, MAKO has the most comprehensive set of support services, industry connections, and guidance to help your product be a huge success. We guide you through the entire process, then set you up with direct connections to some of the best product sales brands on earth.

Why Choose MAKO’s Industrial Design Services?

A tailored experience starts with a MAKO team built around your project. We don’t just pair you with any industrial designer on our team. We introduce you to designers who are right for your project based on their expertise in specific industries. And of course, you’ll have the opportunity to chat and get to know them well ahead of time. Just like how every invention and inventor is unique, we’re unique like that too.

Your vision is what guides our team at MAKO from beginning to end. Every decision is collaborative and we won’t make any changes or updates to the design unless you give us the green light first. That means if you’d like to spend more time on sketches, we can do that. If you’d like to spend more time on the 3D CAD, we can do that as well. Because at MAKO, we’ll never push you to rush your product to manufacturing – you are in charge.

What’s Next after Industrial Design is Done?

Industrial design and engineering are the two critical parts of the product design process. Completing the initial product and industrial design of your invention is the most important step in product development. It is critical to have it done very well the first time, as this is the foundation of your product, and the first big step in the overall product development services process. Noted below is a quick overview; however, we have complete information on all parts of development here. When you’re done with our product design services step, you have three main options:

Manufacturing

OPTION 1:
CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT
TO MANUFACTURING

The way most new inventions become successful products is to get to manufacturing and selling products. Once product design is done, MAKO Design can complete the engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing of your invention for you. We are a one-stop-shop from sketch to production then to sales. Half of our products are physical inventions, the other half are electronics products. Either way, we’re a full-stack in-house development firm. Below is a full list of all steps to get your product to production and then get your product out to market buyers!

License

OPTION 2:
LICENSE YOUR PRODUCT
TO A BRAND

Some inventors just want to get their product designed to a point where they can then license their invention idea to an existing product brand. Either way you go, completing world-class product design is a critical first step. If looking to license directly after design, MAKO would then offer patent referrals to set you up with a patent attorney so you can protect your IP before pitching your idea to licensors. Keep in mind that the further you develop your product, the higher the probability of licensing, so you may want to have MAKO engineer and/or prototype your design before you start pitching to get a licensing deal.

Investor

OPTION 3:
RAISE INVESTMENT TO
CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT

Raising money is a very normal part of getting a hardware product off the ground, and with MAKO’s help, anyone can do it! In fact, half of MAKO’s clients don’t start with enough funds to complete development and manufacturing. First and foremost, before raising any money, even from friends and family, it is essential that you complete at least the product design portion yourself. Even then, the further you push into engineering and especially prototyping, the better you look to investors, the more money you can raise, and the less equity you will have to give away.

How Industrial Design Fits into MAKO’s Overall Product Process

Design

1. PRODUCT DESIGN

This includes industrial design. We are here on this page, and this is the first and most important step in the product development process. This is the foundation of all product development to come, so is critically important to have it done right.

Engineer

2. ENGINEERING

Mechanical engineering and Electrical engineering (for those products with electronics) are the detailed work on the CAD to ensure that all components of the product design work cohesively, reliably, and predictably.

Prototype

3. PROTOTYPING

Before the product reaches the market, it’s important to test the form and functionality with a prototype. Prototypes are also a great way to generate traction for marketing, pre-sales, crowdfunding, and financing initiatives.

Patent

4. PATENTING

We have preferred connections and pricing with a network of patent attorneys to help our clients with all things related to IP (Intellectual Property) protection. Our clients get quality patenting work, affordably through our network of US and Canadian patent attorneys.

Manufacture

5. MANUFACTURING

Once the prototyping and engineering are complete, tested, and refined, the product is ready to move to production. This may happen after preselling through crowdfunding, or before selling if you choose to sell direct to buyers once you have inventory in stock.

Sell

6. SELLING

MAKO Design has many connections to help our clients launch and sell products. There are three main options: Pre-selling through crowdfunding, bulk order sales directly to wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and/or direct to the end-customer.

Industrial Design Services: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about MAKO’s industrial design services. Don’t see an answer to your question here? Feel free to contact us anytime with your inquiries, read our blog for hundreds of articles related to product and industrial design services, learn about the entire end-to-end process with MAKO’s free invention kit, or check out the industry’s largest podcast: The Product Startup Podcast.

What does an industrial designer do?

The industrial designer builds virtual concepts for physical hardware products while taking into consideration the aesthetics, functionality, feasibility, and manufacturability of the product.

How much do industrial designers charge per hour?

We treat every project uniquely. As such the type of services and costs depend on the type of product and integration involved. We take careful considerations in the geometry, material selection, surface finish, wall thickness, dimensional allowances, tolerances, and other facets of the product that will affect the costs – which is why we can’t give generic pricing. That’s also why we offer a free initial consultation with our product strategy team to give every potential customer pricing that takes all these factors into consideration.

What kind of industrial design does MAKO offer?

Thanks to our experienced team at MAKO, we’re able to offer a wide variety of industrial design solutions including soft goods, fashion, appliances, toys, transportation, electronics, IoT devices, and more!

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