150: Building Product Prototypes with Your Design Team

With Robert Irwin, Lead Industrial Designer

Hosted by Kevin Mako of MAKO Design + Invent

Robert Irwin is the head industrial designer at Origyn LLC, a research and development firm partnered with Haier. Previously, he served as senior industrial designer at Amazon, working on shopping cart products. Robert is also a lecturer in the design field and will share insight on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can manage their product design and prototyping team, create physical prototypes, and refine their product for both manufacturing and customers.

Today you will hear us talk about:

• Incorporate empathy in the design process for all stakeholders.
• Listen to customers, design team, and other product dev stakeholders.
• Avoid isolated features, aim for hardware prototype integration.
• Use an iterative approach for hardware design, engineering, and prototyping.
• Good prototyping starts with sound design.
• Begin with rough, simple prototypes (e.g. 3D printing) after CAD design is complete.
• Get feedback even with an incomplete functional prototype.
• Progress from simple to complex, high-quality prototypes in development.
• Minimize product risk through proper development.
• Embrace early failure for better product outcomes.

EPISODE LINKS

Robert Irwin Links:

• LinkedIn
• Past Episode

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

• Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent

Mako Design Links:

• Website: https://www.makodesign.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/

Kevin Mako Links:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/
• Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/

Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.

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!