“Napkin Realization” – Your product or concept starts here!

 (this page is being developed – stay tuned)

This page discusses a potential design journey for your concept in four sections:

• Design – Defined
• Firm/Client Expectations and Outcomes
• Typical Steps in Design
• A Journey through a Product’s Design and Development (coming soon)

Design – Defined                                                   Back to the Menu

Design is the process of developing a solution to a problem.  With our firm: we take your idea – on how you think a problem may be solved – and begin to develop it.  With a description and your napkin sketch – our step by step approach to design starts with a 3D Virtual Model in order to create visuals, physical prototypes, drawings, and beyond with the underlying goal of helping you develop your concept into a real product or system.  Following the design steps as described below we create for our clients a package of design elements so that their concept can be demonstrated to other people who may also help move their project forward.

Firm/Client Expectations and Outcomes                         Back to the Menu

• For each Design Step our clients may choose, our firm will define the following before commencing work:
  • What – what our firm will need from our client for the present step
  • Product – what our firm will produce for our client for the present step
  • Cost – our firm will produce a cost estimate for both our time and materials for the present step
• Confidentiality – Our firm considers everything we communicate and produce for our clients to be confidential – both ways.  NDAs can be signed if desired.
• All virtual and physical models and peripherals belong to the client – we always keep copies and backups too – and copies may be requested by our client at anytime.

Typical Steps in Design

When designing a clients project we typically start by creating a 3D Virtual Model using SolidWorks – a leading engineering design software application.  Once created the model can be used to create the following outcomes (click on the links below for specific information):

• Visuals – which will show what a client’s project may look like such as
  • Simple model images
  • More complex photo realistic images of model
  • Videos of concept
    • model rotation showing all sides
    • assemblies in motion
    • exploded views (showing parts and fasteners assembling and disassembling)
    • tours and walk throughs of your concept
    • promotional videos
    • and any combination of the above

• • Physicals
    • Prototypes (3D printed and/or made in the shop – from your model – how it may work)
      • “Looks Like” Prototype
      • “Works Like” Prototype
      • “Manufacturable” Prototype
  • And beyond…
    • Engineering drawings (from your 3D Virtual Model – describes how to make it)
    • Patent Drawings (from your model – protect your idea)
    • Manufacturing and Fabrication – making it – we can provide help and contacts
    • Marketing and Distribution – selling it – we can provide help and contacts

The above list is discussed in more detail below:

A Journey through a Product’s Design and Development (coming soon)

• • • Videos of concept, from your 3D Virtual Model – we can produce various forms of videos – from a simple video tour to something much more complex – but also more instructive.  Creating videos is also more involved and may take a few hours in addition to your model development.  Add-on itions to a simple video may include video production with text overlays – an introduction – logo – narration – music – and a conclusion.  The different types of videos that can be produced may include:
      • model rotation showing all sides
      • assemblies in motion
      • exploded views (showing parts and fasteners assembling and disassembling)
      • tours and walk throughs of your concept
      • promotional videos
      • and any combination of the above
    • Prototypes – These may include 3D printed and/or small shop models or a combination of both.  Creating prototypes is an iterative process involving the dynamic process of innovation at each step.  Prototypes physically create how your product or concept is supposed to look and function.  This step might involve just a single stop – but most of the time it gets repeated – with improvements along the way – until a reasonable outcome is achieved.  Prototypes mat include:
      • “Looks Like” Prototype – this will demonstrate what your concept or product may look like – non functioning – perhaps scaled down – an attractive physical model
      • “Works Like” Prototype – more complex and will demonstrate how your product or concept may work as was intended
      • “Manufacturable” Prototype – This is a near final step toward production and product introduction and demonstrates what the final product or concept is supposed to look like, and function like – once all the manufacturing steps have been worked out.  We may or may not be involved in this step depending on client wishes.
    • Engineering Drawings: These show someone how to make your part, assembly, or concept and communicate intent to potential fabricators.  Drawings may include:
      • dimensions – scaled views – text descriptions and instructions – isometric views – exploded views – other views as desired
      • Engineering drawings may also involve images and results of finite element analysis – or strength testing of parts
    • Patent Drawings – for Intellectual Property Protection (IP) – Protect your concept – don’t show it until you protect it.  We can work with your IP professionals and produce patent drawings from your existing 3D model.  However we are not patent professionals and will not be involved in the IP details, however we may provide some leads toward professionals that have helped us in the past.  IP may include: * Provisional Patent Applications * Utility Patents * Design Patents * Copyrights * Trademarks
    • Manufacturing – Marketing – Distribution – We are not manufactures and usually rely on partners and licensing agreements with companies that that are well versed in these areas. Besides its more fun developing products than product management – let those that are good at this… do this.  What we do is help you create a package that can be demonstrated to those that can help you get to the next step.  This package may include visuals (how it looks and functions), drawings (how to make it) and  prototypes (the physical model).  The other half of this package will include a description as provided by the client in order to describe the benefits that your concept or product may offer.  With a well developed package in hand the following firms may help you move on to this step and may include: * inventRight * InventHelp * Edison Nation * Quirky and others.  It is also usually easy to approach the myriad of manufacturers, branding companies, distributors, wholesalers and retailers from around the world.
    • Product or concept introduction or rollout!!! More on this soon as we take our new concept the “Rope Tight” through the rest of our design process and the filing of a Provisional Patent Application.