Things To Consider When Redesigning A Product

At some point along the way, you’re probably going to find yourself redesigning one of your products. Whether it needs some minor tweaks or a total overhaul, redesigning can be a frustrating part of the process. You thought your product was ready to go, and now you’ve found that it isn’t quite as ready as you thought. At Pivot, we know that redesigning can be tough—it feels like you’re back to square one. But we also know that a simple redesign can be the difference between the failure or success of your product.

There are a few reasons you might need to redesign a product. It could be that the original design you came up with simply needs more work, and that it’s not yet ready for market. Or it could be that your design now needs to accommodate a new manufacturing or assembly environment. And the third reason you might need to redesign is that you’re trying to improve performance, lower the cost, or make your product more reliable—some type of improvement on past designs.

Remember that redesign is usually simpler than the original design itself. There are most likely specific areas or problems to focus on, rather than a completely blank slate. Also keep in mind that if your product has already been on the market and seen some success, but you want to improve certain areas, that the people who originally purchased your product may have liked it the way it was. Make sure that your redesign doesn’t drastically change anything that was a user favorite. This might be a good time to do some market research and make sure your redesign will please old customers, as well as draw in new ones.

Talk with your customers and identify what their needs are and what more they would like from your product. Analyze similar competing products to see what improvements you could make that they don’t have, and then refine all of those specifications so that you have a good idea of what the final redesign should look like. Think of it as a wish list. Then refine that list based on your technical, financial, or manufacturing limits.

Realize that there might be multiple redesigns, and that it may not all come together immediately, especially if there was a significant problem in your first design. Having patience and not giving up on a design that needs changes will end up paying off for you in the long run.

But if you’ve been working on a redesign and just can’t get it right, you may need some help. Turn to the experts at Pivot for all your redesign needs. We can sit down with you and our engineers to determine how you can improve upon the previous design and address any issues. So contact us today if you’re ready to get to work on redesigning your product.

What It’s Like Working with an Outside Product Design Firm

Whether you’re working with a company or you’re a solo entrepreneur, there are times when product design and development simply takes up more resources than you have available. Maybe you’ve got a timeline that you aren’t able to meet; maybe you don’t have all the expertise that the development process will require.

That’s why product design, development, and manufacturing firms, like Pivot, exist. We work with companies and individuals to help them design, develop, prototype, manufacture, and even market and sell their new products.

But what’s it really like working with a product design firm? While it may vary somewhat from firm to firm, here’s a glimpse at the general process.

Getting to know your product

This is the first step any product design firm will take when working with a new client. At Pivot, we offer free consultations for potential clients, during which we outline our services and get an idea of the kind of help you need.

When a client hires us, they have access to our experienced team of designers and product developers. One thing that sets Pivot apart is that we’re able to jump in at any point during the development process. We’ve worked with clients who have nothing but an idea, as well as those who want to update or refine an existing product – as well as stage in between.

Once we’ve worked with you to learn about your idea or product, we put our engineers and product designers to work.

Developing your product

The first step in creating a manufacturable, viable product is to take the vision for the product and translate it into technical specifications. Depending on what type of product it is – industrial, electrical, mechanical, or software – a specific team of engineers will work on designing a successful blueprint.

At Pivot, if we’re doing something like a cost reduction for an existing product, we’ll look at different materials, manufacturing processes, and other factors that can be implemented to help bring those costs down.

Regardless of what stage of development your product is in, however, you can be assured that our engineers will always work to create the most cost-effective designs possible.

Prototyping

Once we’ve created a viable design that our client is happy with, we can move into the prototyping phase. This is one of the most exciting stages of product development, as it’s the first time you get to see your idea in a tangible, 3D format.

Since there have been so many advances in software and 3D printing over the past several years, prototyping can be done extremely rapidly. (That’s why we have the term “rapid prototyping.”) Options include 3D printed (rapid) prototypes – as well as prototypes made to be exactly the same as the finished product would be. The former are less expensive, and the latter more so. You can read more about the prototyping process in our free ebook, “Product Prototyping: Getting It Right the First Time.”

Manufacturing your product

Once we’ve made a good working prototype, it’s time to move to the manufacturing stage. Thanks to Pivot’s global manufacturing resources, we can offer both the ease of working with a domestic company, and the cost savings of international sourcing.

We’ll work with our clients to ensure we’re using the best possible materials while staying within a realistic budget. Pivot can handle every aspect of the manufacturing process, including supply chain management, so clients don’t have to deal with managing global resources unless they want to.

Developing your business

Another important, yet often overlooked aspect of creating a successful product is creating a successful business to market that product. Even if you’ve already got an established company that will sell the product, Pivot can help with market research, strategic planning, and product launch planning.

Of course, we can do all these things for entrepreneurs who are building a company from the ground up, too. In addition, we’re versed in regulatory compliance for a huge variety of products and industries.

Working with an outside design firm can save both companies and entrepreneurs a great deal of time, money, and headaches. To learn more about how Pivot can help you, check out our Services page.

3 Most Important Elements of Outdoor Product Design

At Pivot, our portfolio includes products in many different fields – biometrics, medical, consumer, and more – and we’ve found that they all have their own unique joys and challenges.

From figuring out how to make a touchscreen display three screens continuously, to ensuring that a ballot box design was secure enough to store voter ballots, these challenges are part of what make product design such an exciting, interesting field to be in.

One area of this field that’s getting more attention these days is outdoor product design. The reason is that Utah State University has just introduced a new Bachelor of Science program in Outdoor Product Design and Development – the first of its kind.

The new program has been widely embraced by students, who will graduate with a stronger ability to develop careers in the steadily growing outdoor recreation industry.

In addition, this product design degree will offer students experiences and learning in a variety of concepts: engineering, sustainability, business development, and more. These are all important aspects of building a career as a product designer, especially as our world becomes more connected and manufacturers, designers, engineers, and others all work even more closely together.

According to the university’s website, Utah State launched the program because outdoor product design continues to be a high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand field. The numbers bear that claim out: according to a 2012 report by the Outdoor Industry Association, the outdoor recreation economy accounts for $646 billion in spending per year. Today, that number may be even bigger.

We’ve worked on a couple of outdoor products ourselves, like this solar-powered portable battery, so we know that developing outdoor products can be a really fun process. There are so many unique aspects to creating products that will work under the most extreme conditions. Here are a few of the things we think about when it comes to our outdoor product design ideas.

Durability

Items built for use in the outdoors have to withstand all kinds of conditions that your average consumer product never does.

Take clothing, for example. Your average shirt may get worn for 8-12 hours at a time, with at least some of that time spent in a climate-controlled environment. When it gets dirty, it’s washed in a washing machine. Then it’s folded (or maybe stuffed) in a drawer until its owner wants to wear it again.

This is a very different life from that of a performance camping shirt. The designer of this shirt has to take into account a whole variety of factors, like the effect that water and dirt will have on the garment.

If the owner’s on an extended adventure trip, that shirt might get worn for 4 days straight. Sweat, rain, snow, the movements of the body wearing it – all these things will affect how the shirt performs.

Weight

When it comes to adventure and outdoor gear, the mantra is usually “the lighter the better” – as long as you don’t sacrifice utility or performance, of course.

For hard-core backpackers, skiers, kayakers, and other athletes, gear simply has to be lightweight. When you’re out in the wilderness for days, after all, every ounce counts.

For product designers, this means exploring unique and cutting-edge materials that combine low weight and high durability. This can be one of the most interesting aspects of outdoor product design, if you’re of a scientific bent, at least.

Comfort

Finally, comfort is vital when it comes to outdoor clothing and wearable gear. A backpack can be as lightweight, durable, and roomy as you like, but if it’s not comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, it’s not going to succeed in the market.

This is where product engineering comes in. With the right materials and engineering know-how, outdoor product designers can create gear and clothing that’ll take outdoor enthusiasts through days of hard paddling or tricky climbing.

If you’ve got an outdoor product you’d like to get off the ground, let us know! We can help with product design, prototyping, manufacturing, and even business development.

How to Hire a Product Design Firm

So after hours and hours of research, brainstorming, and napkin-sketching, you’ve got your product idea ready to go. The only problem? Your sketching ability amounts to something like this:

And while your cute little stick figures work great when you’re illustrating your product for your friends, good luck getting a manufacturing company to create your product when they can’t even tell what’s going on in the design.

It’s at this point that you might want to consider hiring some help to design your invention. That’s what we do at Pivot: we can take anything from your spoken idea to your conceptual doodle and work with you to create a marketable product.

And there are many other reasons to hire a product design firm – not just your inability to create drawings that those in the industry will understand. Maybe you’ve designed plenty of consumer products, but you haven’t worked with any industrial products. Or maybe you’re embarking into the world of software product design for the first time.

No matter what your reason is for hiring some help, you want to make sure you take some time to find the right firm. Here are two of the most important questions you should ask yourself (and them) before you bring them on board.

What exactly do you need from your product design firm?

In some cases, this will be easy to answer. If you have a product idea, but you don’t have the expertise necessary to make it into a workable item, then you probably need a full-service firm. If you have some preliminary drawings or digital files for your product, but you’re having trouble with one specific element, you want a company that can give you only the help you need – you don’t want to be charged for full-service assistance when you don’t need it.

Pivot’s business model allows our designers to step in at any point and offer you as much or as little help as you need, whether that’s designing something from the ground up or simply working out a kink that’s giving you problems.

There are additional nuances to the question, however. What tasks do you want to take care of, and what do you want to firm to handle? Do you anticipate needing help further along the line with your product – with manufacturing, for example, or prototyping?

If so, you probably want to at least look at companies that can offer a continuum of services (like we do at Pivot). That will let you avoid the headache of repeating the process of finding the right company to help you once you hit those later stages.

Does the company have experience with the kinds of products you want to create?

While there are firsts for every inventor and every design company, it’s a good idea to make sure the company you choose has at least some experience with the type of thing you’re making.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the firm has to have made a product similar to the exact thing you’re creating (in fact, hopefully they haven’t, since you want your creation to be as original as possible!). But if you’re designing a touchscreen technology tool for use in medicine, for example, you should probably make sure the firm you’re hiring at least has experience with software and/or touchscreens. Bonus points if they’ve designed medical devices and tools before.

At Pivot, for example, we’ve worked on software and touchscreens, as well as a variety of medical products, fitness products, consumer products, and industrial products. This means we’ve got proven expertise in all of these areas – which is something else you’ll want to check for when looking for a good product design company.

Hiring a solid product design company can be a great move for inventors or designers who are either new to the design process or have a sticking point in their design that they’re having trouble figuring out on their own. If you’d like some help perfecting your design, contact us at Pivot!

7 Great Blogs for Inventors and Designers to Follow

Every inventor needs to boost their creative thinking now and then. How better to do so than by reading what other inventors are going through on their roads to success? Here at Pivot, we’ve got a bit of a blog obsession—we love reading about other designers’ and inventors’ experiences.

We’ve put together a list of our favorites below. The next time you’re feeling stumped, take a look through one of these blogs—you might just find what you need to get your brain moving again!

Inhabitat

For those of us who are passionate about eco-friendly and green design, Inhabitat is a wonderful source of inspiration. Dedicated to products, ideas, and designers that are making the world better, Inhabitat has a huge library of articles on everything from using solar power in refugee camps to Honda’s new fuel cell vehicle. One of the great things about this blog is that you can submit as a reader—so if you have an eco-friendly product that’s ready to launch, try sending them a quick email. You could have the chance to get it in front of thousands of Inhabitat fans.

Treehugger

Another blog for the green-minded innovator, Treehugger brings you the best in eco-friendly design, technology, science, and more. This is a great site for inventors because many of their posts are dedicated to great ideas still in progress, or groundbreaking products, like the Sheltersuit for homeless people, that are still in the early stage. It’s wonderful seeing these creations get some attention from such a big site.

Treehugger is updated many times daily, so there’s always something new to read.

InventorSpot

This site is huge, and features blog posts and news items in distinct categories like inventors, new products, buying guide, and more. We liked this recent post on a new sapphire-blade razor called Zaffiro, and this one on the Hummingbird, the world’s lightest folding bike. When you’re in the mood for some fun reading on the latest products, news, and events in the product design world, InventorSpot is your site.

Edison Nation

Named for that father of modern inventors, Thomas Edison, Edison Nation is a company that licenses product ideas for commercial manufacture. They also happen to have a great blog filled with stories of individual independent inventors, advice posts on things like licensing your product and pitching your product to investors, and events like the Amazon Inventions Tour. There is a ton of practical info on Edison Nation, and the posts are fun and interesting to read too. For us, that’s a killer combination.

The Inventor Education Blog

This blog, managed by inventor Mark Reyland, is a wealth of educational information on the inventing process—everything from coming up with your idea to getting it sold in stores. Recent posts we’ve enjoyed include this one on what to do when your invention includes parts that may already be patented by someone else, and this one on why clarity and conciseness are vital when pitching your idea to a company.

AutoCAD Insider

This blog, maintained by AutoCAD employee Heidi Hewett, is all about…AutoCAD! Big surprise there. Designers who use this computer-aided design software will find plenty to keep them busy here. Whether it’s learning about the latest features in AutoCAD 2016, or tips on how to use something specific like the Move and Copy Preview, you’ll find it all on this site.

The Inventor Lady

Started by Rita Crompton, a founder of the inventing support group Inventors’ Roundtable, The Inventor Lady covers all kinds of important inventing topics. There are posts on paying for patent searches vs. doing one on your own, crowdfunding, and more. Crompton lives in Colorado, so there’s also a lot of posts related to local Colorado inventors and inventing meetups and events.

We hope these blogs can give you a daily dose of inspiration—and if not that, at least a bit of light reading! If Pivot can help you with our own creation, whether with our design services, manufacturing services, prototyping, or business development, contact us today!

How to Put Together Your Product Design Team

You and practically everyone else on the planet have heard the old saying, “No man is an island.” Well, as tired as the phrase may be, it’s also quite true—which is probably why it’s been around for the past 500 years (it originated with John Donne, the 16th century poet and writer, who wrote it in his Meditation XVII).

The saying is especially true when it comes to new product development. It’s rare indeed to find a single person capable of coming up with a product idea, designing the product, fixing any flaws, marketing the product, and then selling it. And even if you are that rare person, at some point you’ll need to team up with a manufacturer if you want to get your product to the masses.

So how do you build a solid product development team? At Pivot, we put together effective teams for inventors all the time, drawing from our list of excellent professionals in design and development, prototyping, and manufacturing. Here’s our breakdown of who you want on your side when developing your product.

Engineers

The first person, or group of people, you’ll want to work with are engineers. Depending on your device, you’ll need engineers with specific sets of expertise. If you’re developing software, obviously you’ll need a software engineer; if your product is mechanical, you’ll need a mechanical engineer.

If this is your first time moving through the product development process, you may want to team up with a product engineer. Although they’re not necessarily engineers in the strict sense of the word, they are people who are familiar with product design and development, and who can help you select materials and vendors for prototyping and manufacturing.

If you work with Pivot, you’ll also get the services of a project manager, who will take ownership of your project from start to finish. Project managers develop a big-picture strategy to launch your product quickly, effectively, and successfully into the marketplace.

Manufacturers—both for prototyping and commercial manufacture

After your product has gone through the design process, it’s time to make your prototype. With the use of CAD, or computer-aided design, and 3D printing, the prototyping process can be extremely quick and cost-effective.

But you can also opt for a traditional prototype created at a machine shop, for example, or a manufacturing facility. No matter which route you choose, you’ll want to find a reputable manufacturer who will create your prototype to your specifications.

You’ll also want to make sure that the vendor you work with will commit to your product—chances are, your first prototype won’t be the exact design that end up using, so you’ll want to be able to go through multiple iterations if needed before you manufacture a commercial quantity.

When you are ready to begin product manufacturing on a large scale, it can be very helpful to find a manufacturer who will take the time to truly understand your product and any associated product goals. With their particular expertise, they may be able to recommend better or more cost-effective materials, or a more effective mode of manufacturing than you yourself would have thought of.

Business services professionals

Not all inventors will need the help of a business services professional to manage things like supply chain, hosting product data, or setting up a business to sell your product.

However, if you think these services could help you make your product a success, take advantage of them—Pivot has experts in all of these areas who can help you as much or as little as you need.

Putting together a good product development team can be a daunting task, which is why Pivot has been doing just that for inventors and product designers for the past 40 years. If we can help you make your product a success, contact us today!

A Mini Guide To 5 Services in Industrial Design

Here at Pivot International, we push ourselves to help make your dreams and inventions come to fruition. That is our goal, and however we can make your life easier along the road to success is our challenge, but we enjoy nothing more. But what do you do during the initial stages of creation; when you have an idea in mind and you’re aiming for mass production of the product, yet you lack the necessary materials to see it come to life? Maybe you have a couple designs laid out on paper – or they could still be in your head and you don’t know where to go from there? We’ve created a mini guide to 5 services in industrial design to help you keep moving forward.

1. 2D Concept Drawings

This should always be the first stage of your design process. By creating an illustration of your product, you’ll be able to analyze aspects of the product before creating a concrete model. With 2D concept drawings, you can look for any errors in your initial design which might hinder its functionality in the long run.

2. 3D Renderings

Once you have created and analyzed your 2D concept drawings to the smallest point and angle, the next step is to create a 3D rendering of your product. By using a computer, you can convert a computer-generated wire frame model into a 3D graphic model, allowing you to get a real look at how the model will function in the real world. Before producing a concrete model, this is an important step that allows for further revision and gives you the space and time to implement new ideas.

3. Looks-Like Models

Before we take a look at functionality, it’s vital to create a non-working model of your concept that looks and feels like the finished item. While the item will not be functional, the model allows you to distance yourself from how the item will work in the hands of your audience, and instead look solely at its design.

4. Proof of Concept

A proof of concept (POC) is a working model of a product or component created to demonstrate that a certain idea will work in the real world, as opposed to just on paper. This step in designing your product is necessary because you can look not only at design but also at functionality at the same time. Plus, this proof of concept functional model can be used to show investors who want to see a viable product before they begin the investment process, which will prove crucial for your production.

5. Rapid Prototyping

Rapid prototyping quickly creates a working model, usually from 3D images built with CAD software, and utilizing a 3D printer to quickly build components. This is the first step to prove you are ready for mass production. If you want more info on rapid prototyping, check out our ebook and our blog post on how a prototype can boost your success!

Ready to get started? All of these services are available from Pivot International, so if you are having trouble with the design of your product, or if you are anywhere along this continuum, contact us! We’d be happy to help propel you forward.

How 3D CAD Design Works

Computer-aided design (or drafting) is better known as CAD, and it has become an integral part in the creation of all kinds of products. Many different varieties of engineers, architects, artists, and inventors have used this software not only to get an idea of how their creations will look visually, but used it to test it as well, since CAD can model the physical properties of various materials. It’s possible to test the endurance or strength of a product long before it becomes a physical reality.

Using computers to help design physical objects is not really a new thing. Designers have been doing it for decades, long before computers became commonly used. CAD is fairly new, in comparison. It uses graphics to build a 3D representation, either from a 2D drawing, or from entered parameters, or schematics.

Today, the use of CAD is very widespread. Automotive companies use it to plan their cars in every aspect, from the inner workings of engines, to the aerodynamics of the chassis. Similar processes are used in the field of aeronautics. Architects use it to perfectly balance function and beauty. Many of the more spectacular special effects seen in movies today are created with CAD software. Even containers like perfume bottles are designed through the use of this technology, allowing the creator to modify it until it’s just right for production.

Just as in a manual draft of a technical drawing, the final output of CAD software includes materials, including not only the visual appearance, but the other physical properties it holds, as well. If a design is likely to collapse under its own weight or by prone to break under certain stressful activities, good CAD software will display this.

Often, when an idea is still in the conceptual stages, there are a number of ways it might be implemented. In the past, it would be necessary to build a prototype to know exactly how a certain thing would appear after it was constructed. CAD offers not only appearance and tolerances, but animation, as well. If your invention has moving parts, you can move them with CAD. Your project will be shown in photorealistic shades, complete with lighting options and the ability to rotate the device so it can be seen from every angle and every situation.

A CAD object models every facet of the device, including any working parts, like switches, wheels, or levers. This is one of the reasons it’s so useful with firms that construct vehicles. When you can test an engine and really crank up the heat, or the friction, or other adverse condition without risking loss of materials or danger to your facility or personnel. Of course, even if you have something perfectly safe, the ability to test moving parts and their strength is an invaluable addition to the design process.

Draft vs. Design

A design generally begins with a draft, a drawing of whatever is to be produced, completely with dimensions and technical notation. It was once a major part of the creation process, with those who knew the product giving input to the drafter, who would then pass on their draft to a CAD designer. A CAD designer is someone generally knowledgeable enough about the field of design that they don’t need much input to perform their jobs.

The development of 3D CAD has slowly diminished the job of the drafter. Today’s 3D CAD software accounts for all the details. A designer who needs to make a vehicle with larger capacity or a greater load tolerance can quickly input the new parameters. Unlike a drafter, the CAD designer is often a specialist in the particular field, meaning any changes made will follow all specifications, local ordinances, and other certifications the object will need once actual construction begins.

Just about everyone who does a great deal of CAD work begins as a drafter, changing designs on direct and very specific direction from the actual creators. A CAD designer, on the other hand, requires special training, to understand not only how to make changes in a design, but the reason why these changes are made. They may not be engineers themselves, but they understand enough about the work to make the requested changes with minimal oversight.

The best output from 3D CAD comes when you are not only able to work closely with the CAD designer, but feel assured the designer is confident in his or her abilities and knows the underlying work needed to bring a given project to life. When it comes to 3D CAD design, you need more than someone who knows how to make a spectacular 3D rendering, but someone who knows specific physical and legal requirements your particular project needs. Pivot International can help you with all of these needs, and more. Request your free consultation today.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/CAD-computer-aided-design
https://cad.about.com/od/CAD_Jobs/a/Cad-Designers.htm

3 Product-Solving Tips for Better Product Design

Effective product design is all about problem-solving. You’re bound to encounter obstacles in the design process, and you need to know how to overcome them. What’s the key to better problem-solving? Take a look at these three tips to improve your problem-solving skills:

Define the problem

This might sound obvious, but you can’t delve into problem-solving unless you know how to define the problem well. As Albert Einstein once famously proclaimed, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.” How do you know if you have adequately defined the problem? Well, you should be able to easily, coherently, and concisely explain it.

Look at the details

A high-level or bird’s-eye view will only get you so far when it comes to effective problem-solving. Basically, you need to dive in and get an up-close look at the nitty gritty details. That means understanding how even the smallest component of your product works and how it fits into the bigger picture.

Change your perspective

If you’re struggling to come up with the solution to a design problem and if you keep re-examining the problem from the same angle, you aren’t going to magically find a solution. A change in perspective will allow you to see the problem or issue in a new way and help you make new connections that will lead to an innovative solution. This is called creative problem-solving. “The whole idea behind creative problem-solving is the assumption that you know something that will help solve this problem, but you’re not thinking of it right now,” said Art Markman, a cognitive psychologist and the author of “Smart Thinking.” “The more different ways you describe the problem you’re trying to solve, the more different things you know about that you will call to mind.”

If you’re not quite sure how to get a new perspective, it helps to consider who else has faced the kind of problem that you are facing — and how they solved it. “When you begin to realize that the problem you’re trying to solve has been solved over and over again by people in other areas, you can look at the solutions they came up with to help you solve your own,” Markman said.

Consider this: Vacuum cleaners actually used to have bags, but they were always getting clogged and causing all sorts of problems for the consumer. Then James Dyson came along and figured out a better, more effective way to separate the dirt from the air. But Dyson actually got the idea for his now-famous Dual Cyclone vacuum from sawmills, which use an industrial cyclone to separate sawdust from air. In other words, he looked outside of the vacuum industry for a solution and modified what he found to suit his problem.

Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.