Why Every Product Should Have a Prototype
One of the most common, and costly, mistakes that a company can make is to decide that they have neither the time nor the money to create a prototype for their product. It’s a dangerously short-term way of thinking about a new product, and it will probably end up costing more in the long run than you anticipated.
This is because creating and testing a prototype of your new product, or for a modification of an existing one, can take care of many potential issues and roadblocks you might encounter while developing a product. Here are just a few ways that prototyping can do so.
Test your product in the real world
It’s not uncommon for a developer, particularly if he or she is largely responsible for the product’s design, to feel like they know the product inside and out. They may think that it’s feasible to skip a prototype because they’ve anticipated any potential problems.
This assumption is a mistake, because the real world is always different from the theoretical one. Until you’ve brought your product into the real world and put it into real-life scenarios, you don’t really know what could go wrong, and it’s better to do that with one prototype than discover it after you’ve begun selling your product.
Gain quick feedback
With a prototype, you can not only get feedback from your development team, you can also use it to get feedback from your investors and your potential client base.
If you have a physical version of the product that you can show them, rather than a design or a schematic, you can gauge people’s reactions and get information and then apply that feedback to your design. Whether you have customers, clients, or other stakeholders, feedback will be vital for your project’s success.
Prototypes can help create momentum
Like any process, the product development process can easily lose momentum, especially for companies that are developing many products at once.
Getting a prototype made can help you keep that momentum going, as this is the phase where ideas, opinions and innovations can be added to the basic design with relatively little risk.
More versions can create a better product – up to a point
Creating an iteration of your product that is informed by what you discovered during the prototype phase will ultimately make your product much better.
There’s no better place to refine and build on your design than in the prototype phase. The more chances you have to get feedback and add different ideas to the products, the harder it will be for that product to have issues once it’s complete. When you have a physical product in front of you to test and re-test, the sky’s the limit in terms of potential improvements.
Whether you’ve already designed your product, or it’s still in the embryonic idea phase, Pivot International can help you develop it.
The Many Benefits of Rapid Prototyping
Simply put, rapid prototyping is group of techniques used to quickly create a scale model of a physical assembly, using a 3-D-computer-aided design (CAD) data.
It’s a step beyond the already-useful CAD design model, but since it’s a relatively new concept (developed initially in the early 1970’s) with various interlocking parts and pieces (including 3-D printing, fused deposition modeling, solid ground curing, just to name a few), it can be a daunting process to consider implementing, especially if your business isn’t a new one.
But here are some potential benefits of using rapid prototyping, and why it might be a good fit for your manufacturing company.
Rapid realization
In the past, product designers have had a difficult time conveying their exact vision to those responsible for manufacturing those ideas into a physical form.
But rapid prototyping can put an end to that. Thanks to this new technology, a designer can deliver a fully-realized version of the product, which is great not just for those who need to figure out how to make it, but to investors and the consumer as well.
If that’s a problem your designers are having, rapid prototyping might provide exactly the tools you need.
Rapid changes
Even in the final stages of product development, a new design is going to be changing constantly. The process of mapping out and implementing those changes in the design can not only be difficult, they can be slow to carry out.
With the rapid prototyping model, a designer can implement changes instantly, creating new iterations of the product in seconds. Think about how revolutionary that idea is, and then consider if you need this technology for your business. It’s difficult to think of a product line that couldn’t benefit from this streamlined alteration process.
Rapid savings
Which brings us to our next selling point for rapid prototyping: Saving money and time. Which are often the same thing.
The less waste you have in refining and tweaking a product, the less time it’s going to take to do so, and the less money it will cost. That’s time and money that could be used for marketing, supply chain reinforcement, warehousing, office space, any number of other areas that are vital for a company’s survival and success.
Can you think of a business that doesn’t need to save time and money? Does yours?
Rapid customizing
If you’re planning on multiple iterations of what you’ve designed and what you’re manufacturing, rapid prototyping can streamline that process, as well.
As we discussed earlier, making changes is an infinitely easier process through RP technology, and so is customizing. Do you have different markets or clients that you’re aiming a version of your product towards?
How great would it be to make those different adjustments in seconds and deliver different styles and designs of the same basic product to whatever market you see opportunity in?
It’s one of the key advantages of the rapid prototyping system.
Rapid repair
Even with a highly skilled design team and the best concept, there are bound to be some major or minor stumbling points during a product’s design. There will be flaws in the design that no one could have foreseen, regardless of their skill level.
Rapid prototyping allows you to create a version of the product that resembles the actual physical object that, ideally, you’ll be able to spot any possible issues before the product itself actually exists.
Think of the time, money and potential embarrassment that could save your business.
For more on how rapid prototyping can help your business, download our e-book “Product Prototyping: Getting It Right the First Time.”
The Future of Prototyping
Making a prototype used to require lots of money, lots of time, and working with a machine shop or engineering firm.
Even if you were using cheaper materials than the ones you intended to use in your final product, molding those materials, measuring them, and assembling them – especially for just one single unit – could easily become quite pricey.
But then, along came 3D printing, and it changed the prototyping process drastically. Instead of taking weeks, getting a prototype made could now be done in just a day or two, and for much less money than before.
Since 3D printing has become mainstream, making a prototype using this method has come to be known as rapid prototyping – for obvious reasons. If you have a CAD, or computer-aided design, file, you can email it to your manufacturing company of choice, no matter where in the world they’re located (as long as you don’t mind paying shipping fees, that is!).
In fact, you can even make the prototype yourself if you have access to a 3D printer and are comfortable with using it. In that case, your prototype can be finished in as long as it takes to upload your design and press print.
This development has been a huge boon for product designers and inventors everywhere – even though currently, rapid prototypes do still have some limitations. So what’s next for product prototyping?
Printing in a wider variety of materials
As of now, most of the 3D printers out there print items out of plastics, although metals, ceramics, and glass are gradually becoming more available.
Plastic can be a great material in that it’s lightweight, durable and inexpensive; however, if you intend for your final product to be created out of metal, for example, or another material, the plastic version will have some drawbacks. You won’t be able to get a good feel for the product’s weight, for example, and the appearance will obviously be very different.
On the other hand, if printing out of plastic is the only option you can find or can afford, even a plastic prototype will give you a vastly better idea of how your product will look and function than skipping a prototype altogether. Given the choice between no prototype and a 3D printed plastic one, choosing a plastic one is – in our book – always the right choice.
The way 3D printing technology is progressing, however, you won’t have to make this choice for long. Technologists are currently working hard on developing printers that can print in more complex, composite materials with medical or electronic applications. For example, in the near(ish) future, you may be able to print electronics and sensors all from one single 3D printer.
Developments are also being made in expanding the ability to print in glass, metal, and ceramics. This will make rapid prototyping even more useful and widespread.
Moving 3D printing from the factory to the home
Although there are enthusiasts who already have home 3D printers, for most people, their projected use of the item just doesn’t justify a price tag of $1,000 and up. (Smaller 3D printers for hobbyists are available for less, but they don’t yet have the capabilities needed to make a really good prototype.)
However, as the technology becomes more widespread the price is steadily decreasing, making the machines more accessible to consumers.
Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the future will include a 3D printer in every home – although some technologists believe this will be the case – but it certainly means that the technology will become a lot more available to the average person (including the average product designer). Maybe we’ll see neighborhood 3D printing stations popping up along the same model as the community garden. Neighbors could buy a share in the machine to help pay for materials and upkeep, in exchange for access to its services.
And what does this mean for prototyping? Well, putting aside the fact that 3D printing has the power to disrupt the entire manufacturing and shipping industries – that’s a whole other story – it means that product designers will most likely have to rely less on global partners to fulfill their manufacturing needs.
Instead of needing a specialized factory in Asia to make your product, you’ll be able to call up a location a few cities or states away. Any factory that has the type of software and 3D printing capabilities you need will be able to do the work for you, and at a more affordable price than the current manufacturing system. This will have a huge effect on entrepreneurship and innovation, not to mention the environment.
In the meantime, if you need to obtain a prototype for your new product, Pivot can help you. We offer prototyping services including rapid prototyping and have connections around the globe and domestically that can help you create your product quickly and affordably. Contact us today!
How to Develop an Electronic Prototype
If you’ve read our blog before, you probably know that we are huge proponents of prototyping. As an inventor, making a prototype is probably one of the most important, if not the most important, investments you can make in your product.
And with the options available today, from computer-aided-design (CAD), to rapid prototyping, to more traditional prototyping, there’s no reason that taking this step should be prohibitively difficult or costly.
While prototyping is important for both mechanical and electronic products, having a prototype for your electronic product can really increase your chances of selling your product to investors, if that’s the route you’re going. This is in addition to the primary benefit of having a prototype: making sure your product actually works as it’s supposed to!
There are some specific considerations to take into account when prototyping an electronic product as opposed to a mechanical one.
Invest in a digital prototype first.
This is a great idea for both electronic and non-electronic products, but it can be especially helpful when your product is electronic.
Why?
Because while some mechanical or non-electronic product designers can use these digital, CAD prototypes exclusively, that’s not the best idea for designers creating electronic products. Instead of relying exclusively on a CAD prototype, you want to make absolutely sure that your wiring, circuit boards, and/or touchscreens work in their physical manifestation, too.
So why not skip directly to that step? That’s certainly a possibility, but because digital prototypes are relatively quick and affordable to produce, it makes sense to address any immediately identifiable flaws digitally first. Then, when you get to making a physical prototype, you’ll be confident that your product is as flaw-free as possible.
Then make a physical prototype to see if your product will actually work.
You might be surprised by the number of great electronic product ideas that end up not functioning in the real world. They might defy the laws of physics; they might rely on technology that is too cumbersome or costly to mass-produce;
Once you get your physical prototype, pay special attention to the look and feel of your product. You want to make sure it will be intuitive for users.
Look, feel, and function are hugely important for any product – but with electronic products, there’s an even higher consumer demand for intuitive, easy-to-use products. If your design isn’t intuitive, you can be pretty positive that people won’t use it.
The user interface should be simple to understand and pleasing to the eye. Give yourself enough time to test the interface with multiple people – ask your friends and family to try it out and see if they can figure out how to work your product quickly.
If you’re producing an industrial or medical product designed to be used by people with specialized knowledge, seek out people in those fields to give your product a run-through. And then – this is the hardest part – listen openly to their feedback. Almost no one gets their product completely right the first time.
Plan on time to debug your product.
Debugging your programming can be a lengthy process, so make sure you give yourself enough time to test and fix any and every coding issue. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to have another prototype made. Then you can re-test your product.
Hopefully, no further problems will arise and you can move on to the manufacturing stage – but if additional bugs do emerge, don’t be discouraged. Electronic products in general tend to go through several iterations before they’re finally ready for the market. You don’t think the cell phone was pronounced ready to manufacture after just two attempts, do you?
Prototyping an electronic product is a vital step in the creation-to-manufacturing process – perhaps even more so than with a mechanical product. There are many steps in designing and prototyping an electronic product, so hire help if you can’t do it all yourself.
At Pivot, we’ve developed, prototyped, and manufactured many electronic products. Unlike many firms, we’ve got designers, software programmers, and electrical engineers all in-house – and that means that we can handle every aspect of your electronic product development, including the prototyping.
Then, when you’re ready to manufacture, you can use Pivot’s electronic manufacturing services. You’ll be assured of consistent quality, as we use ISO:9001 and ISO:13485 certified processes, and we ship products worldwide.
Can we help you with your next electronic product? Contact us today!
5 Ways Creating a Prototype Boosts Your Product’s Success
With 4.6 billion people on his planet and the speed at which information travels throughout the world, there is a hefty number of ideas being generated each day. And by hefty, we mean trillions of ideas that never make it to market because of the daunting task placed on inventors to get their idea into production.
While the sad truth is that flashes of inspiration aren’t enough to convince the average person to prototype their product, prototyping is one of the most essential components of any go-to-market strategy for an inventor. If you have validated your product idea already, then prototyping might just be your next step. We’ve created a list detailing the 5 ways that creating a prototype boosts your product’s success, so we can help speed up the progress of these ideas and inventions.
1. Affordability
With current technology, creating a model for your investors and business partners is not as hard as it seems. And while you should expect to spend money on the prototype design, there are methods that can reduce the cost, making prototyping an extremely cost-effective process for any business.
With Computer Aided Design (CAD), you can quickly produce a three dimensional representation of your invention to scale, with all the necessary shadings, markings, and representations of switches, etc., and even apply visual elements to enhance the display of an electronic product. This can be extremely useful when showing your product concept to companies and investors. Though you will not have a model that you can hold in your hand, you will still be able to present your Computer Aided Design model to possible partners and investors. If you want a physical model (which can be more useful in negotiations), rapid prototyping is also a viable option, which you can find out more about in our eBook.
2. Practicality
Being able to produce a full scale device (whether a CAD or physical model) is extremely helpful in understanding how functional your product will be. Ideas on paper simply won’t produce the same type of comprehension that models will. Producing a physical model, on the other hand, will allow you to appreciate the ergonomics of the product. How comfortable is the model when placed in your hand? Are there any design flaws that you see from the start? How will your consumers view your product when they touch and feel it? All of these aspects are vital to the success of your product. Plus, through product prototyping, you will begin to gain an idea of how much the product will cost you.
3. Market Testing
As the inventor, you most likely fell in love with your product from the start. But how will others see it? Producing a prototype can help you with this complex issue, since you can use the model for market testing to obtain an outside opinion. What do your consumers think of your prototype? How do they handle the model, and do they prefer certain materials over others? Having a prototype to test on your consumers can be extremely helpful when looking to change different aspects of your product before the first real production run. However, make sure not to base all of your changes on consumer preferences.
4. Product Testing
You may discover through prototype testing that your product is not utilizing the ideal materials for its first production run. By performing these tests, you can not only save yourself a significant amount of money on your first production run, but you can also foresee issues that might have been invisible to the eye beforehand. Once that happens, you allow yourself some time to re-prototype and re-design. If you are experiencing troubles with your design, check out our tips on coming up with better product ideas.
5. Product Realization
When pitching your idea to investors, it is essential to have concrete results pointing towards the way your product is viewed by consumers. A CAD design is helpful to show a proof of concept, and a physical model will always attract the eyes of executives at a company. Being able to hold a tangible product will give them a stronger incentive to invest in the idea, and if you have results from your material and consumer testing, you will definitely be providing an even stronger incentive for them to develop it.
If you’d like more information on creating a prototype of your product, contact us here at Pivot International today! We’d love the chance to walk you through the process and get you started on the path to making your idea a reality.
A Prototype Success Story
Every entrepreneur wants to develop a great prototype, but when it comes to prototyping, success can be elusive.
Successful Prototype Example
What’s the recipe for a prototype success story, anyway? Let’s take a look.
While studying together at Parsons The New School for Design in New York, Chelsea Briganti and Leigh Ann Tucker realized they shared a passion: a more environmentally sustainable world with less trash. Together, the two formed a company called Loliware and developed biodegradable drinking cups. Though the cups are completely eco-friendly, they resemble retro glassware, merging great design and environmental sustainability. “Loliware was born because, as designers, we wanted to have fun getting super-creative with a material, but we have a bigger vision that Loliware will replace a percentage of the plastic cups destined for the landfill,” Tucker explains.
To get Loliware off the ground, the two began prototyping following their graduation from Parsons. Considering functionality is often more important than aesthetics in product design and development, as a developer, you want to see how consumers interact with your prototype. Your idea may work perfectly in theory, but it may not work as perfectly in real life, and that is the purpose of a prototype. It allows you to see how well your product works in the hands of a living and breathing consumer. After recognizing the importance of functionality for a prototype, the two set out to create an edible cup that would taste as great as it looked.
The pair entered several design competitions with two other Parsons alums and started working on the prototype development process. To design the edible drinking glass, Briganti and Tucker experimented with several different materials, including gelatin. Gelatin “has beautiful translucency, like glass,” Briganti explains. After their first prototype, the pair quickly realized they had a problem: gelatin smells bad, and tastes even worse. The product was a flop.
But Briganti and Tucker didn’t give up. They tested a range of different materials, eventually settling on agar. Agar holds shape, is vegan, and tastes and smells much better than gelatin. Thanks to successful prototyping, the product proved to be a hit. At the Jell-O Mold Competition, Loliware won a prize for structural integrity, and generated a significant amount of attention. Vodka-maker Absolut even inquired about ordering 60,000 cups for an upcoming outdoor concert. Eventually, the duo raised over $10,000 in a Kickstarter campaign to get their project off of the ground, and also received an additional $60,000 in angel investments
So, what is the key to successful prototyping? As Briganti and Tucker’s story suggests, it’s all about flexibility, adaptability, and perseverance.
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.
What’s the Secret Behind a Great Prototype?
An excellent prototype is an elusive dream for many. It can be difficult to develop the right prototype, but nevertheless, it can be done.
Prototype Development Tips
When it comes to prototype development, check out these tips that will help you hit the nail on the head during your own product development process.
Be specific
Before ordering your prototype or embarking on the development process, it is critical to know exactly what you want. “Before you ever pick up the phone, make sure you know — and can explain — exactly what you want in as many specifics as possible. You also have to educate yourself on the process so you understand what the person on the other end of the phone is talking about,” explains Mark T. Reyland, an entrepreneur and the executive director of the United Inventors Association of America (UIA). “A virtual prototype is not the same as a prototype, but some manufacturers try to sell them as such. You need to know the terminology so you can be sure you’re getting what you want.”
Choose the right manufacturer
If you want an excellent prototype, you need an excellent manufacturer. “Make sure they have the experience and capability to do everything you need. A smoke alarm is not an overly complicated product, but it does have some complicated issues,” says Reyland. “You need someone with experience that covers everything. Also, look for someone with a design aesthetic that matches yours. You won’t be happy with a futuristic designer if you’re looking to design something around a retro brand.”
If at first you don’t succeed, try again
You may not get your prototype perfect the first time around, and that’s okay. If your first prototype is a flop, you can always give it a second go around. Remember, whatever you decide, try to get your prototype right before you actually begin to manufacture products.
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.
Computer-Aided Design vs. Rapid Prototyping
The following is an excerpt from our new ebook, Product Prototyping: Getting it Right the First Time. To download the full guide, click here.
Rapid Prototyping Vs. Computer Aided Design
The most obvious and immediate method of visualizing your product is to create a Computer Aided Design (CAD) model. Many of today’s high-end CAD packages will quickly produce a three-dimensional representation of your idea to scale and to very high tolerance. The computer packages can also be set up to apply the properties of different materials to the device and simulate the effects of different engineering properties. To help you understand the visual representation of the product, the CAD program can be used to render them in photorealistic shades. You can examine the effects of stress and strain on your product and tweak it to remove areas of concern. You can render the model to look like the intended device, complete with markings and representations of switches and workings. You can apply pictures of visual elements, such as user interface screens and displays to enhance the appearance of the product. The one thing you can’t do is hold it in your hands. But this issue can be overcome with the advent of a new subsection of prototyping known as rapid prototyping.
Rapid prototyping is a newly established process where a full-scale model of the device or product is manufactured out of a polymeric material in a very short time period. While a plastic version of a product that is designed to be fabricated in another material, such as metal, may not have the same properties, the fact that the designer is able to hold an exact-sized article goes a long way to verifying the design. Rapid prototyping is an important tool and is now available in various guises and formats, so picking one to meet any budget is possible. The process of creating a prototype device has been made more flexible by rapid prototyping.
A Product Prototype Can Help You in 4 Ways
Though some entrepreneurs are often tempted to skip it, prototype development is a crucial component of the product development process. So, what can prototype development do for you? Check out our list:
Reduce the cost development and production
The earlier you detect a problem or flaw in the design of your product, the better. Typically, any product flaws will become much more visible after the development of a prototype. This means that any problems can be rectified before the first round of product manufacturing, instead of after (which can substantially drive up development and production costs). The bottom line is that a prototype enables you to test and refine the functionality of your product, which pays off in the long run.
Reduce the time required for development and production
It’s easier to produce a product from a tangible prototype than it is to produce one from abstract ideas and vague drawings. Because your product is much better defined with a prototype, it takes developers less time to produce.
Solicit feedback
A functional prototype ensures that you can easily solicit feedback from your target market. By seeing how consumers interact with your product, you can easily see how it performs. This is good for your product and your company, as it boosts overall user experience. For example, Nielsen found that the most dramatic increases in user experience came from collecting performance data as early on as possible in the development process.
Excite customers with a real, working model
It’s much easier to market your product when you have a working model to show consumers. Furthermore, it is also important to note that a prototype can give you a clearer idea of how customers will respond to your product. Keep in mind that you are bound to impress people at business meetings if you show up with a prototype in hand, whether you are meeting with a patent attorney or a potential distributor.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with extensive experience in the medtech industry. 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.
5 Tips for Designing a Compelling Prototype
A prototype can essentially be described as a 3-D vision of your product. These days, prototypes are absolutely crucial when you’re launching a new business. Entrepreneurs are putting more and more focus on prototype development!, and a compelling prototype can be incredibly advantageous, especially when it comes to attracting investors.
Prototype Design Tips
A good protype design shows what works and what doesn’t, helps to generate feedback, and can facilitate an emotional connection between potential investors and your vision. Ultimately, if you want to get funded and gain traction in the business world, you are going to want a compelling prototype. So, what’s the key to a successful protype development? Take a look at these five essential tips.
Get specific
Before you start pouring your time and money into a prototype, you need to have a specific plan of action. What is your overall plan for your product? How is it competitively different from other products that already exist? Is there a market for your product? Who will purchase it? What is your target customer like? How will you sell your product? The answers to these questions should absolutely be taken into consideration throughout the design process. After all, you need a clear vision of what you are selling and who you are selling it to in order to make a compelling prototype. Furthermore, make sure you can clearly explain the specifics of your prototype (including specifics about functionality, aesthetics, use, etc.) as well as your overall business plan to anyone who might have an interest in it, from your attorney to venture capitalists to potential company investors.
Talk to potential manufacturers
At some stage of the prototype game, you are absolutely going to need to identify potential manufacturers. The sooner you can hone in on potential candidates, the better. Once you’ve made contact with a potential manufacturer, ask for its manufacuring and design portfolio. You want to get a good idea of what kind of work it has done in the past as well as who the prototype has worked well for. Pay attention to its manufacturing capabilities and expertise, as well as its signature aesthetic. If you’re planning on creating a cutting-edge alarm clock but a potential manufacturer doesn’t have any experience in electronics, it probably isn’t a good match. Similarly, if you are going for a sleek, futuristic design, you probably are not going to want to choose a manufacturer that typically produces retro-looking products.
Be realistic
Perhaps your heart is set on using metal for your product, but you test it and realize that plastic actually performs better for your application and at a lower cost. What to do in this situation? Go with plastic, even though it might deviate from your original vision. When you take your idea from theory to physical reality, you need to be realistic. It is crucial to take a pragmatic approach and be willing to make changes when necessary. Flexibility really is the key to success.
Create an emotional connection
A good prototype should always help foster an emotional connection between your product and potential investors. Remember, when you show up at business meetings with a prototype in hand, whether you’re meeting with a venture capitalist or a potential licensing company, you immediately stand out from the vast crowd of other investors who have likely approached these professionals with nothing more than a vague idea in their heads. If you have a prototype that these professionals actually connect with, you gain an even bigger advantage over the competition.
Pay attention to feedback
A physical prototype is an excellent way to get feedback and input from potential investors and customers alike. A prototype is especially useful when it comes to exposing weaknesses or flaws in your idea (products tend to sound good in theory, but once you get a physical model going, it is a lot easier to detect flaws). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it helps investors understand what additional resources are needed to develop your product to its fullest potential. But make sure you listen to what these investors have to say. There is no use in accruing prototype feedback if you’re not going to use it. The bottom line? Even if you think that your prototype is perfect, there is always room for improvement. Pay attention to what people have to say.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with extensive experience in the medtech industry. 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.
