With
Great new product ideas don’t develop themselves; unfortunately, procrastination offers competitors an opportunity to reshape the landscape first. Is now the Time?
Our job is to help you get there.
Here are three fun Case Studies to illustrate how we assist customers in making strides for success. Follow the links to the full story. Our recipe includes a healthy dose of Innovation, mixed with active Collaboration, and years of product design & development Experience.
One of the least developed areas of the bicycle WAS the front shifting. With our help, one bicycle components company changed that weakness into a great opportunity.
Synthesis was instrumental in creating the cycling components now covered by several patents. The results of our product design and development have raced in the Tour de France, and served to assist in many World Cup CX wins - even shifting in conditions at the World Championships where all the other technologies failed.
But the technology is not just for racers. It serves thousands of cyclists, generating millions of smiles with precise, faster shifting.
Read the Full Case Study Article.
Often, the artistic appeal of a product design masks the technical effort and innovation required in getting it there.
In this example of License Plate frames, Synthesis provides the design, engineering and product development on which the art shines. But the complexity of thought is hidden, because it looks simple.
The beauty of the work comes as the eye is captivated by the fun and the fancy, overlooking the optical illusion and 3D effects carefully crafted into the product design. These hidden details are the very ones needed to meet the legal, and manufacturing requirements while maintaining the artistic expression.
Read the Artistic Case Study.
There is so much more to product design than just the "design". Product development, by definition, includes developing the product to fill its purpose. That includes all the different aspects highlighted in our Product Development Process article.
One fun area is design verification, which often includes prototypes. While there are many ways to prototype, this case study focuses on 3D printing. Technology now allows us to make parts that were, just a few years ago, difficult or impossible to make easily. Now we do it fast and easy without much extra thought.
At Synthesis we choose appropriate methods for prototyping depending on the product and prototype intentions. Read the Prototyping Case Study
From working through all the needs and defining a specification, to figuring the details that will bring a design together, product development applies across the board.
This case study focuses on a special, custom trailer as an example of purpose-driven product design. The trailer requirements were tight, requiring some extra thought about achieving them. From specification through innovation to final drawings out the door. Making a great product is a process, and we don't shortcut the practice.
Read the article about how the Product Development Process applies to this Custom Trailer Design.
Product design and development examples are actually all over this website. Most of the images are products we have had a hand in design. Even our custom machine creations are further examples of purpose driven Product Development. There are more Engineering Case Studies in the library that are worth reading. For instance, this Case Study about Managing Conflicting Constraints, and this one about the value of Collaboration in Design Reviews.
We love design, and bring a spirit of innovation and cooperation to all our customers in so many various industries. For more product design examples, please browse the Portfolio or the Big Slide Show. Enjoy the reading.
Each customer project is completely unique . . . So,
We'll help with as much or as little as you need.
It's A Lot Of Work – Including iterations of Design, Testing, and Refinement. The path to realization is both well mapped, and unique at the same time. The general direction we know well, yet your unique ideas will bring exciting new variations to a road we travel often. Here is a simple visual:
We rely on product design input from you, along with the product requirements and design criteria. We also get input from potential manufacturers - to be sure the final design is efficient and cost-effective to produce. The more we know, the smoother the path through the Product Development Process.
Refinement and testing cycles ensure the final product will meet your quality standards, and end customer expectations. The process timeline can be longer or shorter depending on the complexity of the project, and the depth of innovation to prove. The best way to know is to ask. Certainly your path is unique.
Much more detail about the Product Development Process is given in this Signature Article.
We've worked on hundreds of new products, and numerous new patents.
At the end of the day, the best thing about product development is seeing the impact of a new idea in the life of the business owner, and their customers.
If you like collaborating with innovative, out-of-the-box thinkers, then you might be a good fit. Also those who seek a fresh, skilled, outside perspective are likely a good fit. Talk to us at Synthesis.
Over the years we've worked in a spectrum of industries — from Military to Medical — Toys to Technology — Bicycles to Bulldozers — Micro to Majestic. We bring good ideas from one industry to the others, because we are not industry constrained. And, we bring a mix of Science, Function and Style to every project.
Product based companies reaching for success are a great fit. We can best help those who are open to broader thinking and understand the accelerating effects of collaboration.
Now let's talk about your needs. We're happy to take a few minutes to understand your needs, then help determine if we are a good fit.
Start by connecting. It's just possible that we can make your job a lot easier — and help reach the goals faster.
Below are a few more examples of awesome product design and product development projects we have done. And, more on the Synthesis Design Portfolio page. Please note, much of what we do is confidential, and cannot display here.
Of course, your project is different, so let's talk. That is the best way to know if we can help. We are only a call away.
A very small, but powerful actuator, Electrical and Mechanical design.
An early pioneer in RFID brought compact and ergonomics.
Silly fun projects to demonstrate ability, and for no other good reason.
Yes, this is very common when working with confidential product design. If you have an NDA already, we are certainly willing to look at it — but we don't sign one-sided Non-Disclosures. On the other hand, if you need and NDA, we have a 'Boiler-Plate' NDA document in the Synthesis Library that you are welcome to use.
The essence of an NDA is to remind all parties to "Play Nice". We always do that, with or without a legal document. We would not be in business for so many years if we stole other intellectual property. That's just not how we roll.
Mutual NDA's are required. Just like you want to protect your intellectual property, when you work with us, we may also bring intellectual property to the party. If your NDA or desired contract says that things we create while working with you automatically become your property, we can't sign it. NDA's must be mutual as a show of respect to everyone.
The timeline through the Product Development Process can be longer or shorter depending on the complexity of the project. Also, the depth of innovation makes a big difference.
For a simple product design (no prototypes or manufacturing specifications) it might be a few weeks, but initial design is just the start of the process. Prototyping, refinements, manufacturing input, consumer research, and more, all take time. Certainly your path is unique, so talk with us and we can give some general ideas of what is typical for your type of project.
While we love to develop products of all types, we strongly suggest that our customers do the necessary market research to know about potential acceptance. That is not something we do. Oh, and we definitely don't recommend the thinking of "I like it so everyone will".
For inventors, we recommend reading the "Inventors Lab" set of articles first.
Product development is generally not cheap. It takes time, and usually requires outside services like prototyping. However, when the product concepts are sound, the resulting upside at launch will give a many-fold return. That is always the goal.
Of course, we would love to print costs right here, but that is not possible because every project is unique. Time and cost both depend on the complexity of the project and the depth of innovation. The only way to know is to discuss your ideas, goals, and expectations.
There is much more to this discussion, however. The cost of engineering – product design and product development – is usually a small part of whole process. Launching production, for instance, because manufacturing costs are usually much higher, so be prepared for that too. That is not something we can guess, unfortunately, until deep into the project.
It is truly unfortunate when cost is the barrier to success. It is even worse when, after the development money is spent, the customer finds there is not money for production, or does not find a market for their product.
Every customer project is unique, so even with the above fun examples, we understand, it is not exactly what you are thinking. That means together we must consider your needs.