Design expenses can be overwhelming for any new inventor or entrepreneur – but it’s a necessary cost to bear. Sure, you have innovative ideas. But without industry knowledge, engineering experience, and proper design education, your product will struggle to make it to market. That’s where the professionals come in. Good design solves business problems and creates three things for its for its end-users: functionality, appeal, and value.
If after looking at a quote for services, you’ve been overwhelmed by the price tag, you’re not alone. However, there’s more to design than meets the eye – and the cost. This job is more than making products look pretty. Important tasks including testing, prototyping, process development, material costs and more go into the quotes you receive. If your potential design partner truly understands your needs, your quote will cover essentials while cutting avoidable costs.
Expenses for Function
Logistics
A new product requires different materials, machinery, software, and documentation to create. That’s why logistics-related costs are part of most design quotes. Whether building a low-fidelity prototype or creating fixtures to influence your final design, tangible needs can vary widely. A designer can help put all the pieces in place. They’ll coordinate subtasks like creating your bill of materials, shipping and receiving parts to manufacturers, and everything in between. This lets you focus on your project without pausing to search the web for answers.
Goal Creation & Brainstorming
Every product development cycle starts with an idea – a vision for something that can make life better. And when you pay to partner with a designer, they dedicate focus to your goals and ideas. Plus, services like brainstorming, experience maps, personas, and voice of customer activities offer invaluable info. These exercises give you understanding about your target audience and what they want from your product. And while it may seem like an easy step to tackle alone, incorrect user knowledge can cause issues on your path to market. That’s why a designer’s work is worth more than meets the eye.
Testing & Prototyping
People want to buy products that are attractive, intuitive, and functional. Even if your concepts are solid, you can still increase function and value with adequate testing and prototyping.
Prototyping helps the inventor and designer analyze the project and make changes that benefit the product and the end-user. Even better, the design team you work with can measure those benefits and spot consumer difficulties by employing usability, bench, and performance verification testing, amongst other processes.
Expenses for Appeal
Material Costs
With the right materials, making a product can be expensive. But without materials, making a product is impossible. While it seems obvious, tangible resources for prototyping, iterations, and final development reflect a decent portion of your initial quote. However, a good designer is resourceful. They’ll be determined to cut material costs if it benefits you and the product or inform you of alternative options. That way you can control your spending and understand the impact of different choices on your budget and project.
Engineering & Manufacturing
Buyers love products with beauty and brains behind them. Industrial designers create the perfect balance of appeal and function. Thus, they understand how mechanics work logically but can also identify ways to enhance user demand. Services like CAD design, Finite Element Analysis, advanced simulation give you valuable insight about your product’s appearance and function. Design professionals bring your ideas to life. They also give you the opportunity to adapt without sinking all your funds into early iterations. Not to mention, some companies, including Flying Pig Designs, handle more than design. We facilitate equipment validations, product lines, light machining, and manufacturing transfers, and many businesses will vary. Whether your design partner has manufacturing capabilities or not, they can still aid in the search for quality, reliable vendors.
Expenses for Value
Many of the expenses in the previous two sections increase the overall value of your product. And that spells success when launch day rolls around. It may be tempting to go with less expensive quotes based on numbers alone, giving in may cost you more. Designers do a lot for the product development process. If their rates are suspiciously low, they may surprise you with a higher bill if any unexpected issues arise. Along with brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and engineering, here are more ways designers add value and prove their worth.
Project Management
Feel like you’re juggling a million tasks? That’s because as an entrepreneur with a checklist of goals to accomplish, your plate stays full. That’s another area where designers shine. Their keen eye for detail, organization, time management, and budget focus help keep every part of the process running smooth. Plus, with consistent communication, progress summaries, and metrics, it’s easy to stay on track and achieve your goals before going to market.
Process Development
Successful product development is impossible without a plan. Plus, disorganization can easily lead to mistakes and unnecessary spending. Whether they implement Lean, Agile, or some process in between, any experienced designer will have their go-to. These methods add value by their design. That’s because their main purpose is to decrease development time and cost while increasing innovation and demand. A designer who understands how to achieve this reduces stress for you and offers revolutionary solutions for your product.
Expertise & Industry Tips
A seasoned professional always has a trick or tip up their sleeve – and designers are no exception! Technical engineering and design review, testing verifications, material substitutes, and insider knowledge are just some of the resources at your fingertips. Need to know how to decrease your part count and still make your product effective? Want to decide which materials will appeal to buyers in your market? That’s why you pay designers the big bucks. Inventors who invest in the design process are paying for experience, education, and exclusive attention.
Expenses: Conclusion
To conclude, extraordinary products will undoubtedly incur expense – and it’s worth every penny. Product designers often have diverse skillsets including engineering and project management. This allows you to save time, resources, and exorbitant costs down the road. Now the numbers finally add up. TL;DR: Design may be expensive. However, it creates valuable, innovative, and irreplaceable resources – and that’s how you achieve greatness.
info@flyingpigdesignsllc.com
720-470-9122
75 Waneka Parkway, Lafayette CO 80026
Katrice Stover is a passionate writer and the Community and Office Manager for Flying Pig Designs LLC. Combining her love for knowledge, growth, and a good read, it’s her mission to provide informative, engaging content for inventors, creatives, engineers, and industry professionals alike. In her spare time, you can find her dancing with her daughter, playing video games, and dying her hair vibrant colors.
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