Great ideas can strike any time, anywhere. Usually it comes with a ?This would be so much easier if?,? or a ?There ought to be a product that?? Either way it will hit you like a ton of bricks and consume your mind until you can't help but do something about it. When that shining moment of ingenuity arrives, it pays to know what your next steps are.
If you're strapped for cash, your option's are limited. You could turn to a freelance designer or a smaller one-to-four person shop. Both are much less expensive. If you are really serious about your product, however, you're going to need to work with a product development firm.
Just because you might be working with a product development firm, however, does not mean that you have to max out all of your credit cards, draw from your 401(k) and take out a second mortgage to pay for it. The trick is to find the right firm and have an open and honest dialogue about what can be done within your budget. There are also creative ways to pay for services, like using a royalty-based model instead of a fixed fee-for-service model. Talk extensively with your firm to get a good idea of what it can offer you.
Whether you only have a vague idea and aren't even sure what you need yet or have a prototype and just need help getting it manufactured, a product development firm will engage you at any point. But if you're still in the early conceptualization stages, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you engage them. With products it's all about positioning. You have to objectively look at your product or idea and ask, ?So what??
Most people end up entering the process with an idea for a specific product. At that point a firm will perform research and develop a strategy to define positioning, business opportunities and consumer needs, all meant to drive design concepts. After that the firm will focus in on the design and engineering of those concepts, all the while partnering with you, the client. It's important that you make sure this is a collaborative effort and not just the firm pushing you around or you not listening to the firm?s ideas.
The firm will then continue to narrow it's design until it's ready to be revealed. When the big reveal does occur make sure you keep an open mind because you may hate it. You need to remember that good designer's have good reasons for why a design is right for a certain product or market. Sometimes you just need to listen to them and trust their judgment. If you still feel uneasy about the design, however, then it's time to look at where you'd like to see adjustments and go from there. It is, after all, your product.
Once you and your firm achieve the right design for your product, your work together might be finished. Some firms, however, may assist you in selecting appropriate vendors or even serve as a liaison during the manufacturing process. If not, then it's up to you to map out your next plan of action.
