We love inventors, They are thinkers.

“How do I get my great idea (invention) to market?”

“Bright Idea“ to “Final Product“

“Product Development“= Product Design and Development

 Step 2  –  Defining Product Requirements
Product Requirements Document or Engineering Specification

Considerations for Product Definition:

1. Who will use the product?  (Is it the end customer?)  Who will buy the product (the
“real” or “buying” customer)?  Notice the very important difference.  Sometimes they are
the same, yet sometimes they are not.

For example, think of a widget made for a hotel.  The “buying” customer is the hotel
purchasing agent.  The end user may be the staff or the hotel guest.  It does not matter
what the staff wants if you can’t convince the purchasing agent to buy it.

Understanding the customer(s), all of them, is important for success in both design and
marketing.

2. What are the customer requirements? Consider life span, product function, strength,
rigidity, flexibility, product look, feel and performance.Consider complementary products
and how their changes affect your product.

A widget made for use in a car, for instance, may not work in all cars and its usefulness
may diminish with the next model year.

3. How much will the product cost?  It is important to know how much a customer will
pay for the product because you must produce it for much less. Typically, a product on
the shelf is manufactured for 1/4 to 1/6 of the price you pay because of mark-up and
margins for all the people that handle it. Additionally, when making the requirements
list, there should be a specific cost goal — like less than $5. It is not enough to say “make
it as cheap as possible”.“State the specific cost goal”.”The goal may change as you learn
more, but it must remain specific”.

One important note with respect to cost:  Cost and price are two different things, and a
good business plan will make the most of price without regard to cost.  The discussion
above is specifically to make sure your cost (& appropriate markups) align with your
customers desire to purchase.

4. How many widgets do you expect to sell, and in what time frame? The quantity
drastically affects both the cost of the product, and the processes to make it.

Quantity is King with respect to cost.  Almost always, the more you make, the cheaper
each piece is.
5. How will the product be sold?  At Walmart?  Or through a distributor?  In Magazines? 
Or through TV advertisement?  Is it complete for the customer?  Or will the customer
assemble it?  How is it packaged?  All these things affect both the cost and the design in
many ways.
6. What is the timing? Some products are time sensitive.

A toy, for instance, is on the shelf in October to sell for Christmas.  Summer seasonal
items have a specific shelf time.

7. What is the expected life of the product? Will this product sell successfully for many
years?  Or will it sell like wildfire for just one season?
8. How is the item marketed? Items to consider include:  Presentation, Weight, Packaging,
Shipping, Colors, Sizes, etc..
9. Usability often forgotten, includes how the product interacts with those who use it. 
There is a whole field of Human Factors or Industrial Design that deals with how
products interface with humans.
10. What is the expected use? and perhaps more important, what is the expected misuse or
abuse?  How can the product be made to accommodate these expected situations?
11. What product safety issues are relevant?  Are there safety concerns with misuse?  In
what ways is it possible for the product to fail?  And what are the consequences?

This area of study is FMEA or Failure Mode and Effects Analysis.  All potential failure
modes MUST be considered carefully — and documented — especially in our demented,
sue-happy society.

This discussion on product safety leads to additional questions like — What kinds of
Product Liability Insurance will you need?  Take some time and think through these
issues.

12. What are the hard points of the “Bright Idea”?  Identify the points that cannot
change?  What areas can change (if you need) to better meet other, more important
requirements?  Product Design and Engineering are “The arts of trade-off’s”.  Give a
little here, take a little there as a balance in optimizing the product requirements.

For example, gold is the best electrical conductor, but the price of gold usually does not
fit in cost requirements.  The trade-off is to use a different material that also conducts
well, but costs much less.

13. Will the product have a warranty?  If so, what will it cover and how will you handle
claims?
14. Are there governmental regulations or certification requirements? This will depend
on the product and how (or where) it is sold.  The industry may dictate this.  Consider
certifications like CE or UL (or some other).  OR, certain standards like ANSI.  Look
carefully into what or who governs the use of the product.
15. Are there legal concerns like patent infringement, or intellectual liability issues?
 Note:  If you see that your product will have legal concerns, address them up front, and
carefully document what you do about it.  Get professional help where necessary. 
Inventors often look at patents, but not at risks or exposure.  Don’t let it stop you, just do
the homework.

16. Will the product have social concerns like disposability or recyclability?
17. Give thought to manufacturing issues like cost, time, material, size, weight, complexity,
manufacturing location, etc..  Government regulations may limit these choices — like
material properties. These issues are addressed in depth in the design process, but a good
feel for what is expected up front is helpful and should be in your engineering
specification.
18. Where will the product be made?  Though this question really should not be answered
prior to looking at things like “how many” and “what processes”, please identify how you
feel about ON SHORE and OFF SHORE manufacturing.  Knowing how you feel about
different areas of the world such as Mexico, Indonesia or China is important.

Note:  There is a trend in recent years (especially in the USA) to farm out all sorts of
manufacturing to low cost producers of the world such as Mexico or China.  Some
companies do this quite successfully, others struggle.  It is our experience that
manufacturing overseas requires a lot of hand-holding and the extra costs to do so are
very often forgotten.

Step 3  –  Gathering Information & Product Planning

Typically, product planning includes a Patent Search, some Market Research and a Business
Plan are appropriate.  You may have no intention of patenting a new widget, but you really need
to know if someone else already has.  There are a lot of patents for great products where the
inventor didn’t it take to market.

Patent Searches

Protecting Your Idea:

Market Research

Business Plan

Concluding Thoughts . . .

Step 4  –  Design / Engineering

True design engineering is science and art; analysis and synthesis.  It is compromise in
the balance of conflicting constraints.  It is drawing on, and improving upon previous knowledge
for solutions — in new challenges, or new solutions to previous concerns.
At Synthesis, our goal is to find the Elegant Solution — not just any solution.  It is our objective
to find the best blend of compromise in all the conflicting constraints.

 Specification (Tính năng Thông số kỹ thuật).

 Block diagram (Thiết kế sơ đồ khối).
 3D models (Mô hình 3d).
 Schematics (Sơ đồ nguyên lý) + Flowcharts (Lư đồ xử lý)
 CAD (Thiết kế mạch in) + Source Code (Lập trình)
 CAM ( Gerber + BOM) + Build/Release (Image or install packet)
 Testing guide (Test Process Flow , System Test Procedure , Hardware Test Plan)
 Prototype (Part detail drawings;Final CAD models;Component specifications –
materials, processing, colors, textures, etc;Assembly drawings;Assembly process
drawings;Special instructions for assembly;Product specifications – Bill of
Materials, assembly techniques, purchased parts, packaging, etc;Manufacturing
specifications;)
 Max production

In development, the Design Phase has 2 main components (and often a 3rd):

1. Conceptual Design – (the macro level) where fundamental and sweeping ideas are
considered and evaluated;
2. Principle Design or Characterization – (the micro level) where the details are composed;
3. Oft times Proof of Principle phase(s) are intertwined with the design engineering to
assure a complete and secure product deployment.

Iteration in Design Engineering

Design phase is just one of the iterative steps in complete product development.  
Referring back to the map in the Process Overview (Step 1), the design phases often require
iteration with Prototypes (step 5) and with Testing.  The process of Design to Prototype to
Testing  and back again is one of learning.  It is part of understanding and perfecting the product
so it will succeed in the market.  How many iterations?  That depends on the amount of learning
and the final objectives.  Either way, the design phases are the best effort at perfection, with
prototyping and testing as verification and acceptance.

Conceptual Design

This is the big picture.  Finding the best overall design always starts by considering
various possibilities.  A more complex problem deserves more concepts to consider.  Start, with
something like a brainstorming session, and measure all kinds of ideas.    A reasonable list of
requirements at this point is extremely valuable for assessment.

Side Note:  There are many schemes for collecting ideas, like Brainstorming or Sprints, and each
has beneficial attributes.  These alone do not constitute conceptual design, because there is no
substitute for quiet, individual contemplation.  Activities like Brainstorming can stimulate ideas
and thinking in different directions, but they should be used to enhance and accelerate the design
processes, not short-cut them.

The conceptual phase is a time for sketching on the whiteboard or on paper.  It’s a time
for bringing good brains together, and a time for discussion.  Also, it’s a time for quiet
contemplation where the group ideas are carefully thought through.  Capture ideas, the evaluate,
mutate, blend and reincarnate them, because design engineering is a process of sorting through
possibilities.

It is my firm belief that the best ideas come from multiple good sources.  By bouncing
ideas back and forth, mutating them through the filter of various perspectives, the elegant
solution rises to the surface.

“There is no smartest person. . . The best ideas come from multiple sources.”

A “HARD” Note to Inventors:

As an inventor you are the creative stimulus behind your idea.  Obviously, that puts you in a key position,
yet you must realize that your ideas can and will stimulate creativity in others.  Many inventors suffer from NIH,
“Not Invented Here” Syndrome.  Unfortunately, that puts them on the defensive when others offer suggestions. 
This truly limits the potential of both the inventor and their product.

The good ideas of others enhance and perfect your original concepts.  Even when the new propositions
are, in the end, not included, if they were honestly considered and evaluated they will benefit the product by
assuring all aspects are considered.  New ideas or additions do not devalue the inventor; they enhance the product.

A bad case of “NIH“ is really a reflection of immaturity and lack of self confidence.  Rise above it and
success is far more likely.

Evaluating Concepts

There are always many ideas to sort through.  Some stand out immediately.  Other ideas
are good, but conflict with each other.  Here are some things to consider while evaluating and
choosing which ideas are best:

 Analyze concepts for adherence to goals and requirements. This is one reason you need
the Engineering Specification.
 Determine areas of improvement over the competition.
 Find areas of technical stretch (if any) for each new concept.
 Does the concept require a new invention to make it work?
o Is there technology available to accomplish all the tasks?
o How can a Proof of Principle (PoP) assure that areas of technical stretch won’t
delay launch?
o Are there substitute technologies to use if a new technology doesn’t make it?
 Examine impact on time and cost goals for each concept.
 Think like your customer, or ask your customer, then use the input as part of your
decisions.
 In many cases, technical innovation makes the task or project possible. These areas of
technical stretch it’s a great idea to prove out the concept in advance with a PoP’s  (Proof of
Principle) demonstration.  A careful evaluation can help see that the innovation will fit within
time and/or cost constraints.   Separating these areas of technical stretch into their own mini-
projects (as a parallel path) keeps the main project rolling.  We call these design engineering
mini projects PoP’s.

A note about Quality: How do you define “Quality?”  The best definition I’ve seen is: “Quality is what the
CUSTOMER says it is.”

Competitive Analysis

The conceptual design phase is also a time for comparing competitive products against
your list of requirements.  Use the comparison to see how yours is similar, and to see how your
requirements drive the new product to improve on what exists.

Principle Design or Characterization

This is the stage of hard-core design engineering.  It’s where the computer is handy —
both for CAD and for design analysis.  This is when fundamental design engineering takes center
stage.

Typically this stage of the design includes work in all the areas of the project — perhaps by
several individuals or teams depending on size and complexity.  The routine generally includes
individual work as well as design review meetings at appropriate intervals.

Design review meetings typically consist of:

 Design analysis reporting for adherence to inputs or requirements.

 Coordination and Resolution of issues — especially those crossing between teams.
 Incorporation of new knowledge and/or technology.
 Review of DFM, Design For Manufacturing feasibility, and other manufacturing
questions.
 Review of progress with respect to timing.

The principle design stage should also include optimization where areas of the design may iterate
in getting to the elegant solution — one of the ways a product transforms from good to GREAT.

Proof of Principle or PoP

When conceptual design includes something technologically new, it creates a special

condition.  In many cases, it’s not a completely new concept, but something new as part of the
product.  It is these new, or inventive areas that make a product exciting, but they are also the
areas that can bog down development.  We reference these as PoP, because we must Prove the
Principle before in can go to market.
 So, prior to inclusion with the main design, areas of technical stretch (innovation) get
separate treatment.  This may include prototypes ahead of time to determine if the technology
will function to accomplish the goal.

For areas where current technology or a precedent does not exist, it must be invented. 
These areas must be identified early, then worked in parallel to see if they pan out.  The main
design will usually have a back-up or “safe” plan to implement if the invention does not pan out. 
If, or when, the idea is proven or determined as safe for the prime design, it is incorporated.

This a development phase of product design engineering often requires invention or

optimization using tools like Statistical Design of Experiments.  Testing can be a big part of
defining and achieving a technical stretch.

Concluding Thoughts . . .

The design phase of product development includes several sub-steps that are usually
iterative.  First designs and first prototypes usually show opportunities for improvement, then
additional design cycles hone the product.  Especially for new technology, time for learning pays
big dividends.  Design engineering refinement in this way yields the best possible products.

Step 5 – The Purpose of Prototypes

Prototyping is the Design Verification phase of Product Development because it demonstrates
or proves the design.  Think of a Prototype as simply taking a design from the virtual, imaginary realm
into the physical world.

Why Prototype?

Of course there are lots of reasons we want to touch and feel and try our new widget, and a
prototype is the way to do that. But, there are some specific reasons to prototype.  Some of the
most common are:

 Display or Show the new product — maybe at a show or for investors.

 Test an idea to see if it really works.
 Test the design to see if it passes certain requirements.
 Use it to evaluate where improvements are necessary.
 Get customer feedback.

When To Prototype

Before diving into the prototyping phase, there are few questions to ask:

 Is a prototype desirable or necessary?

 Does the need for design verification justify it?
 Is testing needed for design improvement?
  Does the design reflect the best knowledge before prototyping?
 What kind of prototype will fill the needs best?
 And, perhaps most important, what will the prototype accomplish?

A Note About Testing

What do you test?  How much testing?  What kinds of tests?

Most industries have standards to meet or requirements to satisfy.  Certainly testing is to

certify or “pass” requirements, but don’t forget testing for your own benefit.  Run tests to verify
your FMEA (Failure Mode Effects Analysis).  Every product has some possible failure point.  It
may be in abuse or something else, but because it can fail, you must understand it.  Testing to
verify failure effects is extremely important.

Test with an open mind.  Testing should be done as realistically as possible, with a mind
open to learning everything available.  If the unexpected happens, then you’re learning. If
something breaks, it does not mean YOU failed, it means you’re LEARNING. Furthermore, it
means you’re that much closer to a better design.

Don’t skip or short-cut the testing.  Field failures come back to bite, usually with very
large teeth!

Concluding Thoughts . . .

Really, the Design, Prototyping and Testing steps of the Product Development Process
can blur together as one with learning and insight coming from all these tools.  One process feeds
the next as iteration perfects the design.  The final stages of both design and prototyping
(especially the final stages) are most effective when they include input from manufacturing.

Whatever the product, if it is to be sold, it will need to be produced, and that involves the
next step of manufacturing.  Our experience has taught that involving possible manufacturers
early in the design & engineering phase and especially through the prototyping phase(s) makes
the transition from design to production much easier, faster and smoother.  I suppose many
people don’t think about using prototypes this way, but it is really a powerful tool — and it’s
almost free if you use a prototype that has already filled its need in testing or display.

Step 6 – Production Details and Production

When the design is ready to go out to the world — Design done, Testing complete,
Requirements satisfied, Business Plan and Marketing Analysis thumbs up — it is ready for
production.  For many products — and especially for inventors — this is where the real work
begins.  The Production phase is usually, by far, the most expensive.
 Documents like the Business Plan and Marketing Analysis, if done honestly, will tell
you if production is feasible long before you complete the earlier steps.  This is the big money
step, so make sure you’re ready for it — long before it comes.

Launching Production

The first step into production is thorough documentation of the design.  This means full
engineering drawings for the applicable parts and complete 3D computer models for others.  It
includes final design optimization with an eye to minimizing costs and maximizing ease of
assembly in manufacturing.  And of course, documentation for assembly (where appropriate)
including bolt torque specs, adhesives application, painting, labeling, packaging, assembly order,
etc..

Production documentation is usually a combination of:

 Part detail drawings;

 Final CAD models;
 Component specifications – materials, processing, colors, textures, etc.;
 Assembly drawings;
 Assembly process drawings;
 Special instructions for assembly;
 Product specifications – Bill of Materials, assembly techniques, purchased parts, packaging, etc.;
 Manufacturing specifications;

Much of the documentation process can be done in parallel with the long lead manufacturing
items like mold making, dies or pattern making.  Also, more or less detail may be needed
depending on the product, the manufacturing facilities, company records requirements, etc.. 
Choose your manufacturing partners early, then work with them on the needed documentation.

Production

The final production processes usually include the following steps, yet detail for these steps will
differ with each product and schedule.

1. Final production quotes.

2. Vendor selection and kick-off.
3. Design of special tools and/or fixtures (where needed).
4. Inclusion of final design input from manufacturers.
5. First article component verification and sign-off.
6. First assembly validation and sign-off.
7. Launch of production.
8. Sell, distribution, (??) of Products

The production processes and costs will differ widely for each product, for each manufacturing
process and for each location.  Some items (like plastic injection molds or casting patterns or
dies) can take months to make and are very expensive.  Some items require special tooling or
fixtures that are designed and validated along the way.  In any case, the production process is
always involved and is usually time consuming.  It is also (usually) quite costly.

Choosing the right production process for the specific needs and quantities of each product is key
to success.  Truly there is far more involved than we will cover in this article, and perhaps more
importantly, the specifics change with every unique application.  For more generalized
information, see the Process Notes.

The Cost/Volume Continuum

Typically, the more pieces you make the cheaper they are, but more NRE is involved.  (NRE is
Non-Recoverable Expense, which is things like the expense of molds or other tooling.)  Each
type of production process (like molding, stamping, casting, machining) has a different level of
NRE depending on a bunch of factors.  See the discussion in our Notes Section for more
information.

There is a continuum, like a graph, of Cost and Quantity.  As you move from low quantity to
high quantity the cost per produced part goes down.  But, NRE goes up.

It is not our purpose here to discuss all the variations of manufacturing processes.  Suffice it to
say that there are many ways to make a part — some adapted better for low volume and some for
higher volume.  Some processes can adapt to best use in cooperation with other processes.  For
example, in low quantity a machined part is cost effective.  With higher quantity, forging or
casting the net shape, then machining the details is faster and cheaper.  For even higher
production, automated machines with dedicated heads and such can have very high throughput.

Before moving forward, learn what processes there are, then evaluate available processes as they
pertain to your product.  Finally, be willing to think outside the box to achieve your goals.

Choosing Manufacturing Partners

Along with defining the processes, comes the choices for manufacturing vendors.  Choosing
vendors is tricky and time consuming, because so many companies in almost every country are
willing to make “stuff” for you.  Some have more expertise, some offer a lower price.  Some
understand quality, while others don’t.  Perhaps more important, some companies respect the
customer (you) and will work with you to achieve the goals, yet others just want the work and
will build things the way they think regardless of your instructions.  Your choices for vendors (I
like to think of them as partners) will have an enormous effect on the headaches you deal with
later.

A Note About Off-Shore Manufacturing:

The term “Off Shore” really has nothing to do with oceans as it implies, it really has more to do
with the country of origin being different than the country where the manufacturing is done. 
There has been a trend in the last many years (especially in the USA) to do a lot of
manufacturing in other countries where regulations are relaxed or where labor is cheap.  There
are dozens of arguments about whether this is good or not, but in the end it is your decision for
your products.

In our experience we’ve seen successes and we’ve seen disasters.  Here are some things to
consider in making that decision:

 First, it is never as easy to go off-shore as they say.

 There are always more costs than anticipated — shipping, tariffs, import fees, export fees,
government extras, travel, brokers, etc…
 There is always more to it than anticipated — finding a reliable shipper, unraveling government
regulations, timing, delays, etc…
 How well do you speak the foreign language?  How well do you know the customs?  Who do you
know that can bridge these gaps?  Can you find a fair and reliable agent to handle these things
for you?  If so, what will they cost?
 What resources do you have to assure quality?  (What happens when you get a container load
of widgets that are not right?)
 How much control do you wish to have over the final product?

And, On The Moral Side:

 Do you have moral values regarding the way a potential vendor manufacturers?  Pollution? 
Child labor?  Working conditions?  (Not all of these apply, but you need to think about what
does.)
 Would you run your factory the same way in your city?  If not, can you negotiate ways to change
that?
 Do you claim a strong allegiance to your country and decry others that take jobs off shore?

Again, from our experience, if you have high enough quantities, along with time and resources to
deal with all the little things that come up, off-shore manufacturing can be a real boon.  If not, it
can be a big headache.  Learn before you buy.

A Second Note

In more recent times, some of the companies that were first to push their manufacturing off shore
are now re-thinking and bringing some back.  Labor rates overseas have risen, and quality
concerns (in some cases) have caused some companies to think again about what goes out, and
what stays home.  Since this is a big decision, it might be a good exercise to learn WHY as it
pertains to your new product.

There is nothing magic about China, Mexico, Indonesia, the USA or any other country.  There
are wonderful, helpful, honest people in all of these places that are ready to help.  We have done
cost comparisons with USA vs. China, for instance, and some comparisons come in favor of a
USA manufacturer, then others come in favor of the off-shore company.  There are too many
variables to properly address the topic here, so just note that decisions are not as easy as it seems.

For more detail, please see the expanded discussion on Pros & Cons of Foreign Manufacturing.
These choices require some knowledge on your part, like it or not.  Please read our Who Makes
This Stuff? Page for a lot more information on this topic.

Production  (our Speaker Example)

This example with our speaker did not go to production in the classic sense.  It was not our
purpose to build and sell the complete speakers, but rather make them available as a do-it-
yourself project for others to build.

Like most software products, distribution of the final code is a substitute.  From that perspective,
all the launch details with drawings and such are complete.  Plans have been sold, so I assume
others have been built, but that is not really part of manufacturing as discussed above.

Concluding Thoughts . . .

The production phase is fraught with numerous variables, and it will take some time to sort
through the possibilities.  Start the research early with input from potential vendors.  This is will
enhance the transition from design to production, and make it easier for everyone.  Of course,
this is a very general statement because the particulars of any given product will certainly drive
the path to production in its own unique way.

The most important advise I can give is get some help.  If you are not familiar with
manufacturing and with choosing production vendors, get some help.  Talk with more than one
“expert”, and Read This.

Be cautious, yet optimistic as you progress.  Ask lots of questions and find experts that can help
guide the process, because it is very satisfying to see your widget in production.

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