DesignStein Studios, LLC: Premier Industrial Design in California

Our Services

RESEARCH

Sound design has the market in mind. DesignStein researches consumers, competition, and supply trends with a data-driven approach.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Full control or supporting cast – we provide full management services down to a la carte consultations, as heavy-handed or hands-off as you need us to be.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Cast a wide net for aesthetics, configurations, schemes, materials, and mechanics to seek out the full potential of your product, from slogans to sketches.

3D MODELING & PROTOTYPING

Modern design meets 3D CAD. We get one step closer to reality by creating the finalized concept in 3D CAD using Solidworks. We take into account design for manufacturing to keep tooling as simple as possible. Then we create physical prototypes for testing and analysis.

SPECIFICATIONS

DesignStein makes detailed spec sheets with the needs of manufacturing in mind. Our network of reputable suppliers promotes timely quotations and accurate technical planning. Or you can take the spec sheet and quote with your established factories.

MANUFACTURING & LOGISTICS

Quality doesn’t stop at the design shop. We follow through on facility selection, thorough QA/QC inspections, and realistic logistics planning.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

IP is worth protecting, for us and for you. We apply practical strategies and knowledge of the legal landscape to keep your ideas confidential.

Our Ethos

Results-Driven

Successful products demand relentless attention to detail. Our execution strategy is focused on follow-through, no matter what it takes to get us there. If it’s too easy, we aren’t pushing hard enough. If it’s too difficult, we recalibrate. Every project will hit bottlenecks. Our job is to meet them head-on with honest feedback and proactive guidance in pursuit of quality products. We are happy to lock in commitment where others would throw in the towel, because we don’t cash in on poor results.

“They’ve been reliable for us. They’ve always been able to produce quality work. They do it in a pretty good timeframe. He’s also been very helpful at answering questions about things that we may not even be paying for. Things that may be a little bit outside the scope of the project, about manufacturing practices or things of that nature. They are very easy to work with.” – Clay H. January 2022

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Collaborative

Product development should be an interactive process, and we prioritize collaboration. We have confidence in our work but we don’t plan to do it alone. Our job is to be responsive to your needs, whether that means taking over or backing off. Every company has a different balance of in-house capabilities and voids to be filled. Industrial design is how we close gaps and connect dots, guiding a vision without taking over your company. Shared success will come from valuing your feedback, as much as you value ours.

“One of the things that we were looking for and one of the things that drew us to Jesse was that he was willing to listen to what we needed. He took a look at the other product and how it’s designed. We told him, ‘These small aspects of the product need to remain the same in some way because this is what people are used to looking at. This is what we expect from the product.’ This is what was really pleasing: Jesse took that and moved it forward 25 years. He was able to visualize that. That made the new product even better, as far as I’m concerned.”- Alan J. January 2022

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Business-Oriented

Value is determined by markets and efficiency, not good intentions. Profitable products are the result of informed analysis, timely development, and diligent optimization. As a product design company, we are artists and engineers at heart, but we perform our work in the context of manufacturing and user demand. We rely on research and trusted suppliers to understand the competitive environment. We evaluate the trade-offs of every decision. Our goal is to inform practical strategies that preserve budgets and schedules. Unit costs, margins, and logistics factor into our process from an early stage, guiding exploratory ideation to final distribution.

“We’ve had some issues using other contractors and defining deliverables. This includes getting things done on time, within a reasonable schedule, and sticking to what is quoted. But, we’ve never had those issues with Jesse. From a customer experience standpoint, it’s been very positive with him.” – Clay H. January 2022

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Experienced

Our secret is not complicated: we have learned the hard lessons of product design and development. We pride ourselves on a history of delivering successful, functional, and beautiful products from our time in the trenches of this industry and lifetimes of innovation. Over the years, we’ve built supplier networks around the world and a unique skill set right here in California. We’ve seen design software evolve and 3D printing become the standard. We have hands-on experience with complex machinery, market research, designing innovative products that sell, and supply chain management. We hope to stay humble while we continue learning, and apply our knowledge to help you succeed.

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Connected

We don’t do our work in a silo. What begins in our California studio reaches as far as it needs to, across oceans. Our connections include specialist suppliers, international manufacturers, and wholesale distributors. Technology, supply chains, markets, and media all play their role in today’s fast-paced business environment. Our home-grown prototypes can quickly be followed by data-driven surveys and production runs overseas. We have quality control “on the ground” to ensure every product gets the stamp of approval. Take advantage of our networks and knowledge base to keep your development plan on track and quality in check.

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Versatile

We provide any service for any phase of design, but perhaps more importantly, we provide a backbone of processes. Product development requires a certain flexibility for creative direction, bound by rigid expectations with timelines and pricing. We connect those dots, wherever we enter the process. Our design tools range from digital and state-of-the-art to classic and casual. Our lean team structure makes it easy to pivot when changes occur. Our network of trustworthy suppliers and partners provide an extra layer of certainty in a world of moving targets. The result is an array of product development services that can structure your process from beginning to end, or anywhere in between.

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Intuitive

The best products don’t need a user manual. Intuition drives much better margins than complex gadgets or pretty logos. We dive deep on the fundamentals of user interaction to ensure the notes are hit without the need to explain. Feature development requires an understanding of how each user will interact with the product and instinctively react. Each visual cue and natural position plays its role in guiding a pleasant interactive experience. Unless you’re building a rocket ship, we want each customer to feel a connection without any instructions.

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Comprehensive

“Outside-the-box” is only the starting point. Everything from toothpicks to robots deserve fresh perspective to find their maximum potential. From an early stage, we consider how each product will work, what it will cost, how it will be made, and how it will ship. We want to help you turn pipedreams into profits by vetting every idea and ensuring everything is covered. Any concept, any medium, any scale of ambition—nothing is off the table in the search for the right solution.

“Their skillset was perfectly well-rounded and perfectly suited for this particular project, and every piece of work has come out wonderfully.”
– Alan J. January 2022

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GOOD DESIGN RELIES ON A THOUGHTFUL PROCESS

Your Situation

We welcome novel ideas. Be it a groundbreaking invention or a modern solution to a classic problem, DesignStein is prepared to guide new products from inception to launch. Our experience and design tools stand to benefit any entrepreneur or established company seeking structure and support.

“Back to the drawing board” is not always a bad thing. Existing products provide lessons from the market and an opportunity to set a higher standard. We apply fresh perspective to develop a design philosophy that identifies what’s working and discards what isn’t. Your product may be ahead of the competition but in danger of losing its edge, or maybe it needs to catch up with the pack. Regardless of your product’s success, DesignStein will seek the best ways to improve upon each specific product.

“Classic” can be outdated—or it can inspire the next generation. The challenge in reviving or re-establishing legacy product lines lies in the balance of nostalgia and staleness. When do you ditch the old branding? When do you reinvent, instead of simply re-adjusting? These are the questions we seek to answer through collaboration and testing. Compare a cutting-edge reboot to a retro reiteration, find the boundaries of the comfort zone, and reimagine the innovation that laid the groundwork in the first place. DesignStein values legacy, with consideration to progress.

Discouraged with other Design Firms?

Too much fluff, not enough substance. Maybe you need a fresh start, or you’re just getting started in the world of design. Either way, we understand that commitment has risk and you might be exploring your options. Intro meetings tend to be full of fluff, lacking substance, and in need of transparency. Information is often withheld because you’re not yet a paying client.

We take the opposite approach, something our clients have commented on over the years. We immediately get down to business exploring your vision, and coming up with new approaches, and asking questions that help us both have a meaningful discussion. All with no strings attached. We hold nothing back.

“Jesse came down and interviewed with us at our offices in Carlsbad. He was not our first choice. We decided to go with another company first but it went so badly so quickly. Literally within a three- or four-week period, of which three weeks of that was nothing more than us trying to get our materials back from the first designer, who was a larger firm and very fancy schmancy with a great reputation. But they had very little in the way of personal skills. Jesse brings a very personalized approach to his business. For us, that’s what worked because we were trying to do something that we knew was going to take time and patience. He had both of those attributes.” – Mark H., January 2022

A “sales rep” getting in the way of meaningful discussion. You’ve surely had that discouraging and deflating experience, where an eager and determined-to-sell account rep literally gets in the way of real progress.

With DesignStein, you will meet with the principals from the start and throughout design and development. We prefer personal attention to corporate “bookings.” Our team is lean, and hungry for interesting work. Our company’s leaders get to know you and stay focused on product innovation throughout the relationship. Our best and brightest are always in front of you.

“The other companies have a real challenge when it comes to having any sort of humility. Rather than understanding that their job is to help guide and provide support to the client, they feel that their vision is the single, best vision and the only vision that should work. With Jesse, he really goes the extra mile to make sure that things are right. He wants it to be right, whatever that’s going to take.” – Client Interviews, January 2022

Too many templates, not enough fresh ideas. Honestly, just about anyone can grab a template of some sort and customize it. In many firms, once the client has committed, the interns and the templates get to work to churn out all-too-conventional designs. While that may be efficient, it totally misses the whole point of the exercise: Coming up with something new and different, something that will rock the market, be straightforward and cost-effective to produce, and end up making you a healthy profit. You won’t get that out of templates.

Our goal is for you to stand out, for all the best reasons. DesignStein’s creative, technical, and marketing knowledge is shared among a tight-knit team of designer-doers, putting in unconventional effort, and who will help you set new standards in your market.

“I think that people might perceive it as being a smaller operation, but the reality is that Jesse is able to turn out world-class products without having the massive overhead of having a huge staff of people, which of course drives people’s overhead costs and drives up what they charge for their services. What you get from working with Jesse is the same quality, the same product, but with a highly personalized approach. And in this day and age, that’s pretty much nonexistent.” – Mark H., January 2022

“Good enough” is not good enough. What you need is “world-class.” We won’t hold back, you’ll get our best and brightest, and what we produce together will make all the effort worth it.

Making that initial call to us will be the best thing you ever did for your vision. All outreach is welcome, whether you’re dipping your toes or seeking to get off to the races. We are happy to provide initial feedback, direct quotes, or detailed proposals depending on your immediate goals.

Proof of Performance

DesignStein has worked on all types of products, including consumer electronics, medical devices, sporting goods, military, housewares, mobile accessories, office products, children’s toys, industrial equipment, CDB products, and the list goes on.

Our Work

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