While running a business is incredibly rewarding, there’s no doubt that it also comes with its fair share of challenges and demands. It’s likely that you’ll be faced with tough decisions to make, such as deciding whether it’d be worth bringing on an industrial design company to assist with your product development needs. Luckily, with the right information, the answer to this question may be a lot clearer than you think.
In order to create innovative products, you’ll need certain resources, like an experienced team of designers. While it’s certainly possible that an in-house team is able to fit the bill, there might be certain cases where collaborating with a third-party firm can improve your overall product design and increase its profitability. In addition to your team, industrial design companies can be utilized as an integral part of your design process to engineer visually and functionally outstanding pieces. However, how can you tell that the above is true in your own case? How do you know if your circumstances deem it to be in your business’s best interest to outsource this work?
Here, we’ll discuss a list of 5 questions to help you uncover the answer.
Do you need an outside perspective?
Is your team stuck in a design rut? It might be time to call industrial designers to help. Product design is artistic in nature, meaning it necessitates a certain amount of inventiveness and creative problem-solving. As with all art, it’s entirely commonplace to get obstructed by mental blocks from time to time, including your own employees. However, onboarding an outside team of designers to introduce their own fresh ideas is a great solution in these situations. These experienced and skilled professionals are able to bring a new perspective to the table that can help invigorate and shake up your design process. For instance, at Design Stein Studios, we always intend to take an innovative approach to our process in order to reimagine what already exists. This method helps us create advanced products that are on the cusp of forward-thinking and ingenuity. Overall, working with designers presents the perfect opportunity to conceive insightful additions to the product’s functions and aesthetics that otherwise would not have been formed.
Is your team lacking design experience?
If your business lacks experience in product design, it will surely benefit from the opportunity to work alongside a group of skilled designers. Often, industrial design companies are run by a group of team members who are well versed and passionate about their field, like us here at Design Stein Studios. Our combined decades’ worth of experience means our team knows exactly what goes into creating impressive products, from what materials to use, how to draft CAD files, what information to absorb during research, and much more. With our knowledge in combination with your ideas, we are able to jointly work alongside your business to transform an original sketch into a working product with minimal stress and issues along the way.
Is your product facing competition?
It’s likely that your business will face competition on the market from products with similar concepts. While it may seem daunting to take on these competitors, the truth is that there is certainly room for your ideas. The key is performing research to uncover gaps, complaints, and suggestions within the market and utilizing that information to direct the product design. The result is a compelling product that was deliberately engineered to comply with the demands of the market. That being said, if your product idea falls into a saturated corner of the market with a high number of competitors, then research must be taken seriously. Luckily, an industrial design team is well equipped to tackle this significant task and increase your overall chances of market success. For instance, at Design Stein Studios, research is always the initial step in our process to ensure the results are influencing our design decisions from the very beginning!
Is your in-house team working with limited resources?
In order to create innovative products, your design team will need access to plenty of specialized tools and programs. These resources are meant to aid the design process and help your team create cutting-edge works with ease. With this in mind, looking at the potential complexity of your product’s design and the number of tools your in-house team has at their disposal can reveal whether you should look into industrial design services. Full-service industrial design agencies are often supplied with all the resources designers could need to develop outstanding products without restrictions, meaning their assistance is invaluable in the case of arduous and intricate design builds. Overall, if your product idea hinges on more complicated features and functions, it may be best to collaborate on the build with a team that readily has access to plenty of supplies and materials necessary to bring your complete vision to life.
Is your product cost-effective?
A product that is cost-effective denotes that it was engineered by using the least amount of money, time, and resources possible while not sacrificing quality. If your business is noticing some issues with profits, it may be the case that your products are not cost-effective. Cost-effective business practices are integral to maximizing profits, which is why your designers must be conscious of the number of resources that go into creating a product versus its pricing and quality of materials overall. It’s a delicate balance, but it can be achieved with the assistance of industrial designers. These experienced designers know how to swiftly move through the entire process of product design without excessive waste of materials, money, or time.
Industrial Design Companies Can Help
If your business is looking to output a new product, it is definitely worth considering outsourcing its development to a team of industrial designers. Overall, working with these experts is a stress-free method of turning your sketches into tangible products that are both functional and profitable. For more information on how industrial design companies in California can help improve business and bring your ideas to life, give Design Stein Studios a call at (714) 375-4846.