Industrial design companies can promise all sorts of things, but not all of them are going to be able to deliver a high-quality service and product that matches up with what you had in mind. Just like any other industry, you only want the top industrial design agency working for you, so when you talk to them about what they bring to the table, you should go over the following points.
Are They Willing to Sign an NDA?
The industrial design services that a company can offer you are great, but you should also be sure that for the length of the time that they are working for you they are not collaborating with any of your competitors. It can hardly be expected that you should be able to lock up an industrial design company indefinitely, but they should be willing to sign an exclusivity and a non-disclosure agreement for the length of time that they are working with you, and perhaps for some period after the contract is complete as well.
Do They Have Many Repeat Clients?
It will also reveal a lot about an industrial design company that you are considering hiring if they have many repeat clients. If they don’t seem able to provide any examples of companies or entities with whom they have had ongoing business relationships, then that might be a reason to use the services of another agency.
Do They Have Some Success Stories for You?
Successful companies are always going to have a lengthy list of accomplishments, and an agency that you’re considering ought to be able to tell you about some of their recent and historical accolades with no trouble. It’s a cause for hesitation if they seem to be struggling to come up with some positive feedback for which their company can claim credit.
What Infrastructure Do They Have in Place?
If you have determined that an industrial design company can provide the services that you need, then they must have the infrastructure in place to allow that to happen. That is why any company that you are seriously considering should have no problem showing you their facilities where they do the engineering, prototyping, product testing, focus groups, etc. You want full transparency in this area, so settle for nothing less.
The more you get to see an industrial design company, the more you will be able to assess whether they are legit or not. The pretenders will soon be apparent to you, and the cream will rise to the top. It could very well be that the price tag for their services will be a little higher, but it’s worth it to know that you have a first-class team working toward your goals.