Frequently Asked Questions

I only have a product concept and don't know what to do from here.

First things first. You will need to make certain that you have the right to pursue this concept in its current form.

Once a patent or patentability search is conducted you will be able to ascertain if your product idea is new and novel. Just because you haven't seen it in the marketplace does not mean it's not protected by Patent.

There are far more patents sitting in filing cabinets than those that reach the market. You may perform your own search on line at WWW.USPTO.GOV or other similar sites or for a more thorough approach hire a Patent Agent or Attorney to conduct the search for you.

Once you are satisfied that you can safely begin to invest in your idea you will need to construct a proof of concept model or prototype to prove the concept and begin reducing it to its simplest form or what is called "reduction to practice".

The process of reducing to practice is no more than reducing the concept to its simplest form without sacrificing its original intent or utility.

We specialize in taking concepts from scratch and turning them into high value products. Our hourly rates are among the fairest in the industry and our reputation for innovation is among the best.

I already have a prototype and need someone to take it to the next step.

Your prototype will need to be evaluated by an expert in manufacturing engineering to ensure that it is truly ready for market. What makes a prototype ready for manufacturing is many important issues and here are just a few.

Support documentation - We can evaluate your design documentation to determine its state of completion.

Product safety - Will the prototype reveal some immediate or eventual safety issue that could prevent its deployment or utilization?

Can the resultant product or technology be rendered into an unsafe state by the user resulting in a product liability risk?

Producibility - Will the cost to produce the end product exceed its worth to the market ? Will there be enough margin to permit discounting at each level of distribution?

Obsolescence - We can determine if your prototype and design reflects the the latest technology available. It makes little sense to invest a considerable amount of revenue in a design that is obsolete before it hits the market.

Regulatory Compliance roadblocks - Will the technology, once developed, be bottlenecked in a three letter agency like the FDA, FAA, EPA, or other equally efficient government agency?

Will the technology even meet regulatory requirements? Many products can be tied up for years while they drift astray through a quagmire of regulatory red tape.

Many well intentioned concepts never make it to market because they simply cannot meet regulatory standards by their nature. Often, the changes required to bring the technology into compliance prevents it from being commercially viable due to added cost or complexity.

I already have a product in development but it is taking forever and there’s no end in sight.

This is where we really shine. There is no greater satisfaction in this business than rescuing a project from certain doom and turning it into a successful venture.

This may sound a little old fashioned but we really enjoy taking a problem on and creating a happy conclusion. We have built our business on this passion for "fixing" deals gone bad.

In many of these cases the project is much closer to reality than it appears. All it needs is a fresh look and a quick fix.

Why don’t I just go to an established manufacturer who’s core competency matches my product needs?

Many large firms have difficulty escaping a pattern of fixed ways of thinking. They tend to follow established templates of design that may mask potential breakthroughs.

By bringing in a design firm with broad and diversified product development experience you get a knowledge base that crosses dozens of markets and design disciplines.

By our willingness to get involved with so many projects covering so many areas of design we have the experience that uniquely permits a broad range of solutions that can be borrowed from unrelated and sometimes unusual sources.

We are from from conventional in design problem solving. Perhaps that’s why we never fail to deliver a leading edge product.

I have been successfully marketing a product line for years but now face competition. I need to improve my product to maintain market share.

No problem. We can evaluate the current market landscape and address competitor product advantages as well as vulnerabilities. We can show you how you can regain the edge you need to recapture market superiority.

Perhaps you have overlooked a simple product enhancement that can be accomplished at little added cost. Some fresh thinking and unbiased analysis could reveal invaluable feature set enhancements your engineers may have missed.

Many companies simply get too attached to their existing product designs and fail to address ongoing performance or market demands. Be it complacency or a "If it ain’t broke don’t fix it " mindset, many once worthy contenders end up relics of the past.