There are thousands of product designers in the United States, with the market increasing by 6% every year.
With so many options out there, how do you find the product design company that will work best with you? While it may seem that there is no easy answer, there are a lot of things you can look for. Take your time, and make sure that you find the product design company that will deliver the results you need and deserve.
Here are some of the things you should look out for and ask to see if you’re considering hiring a product design firm.
- Check Their Portfolio
A portfolio is like a catalog of work that the company or designer has already completed. A reputable product design company will offer to show you their portfolio as part of their initial process. You can then take a look at what they’ve done and how they design.
This will give you important information about them, and help you determine if they’re right for your product. Design companies don’t always cover every type of product, often they have specific types of products they are best at designing.
The portfolio will show you more than just a list of what they’ve made. Product design companies will put the pieces they are most proud of in their portfolio, to attract clients. This means you’ll be able to see what they consider to be their best work.
- Feasibility vs Experience
When it comes to product design, no two companies approach things in the same way. One product designer may look at the technicality of product creation, while the other may focus more on the customer’s experience with it once they have it. If you want to be successful, you’ll need to balance this.
Find a product design firm that has a good handle on both aspects of the design process. You don’t want your piece to be a technical marvel if it doesn’t satisfy the needs of your consumer. At the same time, no matter how beautiful or easy to handle it is if it isn’t functional no one will care.
When both aspects of design combine you will have a superior product. This is how you get the best return for your investment in product design. The technical and user experience side of design coming together produces the finest results.
- Versatility
While having a good handle on what the company has made and their technical vs. comfort design fundamentals is important, there’s another step. You need to make sure that the product design company you hire has versatility. You want a company that has not only produced a wide variety of product designs but one which has a wide variety of designers.
If they are a top company in their field, they will have already attracted a broad cross-section of designers. This means they will have access to the brainpower and experience of a whole host of high-quality designers. Versatility is where this is revealed when it comes to product design.
Of course, while versatility is a desirable trait, it is not the only one. If you need a product design for a niche small market, you may not need to look at the top design companies. This can save money but comes with the risk that your product won’t be as good as it could be.
- Keep it in House
If you are considering using a product design company, you should already have a good idea of what you will need. What can be taken care of in-house should be, and what can’t have to be contracted out. What aspect of the design process is confounding you, and how can a company help?
A top-line design company will have something that most specialized businesses don’t. That is a focus on the research side of the design process. This means they will be able to look at a problem and conduct research into the solution.
You want to work with a company that can start from the very beginning. A product designer that can focus on the research side is invaluable to success. That allows the actualization of that research to be easier and more efficient, lowering the cost of your overall investment.
When you combine specialization with research, you can get a great product result. A good example of this is top-end consumer product design companies.
- Communication
No partnership will work if you can’t communicate in a way that works for both parties. You need to be able to express your needs and wants in a clear and concise fashion. The company you’re working with needs to be able to understand those needs and wants with minimal explanation.
If your product requires research and design it may be necessary to include more communication. This is why you want to make sure that the company you’re working with and you are on the same page. Every step will be made more efficient with communication between you two.
In this way having good communication is worth more than just convenience. It is a matter of saving money and getting the maximum return on your investment in the product design process. The more the return, the better the reward in terms of profit and sales expansion.
Product Design Company for You
Finding the right company that can provide you a solution to every need you have may not be easy. You may have to do some research and look around at various reviews and portfolios. Doing this work pays off in the end, don’t be afraid to focus on this before you engage with a company.
If you’re in the market for a product design company that specializes in consumer products, we hope you’ll take a look at our site. You deserve every chance to succeed in the business world, and the product design element of a business is a growing, vibrant field full of bright and open minds.