Product Startup 149: How to Professionally Prototype your Invention Idea
Mike Morton was an Industrial Design Senior Principal at Dell for many years, and before that similar roles at HP and SunBeam, along with working with many physical consumer product inventors and startups along the way. He has also been a mentor at Capital Factory and Techstars, in addition to working with Mako Design too. Today Mike is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand the importance and best practices around the different types of prototypes, how important prototyping is to the product development process, and how to use prototypes to ensure a product is successful both in the market and in manufacturing.
Today you will hear us talk about:
- The importance of physical product prototyping for an invention idea to go into production with
- Rough product prototype
- Mechanical product prototype
- Refined product prototype
- Pre-production prototype or production sample prototype
- Prototype early and often
- Test your prototypes out for both problems AND opportunities
- Some of the best designs and engineering ideations come out of the prototyping phases.
- Never skip prototyping steps, but rearrange them or do side prototypes to best suit the needs of your product.
- Bring in manufacturing as you start getting into the more serious mechanical prototypes, especially as you get into pre-production or refined prototypes.
- Manufacturers want you to be successful, it helps everybody.
EPISODE LINKS
Mike Morton Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-morton-design/
- Past Episode: https://www.makodesign.com/podcast/064-preparing-and-executing-your-products-first-production-run/
The Product Startup Podcast Links:
- Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/
- Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent
Mako Design Links:
- Website: https://www.makodesign.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/
Kevin Mako Links:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/
- Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/
About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry’s leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!