Designing a bespoke product is something that is requested more and more these days. In order to stand out from the crowd, you need to be bold, different and functional so that your product lasts longer than the initial moment of awe. This process is often portrayed as more daunting then it needs to be, so to help you through the process we have included some basic steps.
Step 1: Brain storming phase and what to consider
Take your time with the brainstorming, if you do this stage in detail, it will save you time and money in the end. A badly written brief can lead to costly amends and time wasted in countless proofs. To help get the ball rolling, consider the following questions:
Things to consider:
- Why are we giving this away?
- How much should it cost?
- Do I need to be able to report on the return of enquiries / orders?
Step 2: Generate a Brief
For example: Theme, ideal product, target Audience, function, time scale, budget. If budget is tight or deadlines are tight, consider customising an existing product.
Step 3: Conceptual drawings / designs
This stage can take a some time whilst perfecting the ultimate design to be submitted. Refer back to your brief if the conceptual drawing isn’t satisfactory.
Step 4: Generating a 3-D drawing
3-D drawings may be required if the design is complicated. Keep your brief in mind and continuously refer back to the approved conceptual drawing.
Step 5: Submitting Design
Once the conceptual drawing or 3-D drawing have been approved, these are then submitted to the production team who will spend time time checking what is possible to make and if there are any flaws in the design preventing it from being made in certain materials.
Step 6: Final proofing
The production team will feed back on their findings and suggest changes that need to be made to the design to make it possible to produce, a final proof for approval is normally sent at this stage. This is the time where you have to check very carefully before signing. Once approval is given on this final proof, production will begin, any changes after this will incur costs.
Step 7: Pre-production sample
If timescales in the brief allow, we recommend making a pre-production sample. This stage can be the make or break stage where you get to see an actual product and test it out to make sure it all works as required. This step may add more time and cost to your project, but it could save you from spending large amounts of money on a product that is not quite right.
Step 8: Final Production Begins
Approval on the pre-production sample marks the start of the final leg. Once the production team have received approval, a manufacturing and production slot will be booked. All that is left to do is wait for delivery. Ensure that all special delivery details and packing instructions are submitted at this stage.
Step 9: Delivery
