Product Design & Development: How to Make Physical Products

Finding a product to sell is pretty easy, but then you’re just selling something many other people have access to. If you really want to stand out in the ecommerce space, you’re going to have to do some product design to give yourself that competitive edge. With a little bit of user and market research and a collaboration with a manufacturer, you can create prototypes for something no one has ever seen before but desperately needs. In this article, you’ll learn about the entire product development process. If you want to make your own product, following these very steps will bring your product to life.

The Product Development Process from Start to Finish

Start with Your Initial Idea

 

First things first, before starting with the design process, you need to know what kind of product you want to make.

If you’re here looking for advice on product design and product development, it’s likely that you already have an idea of the kind of product you want to make, so you can check off this step right away. That’s good—it means you can already skip to the next step.

But if you don’t have a product idea—keep searching until you do.

Finding product ideas can be tricky, especially if you’re looking for a product idea that’s worth getting manufactured. In this case, you’re going to need a product idea that’s innovative or unique, or at least somewhat exclusive to your brand, to make the product design process worth it. After all, if you can just purchase the product from a manufacturer or wholesaler already, why wouldn’t you do that instead?

We have a few blog posts dedicated to helping you find product ideas, so start here if you need inspiration:

• 50 Online Business Ideas: Product Ideas You Can Sell Online
• Reverse Engineering the Perfect Ecommerce Product
• A Treasure Chest of Product Ideas to Sell Online
• How to Find Trending Products to Sell Online

When you’ve settled on a product idea, move onto the next step of the product development process.

Research Challenges, Rules & Regulations

 

Before you get any further in the product design process, you need to do your own due diligence to understand any potential pitfalls or challenges your product idea might face, or any rules or regulations your product may be subject to.

This is crucial research to do before you actually start manufacturing your product because there can be some dealbreakers that might arise.

Take some cosmetics products, for example. Some cosmetics products aren’t able to be shipped by air so they must be shipped by boat, causing shipping delays. Beyond that, they’re often subjected to rigorous regulations in each country which may cause delays when getting them to the global market.

These challenges can be worked through successfully in most cases, but if you were hoping to work on a quick timeline to get your cosmetics products launched worldwide, it might not be possible—so it’s important to know that ahead of time.

And that’s just one example of one type of product. Many other products face similar kinds of restrictions, including food and beverage products, products that are considered “high risk,” electronics products, aerosol products, and more.

So do your research ahead of time before you go any further. Once you’re satisfied that you know all of your product’s potential challenges, you can move into the product design process.

Partner with a Product Designer

A physical product designer will do some user research to determine what customers need out of a product while taking in your feedback on what kind of product you’d like to create. They’ll likely help set specifications, produce prototypes using various prototyping tools, and then test them.

Afterwards, they’ll do some more user research and test it out in the market to get feedback from end consumers. Ultimately, there’s many research methods, trial and error, and experimenting that a product designer will do to create prototypes that actually are worth selling.

You can choose to partner with product designers during this process to ensure that you’re meeting all the specifications, legal requirements, safety codes, and more during the design process.

You can use freelance tools to find freelance product designers on sites like Upwork, Toptal, and more.

If you’re on a tight budget, you can take a quick product design course on Coursera to understand the fundamentals to ensure that your prototype is safe and effective for end consumers.

Make a Prototype

 

Here’s where the fun starts!

Making a prototype is the first step in seeing your product come to life—but it’s often very preliminary. You really just want to get a sense of what your product looks like and some of its core functionalities so you can get an idea of the look and feel of your product. At this stage, your prototype doesn’t have to be a perfect version of your product, it just has to be the first product design prototype.

Depending on your product, there are different versions of prototypes that you can make. Here are some options:

• 3D Printing or Rapid Model Prototype: This type of prototype is often made by engineers to get an idea of how the product would physically look using tools like 3D printers. By seeing the product visually, you can quickly see what issues would be to help you quickly revise flaws in design before sending it over to manufacturing.
• A Crude Prototype: This type of prototype is quickly and cheaply made out of whatever materials you have on hand, just to start with something. A crude prototype isn’t polished and it usually won’t work to its full ability, but it’s a start. Many crude prototypes are made by deconstructing existing products and assembling them with other items to create a new product.
• Virtual or Augmented Reality Prototype: Some products require many moving parts during the design process. Having an augmented reality prototype can help you quickly see your product in action to ensure safety and quality assurance. Being able to walk by a product in a virtual setting or see a test run of a product in use can help you find issues prior to user research.
• A Working Prototype: This type of prototype is more advanced than a crude prototype because it includes whatever working features the product has, but it’s still not completely refined.
• A CAD Prototype: This type of prototype is a digitally drawn-up version of the product in order to see the full design and features without actually fully making the product. There are many different CAD software options out there you can use to build a CAD prototype, or you could hire a CAD designer to make one for you.
• A Wireframe Prototype: This type of prototype is a skeletal version of your product depicting what the end result should be.
• A Final Prototype: This type of prototype is a complete replica of your product and should be used as a demonstration to your manufacturer so they know what your goals and expectations are.

You don’t have to create every prototype on this list, these are just some options that might be relevant to your product type. If you’re creating a completely new product or a complex product you might want to create a few different ones from this list, or, if you’re creating a relatively straightforward product, you might only need to create a couple. It’s entirely up to you and your manufacturing needs.

If you need more information on prototypes, we suggest heading over to the Invention City website where they walk through the prototyping process in more detail, including the expected costs and specific steps to achieve some of these prototypes.

Put Your Prototype to the Test

 

After you’ve created a prototype, it’s important to put it to the test. This is usually best if you have a working prototype or a final prototype, but any prototype will do.

It’s always important to test your prototype because you want to catch any flaws, mistakes, poor design choices, or any other weaknesses that you don’t want in your final product. Now is the time to catch these things!

Consider having a few different people test it out to maximize results. Having a prototype that you test regularly after a few months can also help you create warranties. For example, if you find that your product design tends to lose effectiveness after a year of regular use, you likely want your warranty to only last up to a year.

Some tests you should conduct on your prototype include:

• Daily Use Tests: Use your product on a day-to-day basis in a way that it’s intended to be used. Make sure it works how it’s supposed to, it meets the needs of the user, and that it stands up to daily use.
• Rigorous Use Tests: Put your product through some more rigorous use testing—be rough with it. See if it can stand up to harsh conditions and still perform its functions.
• Drop Tests: If applicable to your product, drop test it! If it’s a hand-held item it’s likely that users will drop it accidentally or knock it off of a table or counter, so test that out to see how the product responds.
• Heat/Cold Temperature Tests: Test your product at different temperatures to see how it reacts. Would it survive being left in a hot car for the day or a cold car overnight? What if it’s left outside in the sun?
• Cleaning/Care Tests: Conduct normal cleaning tasks or whatever tasks are needed to keep the product in good condition to evaluate how it holds up to it.
• Functional Tests: Test all of your product’s functions and make sure everything works how it’s supposed to work. Test out any levers, knobs, buttons, zips, closures, or whatever kind of mechanisms or moving parts it has.
• Usability testing: Testing your product with end consumers will be key for prototyping. You want to make sure people find your product easy-to-use to prevent refunds, confusion, or backlogs in customer support tickets. Get a sample group of people of all walks of life to ensure that various age groups, education levels, and users interact with the product. The product design needs to be user-friendly for consumers, not the product designers.

Depending on your product, it may not have to pass all of these tests, but it’s important that you at least put your product through these tests just to get an idea of how sturdy your product is and how it will withstand typical scenarios your customers may put it in.

If you discover any weaknesses in your product that you weren’t expecting to find, take note of them.

Alternatively, if you notice one aspect of your product design has wear and tear, you can upsell specific parts so that people can get the most use out of their product. For example, with time a blenders blades may become weaker. Upselling a component for new blades after a year of use could be a great way to monetize your product. Consider also adding elements into your product design based on this. With the blender example, you might want to have a detachable blade component that people can remove and replace, if you notice blade issues with rigourous use. These are the kinds of things that product designers think about, especially with industrial design. The design process can be carefully thought through to maximize your sales.

Refine Your Product Design

 

After you’ve performed all the tests on your prototype, take any of the weaknesses you noticed—whether they’re functional or cosmetic—and make those changes to your product.

You want your product to be the best it can be so make these changes now before you get any further in the product development process.

Use user stories to help you understand what people really need to help ensure your end product design is exactly what people need. So take feedback from as many people as possible to get the best version of a final prototype.

Develop a Tech Pack

 

This is where the product design process starts to get more serious—it’s time to make the tech pack.

A tech pack is a detailed drawing and explanation of your product that breaks down its dimensions, materials, notions, and basically all of its technicalities. Your tech pack is what you’ll give to your manufacturer when it’s time to actually start making your product.

Tech packs are very detailed and specific, so it’s a good idea to have a professional make one for you. You can reach out specifically to tech pack designers, or look for product designers that specialize in your particular industry. Some manufacturers will even be able to make a tech pack for you, but if you don’t have a particular manufacturer in mind yet, it’s a good idea to start off with your own tech pack.

Some places you can find people that can make tech packs include:

• People Per Hour – Tech Packs
• Upwork – Tech Pack Freelancers

Shop Around for a Manufacturer

 

Once you have a tech pack made for your product, it’s time to start looking for a manufacturer to make your product.

This part of the design process is likely going to take a lot of time. Finding the right manufacturer is so important because they’re going to be an extension of your company and they’re going to have a direct impact on your business. You want to find the right manufacturer to partner with so you experience as few headaches as possible in the future.

The best way to find manufacturers is through Google, manufacturer directories, word of mouth, or third-party sourcing services. So either get busy on Google searching for manufacturers in your industry (this can take a lot of time, but it’s possible), or find directories that curate manufacturers (like our USA-based Manufacturers Directory), or join Facebook groups or Reddit forums to discuss potential leads based on others’ experiences, or use a third-party sourcing service like Sourcify.

At this stage, you’ll want to take your time and shop around—don’t just pick the first manufacturer you find. Your best bet at this stage is to find a few good manufacturers and get samples from them before committing to one.

Keep in mind that you’ll also want to find a manufacturer you can trust with your product design. Sometimes, if the design process is done in countries with laid back copyright infringement laws, you might find tons of copycat products around the time you launch. So choose a manufacturer in a location with strict laws around product creation, and if possible, have an NDA written up for any manufacturer you speak with about your product. This is an important part of the design process, so be picky about who you trust.

Make Samples of Your Product

 

That brings us to the next step in the product development process—getting samples of your products made.

Once you have a narrowed-down list of a few manufacturers, get a sample from each of them! The difference in quality between each manufacturer or even the difference in time-to-completion might surprise you.

By getting samples made by each manufacturer you were interested in, you should get a better idea of which one is right for you. You want to pick a manufacturer that makes your products to your exact specifications, but also one that communicates well with you throughout the process and gets your product to you in a timely fashion.

While manufacturing cost is important, speed of creation, product quality, and responsiveness are all important elements to take into account when choosing a manufacturing to partner with on your final design.

We covered the sampling process in-depth in our Guide to Sourcing Products from Alibaba so if you want to know more (even if you aren’t planning to work with Alibaba manufacturers) then check out that post.

The most important takeaway here is to get samples made of your products. Never commit to a manufacturer without having samples made first. Every step of the design process is important and needs to be carefully thought through instead of rushed. Due your due diligence in ensuring you find someone who creates the product well, instead of being swayed by affordable costs.

Test Your Samples

 

Once you get samples from your different manufacturers, test them out! See if there are any flaws in the product or if there are any other modifications that need to be made at this point.

It’s also a good idea to run through the same product tests that you conducted on your prototype:

• Daily use tests
• Rigorous use tests
• Drop tests
• Heat/cold temperature tests
• Cleaning/care tests
• Functional tests
• Usability tests

Get Market Feedback on Your Samples

 

Your samples should be close (or virtually the same as) your final product, so now is a good time to get your target market’s feedback on them before you commit to a full production run.

Your target market has a wealth of knowledge they can share. Since they’re the ones who are going to be purchasing your product, you want your product to be everything they want it to be. So show them your product and see what they think! Plus, your potential customers might catch flaws in your product that you may not have noticed.

If you already have a customer base, you could reach out to them directly either on social media or in an email or however you communicate with them. Otherwise, work with a focus group of your target market to get unbiased, thoughtful feedback on your product. This option might be more costly, but it will likely get you very valuable feedback on your product. User stories will be key in ensuring that people like your product and are willing to buy it. So, add market research to the design process to ensure there’s a real customer base for your creation.

Get Your Manufacturer’s Input

Since this is basically your last chance to make any changes to your product before you commit to a full production run, it’s important to catch anything that needs catching now, so ask your manufacturer about their feedback. They might not be your target audience but they’re experts in their field, so their insights are valuable too.

Ask them if there’s anything they would recommend to make your product better or ask them if there are any modifications that can be made to make your product more cost-effective to produce. See if they have any advice or if they foresee any potential issues with the product.
Use their industry expertise to your advantage.

Map Out Your Operational Budget

 

Next up, work with your manufacturer and your own team (if you have one) to get an idea of what your budget is going to look like to get your products made.

Work out what the manufacturer’s minimum order quantities (MOQs) are, what the cost per unit is, or any other associated costs you might need to cover like custom molds or materials costs.

It’s nitty-gritty work, but it’s absolutely essential so you don’t get caught out during product development with unforeseen bills to pay. Go in with a plan so both you and your manufacturer know what to expect up front.

Map Our Your Operational Timeline

 

It’s also important to get an idea of what your operational timeline looks like before you actually start the production process.

Ask your manufacturer beforehand when your products can start being made and how long it will take to make them. Some manufacturers have production schedules or they might be booked up for a while, so they might not be able to start on your project right away.

This is important to know ahead of time, so you can plan your launch and the warehousing and fulfillment services you’ll need in the future.

Keep in mind that production processes often don’t go completely to plan, so give yourself a little wiggle room, too. Plan for the worst-case scenario so you’re hopefully not rushed to make your launch date.

This could be a really good time to plan all your marketing carefully. You can turn your user feedback into selling points, work with graphic designers, come up with a social media plan, build hype, start building relationships with media outlets, or plan ahead for television appearances, such as infomercials, depending on the product.

Produce Your Product

 

Now it’s time for your products to actually start getting manufactured!

See how much goes into the product design and product development process? It isn’t necessarily as easy as just picking a manufacturer and getting your idea turned into a product—there’s a lot that goes into it.

At this stage, your manufacturer should be working hard to bring your product to life. Make sure that you’re easily available so you can answer any questions they might have along the way.

Working on the finishing details, such as working on your website design could be a good project to work on now.

Perform Quality Control

 

Once your products are complete (or as they start getting complete) it’s time for quality control. This is something your manufacturers should be doing anyways throughout the entire production process, however, it’s a good idea to conduct some quality control yourself if it’s possible.

At this stage, you want to catch any errors or faults that may have occurred during the production process. There might be cosmetic errors in some products or functional errors, and you want to find and pick out any products that are not up to your standards.

This might be something you have to completely rely on your manufacturers for if you aren’t able to visit their factory yourself, or, it might be something you do once the products arrive at your office or warehouse. Either way, at some point in the product development process someone needs to quality control check your products.

Doing this will help minimize refunds. So check every product before sending them out to customers.

Source Any Additional Product Elements

 

During the product development process, you can also start sourcing any additional elements that will go with your product such as hanging tags or product labels (like if you’re selling clothing products), warranty stickers, or anything else that’s kind of separate from your product but necessary to go along with it.

Depending on your manufacturer, they may be handling these extra things for you, but if they aren’t, you might need to get them created elsewhere and then sent to your manufacturer so they can add them to your products.

Make Your Product & Shipping Packaging

 

Your products are going to need packaging whether that’s packaging to actually present your products in or shipping boxes, so work on getting everything made so it’s ready once your products are ready.

There are so many different product packaging options, but we recommend creating a captivating unboxing experience, so use branded product and shipping packaging that creates that.

Some ideas include:

• Branded shipping tape
• Branded tissue paper
• Stickers with your logo on them
• Branded envelopes for the customer’s receipt
• Hand-written thank-you notes
• Packing peanuts or crinkle cushioning in your brand’s colors

To source your product and shipping packaging, we recommend checking out our free Shipping and Packaging Suppliers Directory where we’ve rounded up some of the top options in the industry.

Import Your Product

 

Once your products have been made, it’s time to get them shipped to you.

If you’ve sourced your products from an overseas manufacturer, you’ll have to get them shipped to your country and imported through customs. This can be a complex and time-consuming process so we recommend working with a freight forwarder to help you through. You want it to go smoothly so you experience as few setbacks and delays as possible, which is definitely a reality when working with imports and customs, so put it in the hands of an expert.

Your manufacturer might also be able to help guide you through this process, as they’re usually responsible for some of the paperwork, so they may be able to offer some advice. But, make sure you do your own due diligence to ensure that you know exactly what to expect and what you need to do to get your products from your manufacturers to your warehouse/office.

Once inventory arrives, do another quality assurance run through to ensure nothing was damaged during shipping.

Set Up Your Warehouse & Fulfillment Operations

 

While you’re going through the process of importing your products, make sure they have an end destination to arrive at like your fulfillment warehouse or your office. If you don’t want to be shipping and fulfilling orders yourself, you’ll want to outsource that to a fulfillment and logistics provider in your area, so make sure you make arrangements with them before you send them your products.

They’ll be in charge of storing your products, picking and packing orders, shipping your products out, and handling returns, so they’re another major aspect of your business. This means that you’ll want to find the right partner to work with because they’ll have a direct impact on your company.

Some of the top warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics companies in the industry include:

• Printful Warehousing & Fulfillment
• Easyship (Easyship Review)
• Fulfillment by Amazon
• Fulfillment.com
• Red Stag Fulfillment

Make Your First Sales & Develop a Marketing Strategy

 

At this point, the product development process is coming to an end and it’s time to actually get your finished products in the hands of your customers!

Concentrate on making your first sales and developing a marketing strategy that’s going to get your inventory of products sold.

There are so many different ways that you can start getting your first sales, so we’ve rounded them up into one guide so you can work through them in a logical process. Head over to our 52 Week Marketing Plan to get ideas and strategies you can use for your new store to start getting traffic and orders coming in.

After the initial launch, you’ll also want a plan for selling through inventory to ensure your product run is profitable.

Listen to Consumer Feedback

 

Once your orders start making it to your customers, keep an ear out for their feedback. It’s their opinions that really count, so you want to pay attention to see if your product is hitting or missing the mark.

Keep an eye out for product unboxing videos, product review videos, product review blog posts, social media posts about your product, or reviews left on your website, Amazon, and social media. You can even reach out to your customers directly and ask them how they like the product and if they have any feedback on it.

Your product design and product development process doesn’t stop after your product is made—you want to continue to evolve it so it keeps meeting your customers’ needs and expectations.

Evaluate & Update Your Product Design

 

Take what you learn from your customer’s feedback and make the necessary changes and updates to your product. This is a vital part of the product development process because it’s what’s going to take your product to the next level and keep your customers happy.

A Note on Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents & Licensing

When it comes to designing, developing, and inventing products, questions about copyright, trademarking, and patents often come up. While we cannot give legal advice on these topics because we’re not qualified legal professionals, this is what we can say: Registering a trademark, patent, or copyright takes time and money. It’s sometimes not the right choice for every business but it may be the right choice for certain businesses at certain times.

Your best bet is to consult with a lawyer who specializes in the protection you’re looking for to better understand exactly how much it will cost and when the right time to register it for your business is. Make sure to check out our legal resource roundup for your best options to find a lawyer to help you.

Not sure what the difference is between the three options?

• Copyrights: Protect intellectual property/artistic work
• Trademarks: Protect brands
• Patents: Protect inventions

To get a better understanding of the differences, visit the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) website.

In our non-expert opinion, copyrighting, trademarking, or patenting is not usually worthwhile because it’s usually only effective in the country where its filed, it’s costly, and when you’re just starting out you are just developing your brand so you usually don’t really have anything to protect.

Your best bet is to focus on your business’ branding and setting your product apart from copycats in any way possible—whether it’s by quality, price, options, availability, etc.—so consumers purchase from your brand to get the real thing and steer clear of knock offs.

Copyrights, trademarks, and patents are a tricky subject and in an ideal world, no creator, brand, or business would have their work stolen or used by others without their knowledge and consent, however, that’s not the reality—as harsh as that may seem. You’re better off building a strong brand so consumers want the real thing and then work with your legal team if an infringement occurs (if you have the time and money).

Again, we’re not qualified professionals in this area, so conduct your own due diligence and seek the advice of qualified lawyers in your area for up-to-date information.

The Invention City website also has some helpful information regarding patent protection, and they also cover licensing options if you want to sell your product inventions and earn royalty fees from the rights.

Conclusion

There you have the full, step-by-step walkthrough of what it takes to bring a product to life. There are many steps involved in the product design process. From finding the right product designers and manufacturers, to creating something and testing it vigorously to ensure it’s something people need. Product design requires a lot of testing, feedback, and due diligence to ensure profitability and selling success. If you’ve been interested in creating your own product from scratch but weren’t sure how the product design or product development process works, we hope this article has answered your questions and given you some helpful resources so you can get your product made!