Product Development Company​

Featured Development Projects
Flowater
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RKS Guitars
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Phillips Nuance
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Baby Barista
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VGX Innovio
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GameVice
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Product Development Overview

About RKS        Research & Design        Technology Development        Execution        FAQs

RKS logo small
“…It’s about how the design or experience makes you feel about yourself.”

– Ravi Sawhney, Founder

About RKS

As a product development company, we use a human-centered design and engineering process to research, design, engineer, and prototype new products. From a napkin to market, we bring new ideas to live. Our cross-disciplinary specialists, researchers, designers, and engineers leverage their deep experience within multiple industries and technologies to spark creative and innovative solutions that drives successful products to market and positive business outcomes.

New product development is a series of steps that typically begin with an idea and require the development of new technologies and innovations; however, it can also start with a working technology intended for market launch. In either case, new product development is a unique process that blends design and engineering innovation, and risk management. In most cases, a product development firm is tasked with defining and proving out the technologies required for a new product or service. These core competencies also usually involve selecting or combining core technologies. Every product development collaboration presents a unique set of challenges.
1 +
Year of Experience
1 +
Awards
1 +
Patents
Product Development Clients that have moved with us ​

Research and Design​

Psycho-Aesthetics™ is our human-centered methodology and compass that allows us to target the right combination of functionality and aspiration.

Product development is an interactive process. During the development process, companies may face several challenges, including budget constraints, regulatory hurdles, and competition from other companies. To help overcome these obstacles, companies can partner with industrial experts who have experience in the field and can offer valuable insights and support.

Research is a key enabler for this process because it helps our teams and stakeholders de-risk the development process by identifying customer needs against market opportunities. Our researchers and designers have completed hundreds of ethnographies, personas, and competitive research studies worldwide. These allow us to benchmark the market and customers for the new product.
Research and Design Capabilities
Ethnographic Research
Competitive Benchmarking
Auxiliary Research
User Interviews
Tech Scouting
Opportunity Zones
Human-Factors Testing
Research Kits
Industrial Design
UI/UX Design
Graphic Design
AR/VR Design

Customer Research for Product Development

We use customer research to understand why and how key features or design decisions fill customer needs and satisfy customer preferences. Our team works with our clients to view who their consumers are and how they live their lives. We use primary research tools such as surveys and ethnography and secondary sources such as internal client documentation to create this view. Leveraging this understanding of the market, we build personas representing the likes, dislikes, desires, and needs of potential target customers. This approach is used to establish holistic and essential understandings that are synthesized into actionable consumer insights that drive design and development choices for the product development process.

Competitive Product Benchmarking for Product Development

The opportunity to create new products usually exists in the opportunity zone between existing products in the market. In addition to customer research, we also do market research through competitive benchmarking. We create a landscape of potential competitors in the market, how they position themselves, and their key differentiators and attractors. We combine diverse data such as customer reviews, form factors, user experience, and user interfaceinto a visual representation using our P/A Methodology. By creating a unique easy-to-understand visual map, we can engage with stakeholders to achieve buy-in when critical decisions are made about the products and experiences.

P/A Framework

Over the decades spent developing and evolving P/A, it has continually progressed into a highly advanced design-thinking tool that allows designers to the solution around a shared objective, pragmatic, and insightful approach to product design. Our P/A product design process has seven phases that begin with research. Within the initial research phase, we perform customer research, competitor benchmarking, and word bank creation. We synthesize this research into competitive mapping, triggers and personas, and the Opportunity Zone. At this point in the process, we examine, identify, define, and forecast the product’s needs. Next, we identify and define the Key Attractors that engage particular target groups. By focusing our designs and product features on these attractors, we can predictably cause customers who adopt the product to become evangelists.

Stakeholder Buy-In

Companies bootstrapping product development usually need to achieve stakeholder buy-in early on for their product development idea to ensure project success for their idea and for their company. Our team can generate company marketing assets like the market opportunity, animations, and renders after the initial design and technology phases. These assets can showcase an idea early on, allowing the business and management teams to creatively collaborate on the project, and connect the dots from idea to business impact. Clients often use these assets for stakeholder buy-in within their company or for Kickstarter and other funding campaigns in startups. These project assets are invaluable in aligning internal stakeholders across the organization around an idea and keeping the project moving along.

Technology Development, Engineering, Prototyping, and Testing

Our product development process includes technology development, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software development, prototyping, and testing.

New products can require new technologies that can be iterations of existing technologies or built entirely from the ground up. New technologies can be new processes, new mechanisms, using materials in new ways, or a combination of all three. Making choices about how to use or create new technologies is a vital risk of the product development process. We manage this risk at every stage in the process. By creating KPIs at the outset, we make sure that new technologies align with our client’s business and strategic goals and key customer needs. By having our engineering and development teams work collaboratively with all stakeholders early in the process, they can influence earlier decisions that reduce the risk of issues further along in the process.

Our risk management techniques create a solid foundation for engineering, new technology creation, and manufacturing and software development.
Industrial Design Capabilities
Concept Visualization
Aesthetics Refinement (CMF)
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Human factors & ergonomics analysis
Functional invention and feature exploration
Physical model making & validation
Material and detail specification
Sustainable design
Integrated Design and Development
Software Engineering
Emerging Technology Integration
Experiential Prototyping
Intellectual Property (IP) Support
ISO Certification
FDA and HIPAA

Technology Sourcing for Product Development

Technology sourcing is a core competency of ours, and critical to the product development process. Technology sourcing is an early stage interactive matching process between external technologies and internal requirements of the new product development idea. Through technology sourcing, the product development process will consider the technologies that enable the key customer and business needs of a product and that will potentially disrupt the product in the future. We use technology roadmapping to build a case for each new technology we recommend, using the short-term and long-term business and strategic goals of a new product. Because technology scouting can also be used for competitive strategy, we view our role as core to creating long-term market success for new products. We leverage our decades of experience and relationships with key providers for each new product development.

Proof of concept prototyping for Product Development

Prototypes are routinely used as part of the product engineering process to give engineers and designers the ability to explore design alternatives, test theories, and confirm performance before manufacturing a product. Almost every project uses prototypes in some way. Proof of principal is conceptual in nature. A proof of principal is exploratory, and we use it to imagine how technology could work sometimes without the product. On the other hand, a proof of concept is used to understand how the full product will work and looks closer to a believable product. A proof of concept is not a finished design, but we use it as the basis for taking the technology further forward into the product development process. Prototypes help our designers learn about manufacturing a product, how people will use the product, and how the product could fail or break.

Intellectual Property Support for Product Development

Utility patents are a quantitative gauge of how much innovation a development firm produces and the impact previous development projects have had in the market and business outcomes. Firms that generate a lot of Intellectual Property (IP) are usually better at innovation and much quicker at development, saving client time and money. They are also usually better at managing risk, which means that they can pivot and create a lower cost of goods for solutions. With over 400 patents, RKS is incredibly successful at both generating IP and providing full-service intellectual property support for new products.

Compliance Risks

Governmental organizations and associations often impose compliance requirements on new products and services. While these requirements differ by company and industry, the risk is always the same; rejection by these associations creates a core risk in product development. Often these requirements create minimum specifications for the form, function, and technologies used in a product. We navigate these risks by relying on our deep understanding of compliance issues and years of experience finding best-in-class solutions to each compliance requirement. Our risk management expertise extends to those requirements proposed by agencies and associations such as the FDA, FCC, CLIA, ISO, and the European Devices Regulation (MDR).

Global Services

Our work spans the globe, and we offer our product development services to teams and companies around the world. Our team has traveled to India, Africa, Europe, and everywhere in between. Our company is well suited to the challenges of international work, navigating cultural and geographic barriers. Sometimes our team travels onsite, and other times we conduct the process remotely. Our global project management services allow us to work closely with business stakeholders and company management. Our company is fundamentally structured to enable our team to render our product development services anywhere in the world.

Execution​

Our work spans nearly every sector, and we use our experience to cross-polinate ideas to execute, creating Moments of Truth and viral adoption

Our designers have created designs that have enhanced the lives of millions of people around the world. At the same time, our products have created new opportunities for thousands of companies. To achieve a successful industrial design project, companies need to work with design agencies that have experience in consulting, advertising, and mechanical design. The right agency can help to optimize the use of the budget and come up with a design that will be effective in the target market. With a wide range of projects that companies undertake, it is essential to work with an agency that understands the client’s needs and can deliver designs that meet those needs.

Execution Capabilities

Design and Development
Emerging Technology Integration
Business Model Design
Experimental Prototyping
Qualitative Resonance Testing
Pilot Design and Testing
Rollout Support
Medical Product Development
Consumer Product Development
Commercial/Industrial Product Development
CPG Product Development
IoT Product Development
Durables Product Development

Research for Product Development

Human-centered product design begins with holistic research. We use our P/A framework to guide us through this design process. We start to design by understanding the customer and client through primary and secondary research. Then we synthesize that research into actional qualitative insights that can be used for design choices. These insights allow us to identify the key attractors of our target personas. Key Attractors guide us in making design choices that form emotional connections. These emotional connections are what makes a product unique. During this design time we also involve business stakeholders in collaborative ideas brainstorms. Over the decades, we’ve used this framework to design hundreds of products that enrich customers’ lives and propel companies forward. This design process also enhances market and business outcomes of products we develop.

Product Formative Usability Testing for Product Development

Usability testing is a method used to evaluate how easy the design is to use. The tests take place with real users to measure how ‘usable’ or ‘intuitive’ a design is and how easy it is for users to reach their goals. Formative testing puts a product in users’ hands at the prototype stage. With this testing, we can determine which technology and design specifications need to be implemented or adjusted. Asking users to test the devices according to exact instructions can also reveal problems that might not otherwise appear. We also conduct summative testing, which validates the human factors testing. This testing occurs after production and includes the training and labeling of the final product.

Product Engineering for Product Development

Even if a client is hiring a development firm to produce only a proof-of-concept prototype, technical due diligence early on is vital in creating a sound foundation on which to build the product. A client may perhaps only be looking for an industrial design concept for their idea – the external form factor, with color, materials, and finishes – and not a fully engineered product. However, in some cases the industrial design concepts have not been subjected to at least a foundational level of engineering and design for manufacture.

In that case, the concepts usually have to undergo considerable rework late on. With both disciplines under the same roof at RKS, working hand-in-hand, this becomes a seamlessly integrated aspect of early design concept development and review. When engineering is outsourced and not integrated, clients will encounter development delays, additional costs to remedy miscalculation at the design stage and less rich and meaningful innovation.

Material selection for Product Development

Successful design and manufacturing employ an understanding of materials science and engineering. Materials science is the relationship between a material’s composition, microstructure, properties, and manufacturing effects on a material’s microstructure. Materials engineering is the task of applying materials science knowledge to the creation of products and manufacturing designs. In many cases, up to 70% of the cost to make a product might be its materials. Therefore, whether a product meets all its performance, reliability, and cost requirements depends on whether a team selects the appropriate materials and implements them correctly.

FloWater

A more premium, refreshing and sustainable alternative to disposable water bottles.

Materials Sourcing for Product Development

Using our established relationships, we often have unique access to materials and materials supply for product development. In addition to being strategic partners, our suppliers can also often be sources of innovative ideas for future products. For products requiring manufacturing, sourcing is one of the essential services we offer. Through close relationships, our suppliers have the freedom to support innovation efforts that can result in a competitive advantage for both our clients and the supplier. More often than not, our diverse set of relationships allows us to compare costs and have a backup option if one of our suppliers cannot perform. We provide management of the entire sourcing process.

Product Manufacturing for Product Development

We’ve developed relationships with manufacturers all over the world. Our decades of experience have also allowed us to source and vet new partners when necessary reliably. Our sourcing and vetting management services include finding the right partner and managing the production of the final product. While manufacturing is the last stage, decisions made early on can make manufacturing the product cheaper and more efficient. Our team engages our manufacturing partners throughout the process to ensure the early decisions are consistent with manufacturing needs.

Medical Product Development

The medical product development process is an industrial endeavor that aims to help companies bring innovative solutions to the healthcare industry. It begins with identifying an unmet medical need and then goes through various stages of design, development, and testing. Companies work with various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals and regulatory agencies, to ensure that their products meet the necessary standards for safety and efficacy.

FAQ's

A product development firm is a professional service organization that specializes in providing product design, development, and engineering services to clients in various industries. These firms offer a range of services, including research and analysis, product design, prototyping, testing, and production support, to help clients bring their products to market. Product development firms work with a variety of clients, including manufacturers, startups, and established companies, to help them create innovative and competitive products.

The product development process is a collaborative effort between the product development firm and the client, involving input and feedback from multiple stakeholders, including industrial designers, engineers, marketers, and manufacturers. A product development firm combines expertise in design and engineering with a deep understanding of industry trends and customer preferences to create products that meet the needs of the end user. Whether working on a new product concept or improving an existing product, a product development firm provides valuable support and expertise to help clients bring their ideas to life.

A product development firm can provide a wide range of services, including market research, user research, design research, prototyping, testing, and production support. With a focus on delivering quality products that meet the needs of the end user, a product development firm is a key partner for organizations looking to drive growth and improve their operations through innovation.

New product development is the process of creating and launching a new product into the market. This process is crucial for businesses as it allows them to expand their product offerings, attract new customers, and increase revenue.

The new product development process typically involves several stages, including idea generation, market research, product design and prototyping, testing, and launch. Each stage is important for ensuring the success of the product and identifying potential issues or improvements before it is released to the market.

During the idea generation stage, businesses brainstorm potential product ideas and evaluate their potential marketability. This stage is important for identifying new opportunities and trends in the market.

Market research is then conducted to assess the potential demand and competition for the product. This stage helps businesses understand the target market and their needs, as well as the potential risks and rewards of launching the product.

Once the product idea has been thoroughly researched and refined, the product design and prototyping stage begins. This stage involves creating a physical or digital prototype of the product, which can be tested and refined before the final product is produced.

Testing is an essential part of the new product development process. This stage involves conducting various types of testing, such as user testing, market testing, and functional testing, to ensure the product is functional, user-friendly, and meets market needs.

Finally, the product is launched into the market. This stage involves creating marketing and sales strategies, as well as identifying and securing distribution channels for the product.

We often help our clients refine and generate new ideas.

Human-centered design is a process that places the user at the center of the design process, making it an effective tool for generating ideas for new products. The process involves identifying the user’s needs, wants, and pain points and using this information to develop solutions that meet their requirements. To use human-centered design to generate ideas for new products, it’s essential to conduct user research to gather insights into the target audience’s behavior, preferences, and pain points. These insights can be used to identify areas where there is a gap in the market or an opportunity for innovation. The ideas can then be tested and refined through rapid prototyping and user testing, ensuring that the end product meets the user’s needs and exceeds their expectations.

Our experienced team of engineers, researchers, and designers is capable of developing even the most complex products. With years of experience and expertise in various industries, we can tackle any project with confidence and precision. Our team’s skills range from mechanical and electrical engineering to user research and human-centered design. We also have a comprehensive understanding of the latest technologies and software, allowing us to stay at the forefront of innovation. Our team works collaboratively to ensure that all aspects of the product development process are integrated seamlessly, from research and development to prototyping and testing. No matter the complexity of the project, our team is up to the challenge, and we take pride in delivering high-quality, innovative solutions to our clients.

RKS Design is proud to offer in-house prototyping capabilities that enable us to bring our clients’ ideas to life quickly and efficiently. Our prototyping capabilities include 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, and electronics assembly. These tools allow us to create functional prototypes that can be tested and refined until they meet our clients’ expectations. By keeping prototyping in-house, we can control the entire process, ensuring that we meet our clients’ timelines and budget requirements. Our experienced team of designers and engineers is well-versed in the latest prototyping technologies, allowing us to create high-quality prototypes that accurately represent our clients’ vision.

We pride ourselves on constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology. Part of this involves generating new patents from product development.

The process of generating new patents begins with an idea or concept for a product. This idea is then thoroughly researched and developed into a detailed design plan. Once the design is finalized, it is carefully examined to ensure that it is truly unique and innovative.

If the product meets these requirements, we will then file a patent application with the appropriate government agency. This process involves providing detailed information about the product, including its design, function, and intended use.

Once the patent application is filed, it will go through a review process to determine whether the product is eligible for a patent. If the product is deemed eligible, a patent will be granted and the product will be protected from being copied or imitated by competitors.

Throughout the product development process, we also conduct regular market research to determine the potential demand for the product and assess its potential commercial success. This information is used to guide the development of the product and ensure that it will be well-received by consumers.

Generating new patents from product development requires a combination of innovative thinking, thorough research, and strategic planning. At our design firm, we are dedicated to creating unique and valuable products that will benefit both our clients and the market as a whole.

As a design firm, we often work with clients on product development projects. In these cases, the question of who owns the patents for the final product is a common one.

In general, the answer is that the client usually owns the patents for the products we develop together. This is because the client is typically the one providing the initial idea or concept for the product, and they are the ones funding the development process. As such, they have the right to claim ownership of the resulting patents.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, if our design firm brings a unique innovation or technology to the table that significantly contributes to the final product, we may have some claim to the patents as well. In these cases, we would work with the client to come to a mutually agreeable solution, such as sharing ownership of the patents or entering into a licensing agreement.

It’s important to note that the ownership of patents can also be affected by any pre-existing agreements between the design firm and the client. For example, if our contract includes language stating that the client will own the patents for any products developed during the project, then that would supersede any other considerations.

Overall, the ownership of patents in the product development process is typically determined by the specific circumstances of each project. Our design firm is always willing to work with clients to ensure a fair and mutually beneficial outcome in regards to patent ownership.

Product Development Project Spotlight

Discus Dental

Advanced dental composite syringe to enhance usability for dental assistance and outperform the competition.

FloWater

A more premium, refreshing and sustainable alternative to disposable water bottles.

FreshRealm

A zero waste solution that provides healthy meals from the farm to the table in two days.
Experience more of our Product Development Projects
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VGX Inovio Product Image 3

Product Development Company​​

As a product development company, we solve complex hardware and software innovation challenges using a collaborative and integrated research, design, engineering, and prototyping process.

RKS logo small

Featured Development Projects

FloWater
View Work
RKS Guitars
View Work
Phillips Nuance
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Baby Barista
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VGX Innovio
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GameVice
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Product Development Overview

About RKS

Research and Design

Technology Development

Execution​

FAQ’s

RKS logo small
“…It’s about how the design or experience makes you feel about yourself.”

– Ravi Sawhney, Founder

About RKS

As a product development company, we use a human-centered design and engineering process to research, design, engineer, and prototype new products. From a napkin to market, we bring new ideas to live. Our cross-disciplinary specialists, researchers, designers, and engineers leverage their deep experience within multiple industries and technologies to spark creative and innovative solutions that drives successful products to market and positive business outcomes.

New product development is a series of steps that typically begin with an idea and require the development of new technologies and innovations; however, it can also start with a working technology intended for market launch. In either case, new product development is a unique process that blends design and engineering innovation, and risk management. In most cases, a product development firm is tasked with defining and proving out the technologies required for a new product or service. These core competencies also usually involve selecting or combining core technologies. Every product development collaboration presents a unique set of challenges.
1 +
Year of Experience
1 +
Awards
1 +
Patents
Product Development Clients that have moved with us ​

Research and Design​

Psycho-Aesthetics™ is our human-centered methodology and compass that allows us to target the right combination of functionality and aspiration.

Research and Design Capabilities

Ethnographic Research

Competitive Benchmarking

Auxiliary Research

User Interviews

Tech Scouting

Opportunity Zones

Human-Factors Testing

Research Kits

Industrial Design

UI/UX Design

Graphic Design

AR/VR Design

Product development is an interactive process. During the development process, companies may face several challenges, including budget constraints, regulatory hurdles, and competition from other companies. To help overcome these obstacles, companies can partner with industrial experts who have experience in the field and can offer valuable insights and support.

Research is a key enabler for this process because it helps our teams and stakeholders de-risk the development process by identifying customer needs against market opportunities. Our researchers and designers have completed hundreds of ethnographies, personas, and competitive research studies worldwide. These allow us to benchmark the market and customers for the new product.
Product Development Process Image 1

Customer Research for Product Development

We use customer research to understand why and how key features or design decisions fill customer needs and satisfy customer preferences. Our team works with our clients to view who their consumers are and how they live their lives. We use primary research tools such as surveys and ethnography and secondary sources such as internal client documentation to create this view. Leveraging this understanding of the market, we build personas representing the likes, dislikes, desires, and needs of potential target customers. This approach is used to establish holistic and essential understandings that are synthesized into actionable consumer insights that drive design and development choices for the product development process.

Competitive Product Benchmarking for Product Development

The opportunity to create new products usually exists in the opportunity zone between existing products in the market. In addition to customer research, we also do market research through competitive benchmarking. We create a landscape of potential competitors in the market, how they position themselves, and their key differentiators and attractors. We combine diverse data such as customer reviews, form factors, user experience, and user interfaceinto a visual representation using our P/A Methodology. By creating a unique easy-to-understand visual map, we can engage with stakeholders to achieve buy-in when critical decisions are made about the products and experiences.
Product Development Process Image 2

P/A Framework

Over the decades spent developing and evolving P/A, it has continually progressed into a highly advanced design-thinking tool that allows designers to the solution around a shared objective, pragmatic, and insightful approach to product design. Our P/A product design process has seven phases that begin with research. Within the initial research phase, we perform customer research, competitor benchmarking, and word bank creation. We synthesize this research into competitive mapping, triggers and personas, and the Opportunity Zone. At this point in the process, we examine, identify, define, and forecast the product’s needs. Next, we identify and define the Key Attractors that engage particular target groups. By focusing our designs and product features on these attractors, we can predictably cause customers who adopt the product to become evangelists.

Stakeholder Buy-In

Companies bootstrapping product development usually need to achieve stakeholder buy-in early on for their product development idea to ensure project success for their idea and for their company. Our team can generate company marketing assets like the market opportunity, animations, and renders after the initial design and technology phases. These assets can showcase an idea early on, allowing the business and management teams to creatively collaborate on the project, and connect the dots from idea to business impact. Clients often use these assets for stakeholder buy-in within their company or for Kickstarter and other funding campaigns in startups. These project assets are invaluable in aligning internal stakeholders across the organization around an idea and keeping the project moving along.

Technology Development, Engineering, Prototyping, and Testing​

Our product development process includes technology development, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software development, prototyping, and testing.
Development Capabilities
Concept Visualization

Aesthetics Refinement (CMF)

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Human factors & ergonomics analysis

Functional invention and feature exploration

Physical model making & validation

Material and detail specification

Sustainable design

Integrated Design and Development

Software Engineering

Emerging Technology Integration

Experiential Prototyping

Intellectual Property (IP) Support

ISO Certification

FDA and HIPAA
Product development is an interactive process. During the development process, companies may face several challenges, including budget constraints, regulatory hurdles, and competition from other companies. To help overcome these obstacles, companies can partner with industrial experts who have experience in the field and can offer valuable insights and support.

Research is a key enabler for this process because it helps our teams and stakeholders de-risk the development process by identifying customer needs against market opportunities. Our researchers and designers have completed hundreds of ethnographies, personas, and competitive research studies worldwide. These allow us to benchmark the market and customers for the new product.
Product Development Process Image 3

Technology Sourcing for Product Development

Technology sourcing is a core competency of ours, and critical to the product development process. Technology sourcing is an early stage interactive matching process between external technologies and internal requirements of the new product development idea. Through technology sourcing, the product development process will consider the technologies that enable the key customer and business needs of a product and that will potentially disrupt the product in the future. We use technology roadmapping to build a case for each new technology we recommend, using the short-term and long-term business and strategic goals of a new product. Because technology scouting can also be used for competitive strategy, we view our role as core to creating long-term market success for new products. We leverage our decades of experience and relationships with key providers for each new product development.

Proof of concept prototyping for Product Development

Prototypes are routinely used as part of the product engineering process to give engineers and designers the ability to explore design alternatives, test theories, and confirm performance before manufacturing a product. Almost every project uses prototypes in some way. Proof of principal is conceptual in nature. A proof of principal is exploratory, and we use it to imagine how technology could work sometimes without the product. On the other hand, a proof of concept is used to understand how the full product will work and looks closer to a believable product. A proof of concept is not a finished design, but we use it as the basis for taking the technology further forward into the product development process. Prototypes help our designers learn about manufacturing a product, how people will use the product, and how the product could fail or break.
Product Development Exploded Product 1

Intellectual Property Support for Product Development

Utility patents are a quantitative gauge of how much innovation a development firm produces and the impact previous development projects have had in the market and business outcomes. Firms that generate a lot of Intellectual Property (IP) are usually better at innovation and much quicker at development, saving client time and money. They are also usually better at managing risk, which means that they can pivot and create a lower cost of goods for solutions. With over 400 patents, RKS is incredibly successful at both generating IP and providing full-service intellectual property support for new products.

Compliance Risks

Governmental organizations and associations often impose compliance requirements on new products and services. While these requirements differ by company and industry, the risk is always the same; rejection by these associations creates a core risk in product development. Often these requirements create minimum specifications for the form, function, and technologies used in a product. We navigate these risks by relying on our deep understanding of compliance issues and years of experience finding best-in-class solutions to each compliance requirement. Our risk management expertise extends to those requirements proposed by agencies and associations such as the FDA, FCC, CLIA, ISO, and the European Devices Regulation (MDR).
Product Development Full Team Image 1

Global Services

Our work spans the globe, and we offer our product development services to teams and companies around the world. Our team has traveled to India, Africa, Europe, and everywhere in between. Our company is well suited to the challenges of international work, navigating cultural and geographic barriers. Sometimes our team travels onsite, and other times we conduct the process remotely. Our global project management services allow us to work closely with business stakeholders and company management. Our company is fundamentally structured to enable our team to render our product development services anywhere in the world.

Execution​​

Our work spans nearly every sector, and we use our experience to cross-polinate ideas to execute, creating Moments of Truth and viral adoption
Execution Capabilities

Design and Development

Emerging Technology Integration

Business Model Design

Experimental Prototyping

Qualitative Resonance Testing

Pilot Design and Testing

Rollout Support

Medical Product Development

Consumer Product Development

Commercial/Industrial Product Development

CPG Product Development

IoT Product Development

Durables Product Development

Our product development process is highly adaptable and has be used in various industries and sectors. Our process is integrated, meaning we usually design and develop not just the physical product but also the software and firmware. In the consumer industry, we develop products such as home appliances, toys, and gadgets that enhance the daily lives of consumers. In the medical industry, we design and manufacture medical devices, equipment, and tools that aid in patient care and diagnosis. In the commercial industry, we develop products such as office equipment, machinery, and tools that improve business productivity and efficiency. In the digital industry, we create digital products such as software applications, e-commerce platforms, and websites that help businesses increase their digital presence and customer engagement. Our product development process is tailored to meet the specific requirements of each industry and sector, ensuring that we provide innovative and effective solutions.
Product Development Process Image 4

Research for Product Development

Human-centered product design begins with holistic research. We use our P/A framework to guide us through this design process. We start to design by understanding the customer and client through primary and secondary research. Then we synthesize that research into actional qualitative insights that can be used for design choices. These insights allow us to identify the key attractors of our target personas. Key Attractors guide us in making design choices that form emotional connections. These emotional connections are what makes a product unique. During this design time we also involve business stakeholders in collaborative ideas brainstorms. Over the decades, we’ve used this framework to design hundreds of products that enrich customers’ lives and propel companies forward. This design process also enhances market and business outcomes of products we develop.

Product Formative Usability Testing for Product Development

Usability testing is a method used to evaluate how easy the design is to use. The tests take place with real users to measure how ‘usable’ or ‘intuitive’ a design is and how easy it is for users to reach their goals. Formative testing puts a product in users’ hands at the prototype stage. With this testing, we can determine which technology and design specifications need to be implemented or adjusted. Asking users to test the devices according to exact instructions can also reveal problems that might not otherwise appear. We also conduct summative testing, which validates the human factors testing. This testing occurs after production and includes the training and labeling of the final product.
Visual Essay Product Spotlight Image: FloWater

FloWater

A more premium, refreshing and sustainable alternative to disposable water bottles.

Product Engineering for Product Development

Even if a client is hiring a development firm to produce only a proof-of-concept prototype, technical due diligence early on is vital in creating a sound foundation on which to build the product. A client may perhaps only be looking for an industrial design concept for their idea – the external form factor, with color, materials, and finishes – and not a fully engineered product. However, in some cases the industrial design concepts have not been subjected to at least a foundational level of engineering and design for manufacture.

In that case, the concepts usually have to undergo considerable rework late on. With both disciplines under the same roof at RKS, working hand-in-hand, this becomes a seamlessly integrated aspect of early design concept development and review. When engineering is outsourced and not integrated, clients will encounter development delays, additional costs to remedy miscalculation at the design stage and less rich and meaningful innovation.
Material selection for Product Development
Successful design and manufacturing employ an understanding of materials science and engineering. Materials science is the relationship between a material’s composition, microstructure, properties, and manufacturing effects on a material’s microstructure. Materials engineering is the task of applying materials science knowledge to the creation of products and manufacturing designs. In many cases, up to 70% of the cost to make a product might be its materials. Therefore, whether a product meets all its performance, reliability, and cost requirements depends on whether a team selects the appropriate materials and implements them correctly.
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Materials Sourcing for Product Development

Using our established relationships, we often have unique access to materials and materials supply for product development. In addition to being strategic partners, our suppliers can also often be sources of innovative ideas for future products. For products requiring manufacturing, sourcing is one of the essential services we offer. Through close relationships, our suppliers have the freedom to support innovation efforts that can result in a competitive advantage for both our clients and the supplier. More often than not, our diverse set of relationships allows us to compare costs and have a backup option if one of our suppliers cannot perform. We provide management of the entire sourcing process.

Product Manufacturing for Product Development

We’ve developed relationships with manufacturers all over the world. Our decades of experience have also allowed us to source and vet new partners when necessary reliably. Our sourcing and vetting management services include finding the right partner and managing the production of the final product. While manufacturing is the last stage, decisions made early on can make manufacturing the product cheaper and more efficient. Our team engages our manufacturing partners throughout the process to ensure the early decisions are consistent with manufacturing needs.

Medical Product Development

The medical product development process is an industrial endeavor that aims to help companies bring innovative solutions to the healthcare industry. It begins with identifying an unmet medical need and then goes through various stages of design, development, and testing. Companies work with various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals and regulatory agencies, to ensure that their products meet the necessary standards for safety and efficacy.

FAQ's

A product development firm is a professional service organization that specializes in providing product design, development, and engineering services to clients in various industries. These firms offer a range of services, including research and analysis, product design, prototyping, testing, and production support, to help clients bring their products to market. Product development firms work with a variety of clients, including manufacturers, startups, and established companies, to help them create innovative and competitive products.

The product development process is a collaborative effort between the product development firm and the client, involving input and feedback from multiple stakeholders, including industrial designers, engineers, marketers, and manufacturers. A product development firm combines expertise in design and engineering with a deep understanding of industry trends and customer preferences to create products that meet the needs of the end user. Whether working on a new product concept or improving an existing product, a product development firm provides valuable support and expertise to help clients bring their ideas to life.

A product development firm can provide a wide range of services, including market research, user research, design research, prototyping, testing, and production support. With a focus on delivering quality products that meet the needs of the end user, a product development firm is a key partner for organizations looking to drive growth and improve their operations through innovation.

New product development is the process of creating and launching a new product into the market. This process is crucial for businesses as it allows them to expand their product offerings, attract new customers, and increase revenue.

The new product development process typically involves several stages, including idea generation, market research, product design and prototyping, testing, and launch. Each stage is important for ensuring the success of the product and identifying potential issues or improvements before it is released to the market.

During the idea generation stage, businesses brainstorm potential product ideas and evaluate their potential marketability. This stage is important for identifying new opportunities and trends in the market.

Market research is then conducted to assess the potential demand and competition for the product. This stage helps businesses understand the target market and their needs, as well as the potential risks and rewards of launching the product.

Once the product idea has been thoroughly researched and refined, the product design and prototyping stage begins. This stage involves creating a physical or digital prototype of the product, which can be tested and refined before the final product is produced.

Testing is an essential part of the new product development process. This stage involves conducting various types of testing, such as user testing, market testing, and functional testing, to ensure the product is functional, user-friendly, and meets market needs.

Finally, the product is launched into the market. This stage involves creating marketing and sales strategies, as well as identifying and securing distribution channels for the product.

We often help our clients refine and generate new ideas.

Human-centered design is a process that places the user at the center of the design process, making it an effective tool for generating ideas for new products. The process involves identifying the user’s needs, wants, and pain points and using this information to develop solutions that meet their requirements. To use human-centered design to generate ideas for new products, it’s essential to conduct user research to gather insights into the target audience’s behavior, preferences, and pain points. These insights can be used to identify areas where there is a gap in the market or an opportunity for innovation. The ideas can then be tested and refined through rapid prototyping and user testing, ensuring that the end product meets the user’s needs and exceeds their expectations.

Our experienced team of engineers, researchers, and designers is capable of developing even the most complex products. With years of experience and expertise in various industries, we can tackle any project with confidence and precision. Our team’s skills range from mechanical and electrical engineering to user research and human-centered design. We also have a comprehensive understanding of the latest technologies and software, allowing us to stay at the forefront of innovation. Our team works collaboratively to ensure that all aspects of the product development process are integrated seamlessly, from research and development to prototyping and testing. No matter the complexity of the project, our team is up to the challenge, and we take pride in delivering high-quality, innovative solutions to our clients.

RKS Design is proud to offer in-house prototyping capabilities that enable us to bring our clients’ ideas to life quickly and efficiently. Our prototyping capabilities include 3D printing, CNC machining, laser cutting, and electronics assembly. These tools allow us to create functional prototypes that can be tested and refined until they meet our clients’ expectations. By keeping prototyping in-house, we can control the entire process, ensuring that we meet our clients’ timelines and budget requirements. Our experienced team of designers and engineers is well-versed in the latest prototyping technologies, allowing us to create high-quality prototypes that accurately represent our clients’ vision.

We pride ourselves on constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology. Part of this involves generating new patents from product development.

The process of generating new patents begins with an idea or concept for a product. This idea is then thoroughly researched and developed into a detailed design plan. Once the design is finalized, it is carefully examined to ensure that it is truly unique and innovative.

If the product meets these requirements, we will then file a patent application with the appropriate government agency. This process involves providing detailed information about the product, including its design, function, and intended use.

Once the patent application is filed, it will go through a review process to determine whether the product is eligible for a patent. If the product is deemed eligible, a patent will be granted and the product will be protected from being copied or imitated by competitors.

Throughout the product development process, we also conduct regular market research to determine the potential demand for the product and assess its potential commercial success. This information is used to guide the development of the product and ensure that it will be well-received by consumers.

Generating new patents from product development requires a combination of innovative thinking, thorough research, and strategic planning. At our design firm, we are dedicated to creating unique and valuable products that will benefit both our clients and the market as a whole.

As a design firm, we often work with clients on product development projects. In these cases, the question of who owns the patents for the final product is a common one.

In general, the answer is that the client usually owns the patents for the products we develop together. This is because the client is typically the one providing the initial idea or concept for the product, and they are the ones funding the development process. As such, they have the right to claim ownership of the resulting patents.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, if our design firm brings a unique innovation or technology to the table that significantly contributes to the final product, we may have some claim to the patents as well. In these cases, we would work with the client to come to a mutually agreeable solution, such as sharing ownership of the patents or entering into a licensing agreement.

It’s important to note that the ownership of patents can also be affected by any pre-existing agreements between the design firm and the client. For example, if our contract includes language stating that the client will own the patents for any products developed during the project, then that would supersede any other considerations.

Overall, the ownership of patents in the product development process is typically determined by the specific circumstances of each project. Our design firm is always willing to work with clients to ensure a fair and mutually beneficial outcome in regards to patent ownership.

Product Development Project Spotlight

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Discus Dental
Advanced dental composite syringe to enhance usability for dental assistance and outperform the competition.
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FreshRealm

A zero waste solution that provides healthy meals right to your doorstep.

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A more premium, refreshing, and sustainable alternative to disposable water bottles.

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