Industrial design Service

45+ years of delivering timeless, user-focused product
design that drives market success

powered by Psycho-Aesthetics®.

StrokeDx – Rapid Bedside Stroke Detection System

It won the 2023 MedTech Innovator Global Competition and secured $5M in seed funding.

Building on user insights, we designed a compact, ergonomic wearable helmet device with automated scanning for precise, repeatable results.

Discus Dental – Nuance Composite Syringe

Ergonomic handle designed for one-handed use, reducing hand fatigue during long procedures.

We integrated discreet haptic and visual feedback into the syringe to enable proper dosage control—supporting efficient, error-free application of expensive composite material.

Synaptic Cryoablation System

Revolutionizing Cardiac Care with Accessible Innovation.

Our team reimagined the form, function, and consumables strategy to make the device more affordable and easier to use. We streamlined hardware architecture to reduce manufacturing complexity, and engineered features with durability in mind.

Crafting products with lasting impact

As a top industrial design firm with over 40 years of experience, we specialize in human-centered and innovative product design solutions. From strategy and ideation to design and development, we support clients across every stage of the product lifecycle. Our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® methodology drives complex, insight-led solutions. Based in Southern California, our team of designers, engineers, specialists, and researchers brings cross-disciplinary expertise to deliver impactful, future-ready products.

45+

Years

200+

Awards

500+

Patents

Psycho-Aesthetics® & Industrial Design

With decades of development, our Psycho-Aesthetics® (P/A) methodology has become a powerful design-thinking tool that helps uncover pragmatic, insightful solutions through a shared objective lens. This human-centered approach follows a structured seven-phase process, beginning with research. In the research phase, we conduct customer research, benchmarking, and create word banks. We then synthesize these findings into competitive maps, triggers, personas, and an opportunity zone to define and forecast product needs. Next, we identify key attractors that resonate with each product’s specific target audience, focusing on their “Moment of Truth.” This structured process ensures each product design is meaningful, strategic, and ready for execution.

Industrial Design Research

Ethnographic Research
Competitive Benchmarking
Auxiliary Research
User Interviews
Opportunity Zones
Human-Factors Testing
Research Kits
Two team members standing in front of a wall with notes and diagrams during a design meeting.

Concept Development

We begin by translating research insights into meaningful design directions. This includes ideation, sketching, and early concept visualization to explore form, function, and user interaction. Our team generates a wide range of concepts that align with strategic goals and user needs.
Industrial design process board with sketches and renderings of a tire and mechanical components.

Form & Function Development

In this phase, we evaluate how aesthetics and performance work together. Through iterative modeling, 2D renderings, and ergonomic analysis, we refine proportions, usability, and feasibility. This ensures our designs are both desirable and viable.
Prototype enclosure with CMF considerations being held open to reveal compartmentalized interior.

Design Refinement

Once a concept is selected, we advance it to final detail. This includes CMF (color, material, finish) selection, mechanical integration, and collaboration with engineering teams to prepare for production. Every design choice is intentional—meant to elevate both experience and performance.

Transforming Ideas into Impactful Design

Our industrial design process is a comprehensive journey that begins with an idea and evolves into innovative, human-centered solutions. We prioritize client success, drive innovation, and enhance quality of life—while addressing risk at every stage. Guided by defined design principles, our team transforms Key Attractors into tangible product elements during the design phase, ensuring every solution is purposeful and impactful.

Industrial Design Process

Concept Visualization
Aesthetics Refinement (CMF)
Human factors & ergonomics analysis
Functional invention and feature exploration
Physical model making & validation
Material and detail specification
Packaging design
Sustainable design
Integrated Design and Development
Emerging Technology Integration
Business Model Design
Experiential Prototyping

Design Research

Human-centered research, when applied to industrial design, is a collaborative and cross-functional process. We begin our industrial design engagements by understanding the target customer for our clients. In this stage, we primarily focus on primary and secondary user research for problem-solving. Though we often use our ethnographic research capabilities.

Visualization and Sketching

Our designers generate multiple product concepts through sketching, 3D modeling, and collaborative ideation. We explore form, function, and CMF (color, material, finish) to create compelling design directions.

Refinement & Prototyping

Selected concepts are refined through CAD development, prototyping, and engineering collaboration. We test ergonomics, usability, and aesthetics—iterating quickly based on feedback and performance.

Beta Prototyping

Beta Prototyping is a quick and effective way of bringing proof of concept to life. It allows potential consumers the opportunity to evaluate, test, and share their feedback on a product. We use this feedback to make improvements to the design and functionality of a product. Internally, beta prototyping helps our team form accurate estimates of production and manufacturing times.

We specialize in wireframing prototyping as well as physical prototyping. We use 3D printers, CNC Machines, and laser cutters to create prototypes in the studio. Having an in-studio prototyping lab allows our designers to quickly and efficiently bring sketches to life.

Intellectual Property Support

Patenting new device technology is critical in creating lasting value for our clients and end consumers. We routinely assist attorneys and agents with the technical muscle to support the patent applications and information architecture for our clients.

Our experts help patent professionals draft effective and comprehensive claims based on the invention and the characterization data. In addition to data, we provide clear technical support throughout the entire application. In the end, patents allow our customers to own outright the innovations we build together.

Deep expertise in all Major Sectors

Our work spans nearly every sector, enabling us to cross-pollinate ideas and create powerful Moments of Truth that lead to viral adoption. With expertise in industrial design, consulting, advertising, and mechanical engineering, we’ve helped thousands of companies discover new opportunities and launch successful products.

Industrial Design Markets

Design and Development
Emerging Technology Integration
Business Model Design
Experimental Prototyping
Qualitative Resonance Testing
Pilot Design and Testing
Rollout Support
RKS Design visualization of Aspargo device with medication cartridges being inserted and ejected

Medical

Designing life-saving medical devices and healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes and user experience.

FreshRealm, designed by RKS Design, sustainably provides healthy meals to your doorstep.

Commercial

Developing durable, high-performance industrial products optimized for precision and reliability in demanding environments.

Female scientist working in a laboratory with the Quantum Si sequencing device, optimizing workflow and efficiency

Life science

Innovating tools and technologies that advance research, diagnostics, and scientific discovery.

Hand holding the Quatro smart toothbrush with visible water droplets on a matte black handle, showing ergonomic design and dual-sided brush head

Consumer

Designing intuitive, engaging products that fit seamlessly into daily life and deliver meaningful user experiences.

Different sizes of GameVice devices

CPG

Crafting attractive, market-ready products that drive brand loyalty and consumer engagement.

rendering a samsung bespoke fridge cmf research project

Home Appliances

Designing practical and efficient appliances that simplify daily household tasks with style and functionality.

Clients that have moved with RKS

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Industrial design is a field that involves the design and development of a wide range of products used in everyday life. It is concerned with the creation of products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, efficient, and user-friendly.

Industrial design encompasses a broad range of industries, including furniture design, product design, automotive design, packaging design, and many more. The ultimate goal of industrial design is to improve the overall user experience by creating products that are both attractive and functional.

Industrial designers work closely with engineers, manufacturers, and marketers to create products that meet the needs of the user while also being economically viable to produce. They typically use a range of tools, including sketches, computer-aided design (CAD) software, 3D modeling, and prototyping to develop and test their designs.

An industrial design firm is a company that specializes in designing and developing a wide range of products for various industries. The primary focus of an industrial design firm is to create products that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly.

Industrial design firms typically have a team of experts who have expertise in various areas, such as engineering, product design, material science, user research, and marketing. They work together to create products that are not only visually appealing but also meet the needs and desires of customers.

Industrial design firms typically engage in the following activities:

  1. Product research and development: They research and develop new products, starting from ideation to the creation of the final product.

  2. User research and testing: They conduct user research and usability testing to identify user needs and improve the user experience.

  3. Concept design: They create sketches and mock-ups to visualize product concepts and develop product specifications.

  4. 3D modeling and prototyping: They use 3D modeling software to create product prototypes and test them for functionality and durability.

  5. Manufacturing and production: They work with manufacturers to produce products at scale and ensure that the products meet the required quality standards.

Industrial design often happens in conjunction with product engineering. Industrial design is the process of defining the requirements of a new product and then turning those requirements into a visual, tactile, or digital product. Product engineering determines what and how technologies can be used to fulfill the design requirements. Often there are many iterations of a product at various stages of completion to allow key stakeholders to make decisions. There can be multiple phases of design, including an ideation phase, a sketch phase, a CAD phase, and multiple prototyping phases. Product engineering should happen in conjunction with design to ensure that decisions can be manufactured while maintaining a viable price point for market acceptance. Product engineering is the process of combining or creating technologies and materials to implement the designs.

There are three main types of design: experience design, interface design, and product design. Experience design usually encompasses the second type of design because it refers to the holistic experience of a product. Interface design, also known as user interface design, is often for digital products and refers to the way users interact with digital elements on a screen. In the world of XR, interface design can also refer to pseudo-real elements. Industrial design is a type of product design referring to physical products which may or may not be used for industrial purposes.

Our core design process is Psycho-Aesthetics, a human-centered design-thinking methodology created by RKS Founder Ravi Sawhney. Psycho-Aesthetics has seven main phases: Research, Synthesis, Key Attractors, Hero’s Journey, Design, Execution, and Moments of Truth.

One of the best ways to become a industrial designer is by designing! Formal education can help you build a portfolio, which is critical in attaining a position at a design firm or on a design team. If you don’t have a formal design education, then you should create some side projects that show your design ability. If you already have a portfolio you can apply to a designer role at a design firm like RKS: RKS Careers

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