You’ve had your “lightbulb” moment.  You’ve come up with the next great product idea.  Now what?  Follow these 7 steps to see your new product idea become a reality.

1.  Determine if your idea is a good idea. It’s time to do some research and ask yourself the following questions:

a)  Is there a market for this new product?  Research tip: Collect as much data as possible about similar existing products.  Browse eCommerce sites and find out what kind of companies are currently making similar products. 
b)  Can this product be manufactured and sold at a price that is attractive for the customer?
c)  Is this price profitable for you?

If you answered yes to all three questions, you have a good idea!  If there are no similar products, then your idea is truly unique. Congratulations!  Move on to step 2.

2.  Search for Existing Patents. Consult USPTO and Google Patent Search to dig up any existing patents that may prevent you from developing your new product.  Archive any similar patents for reference.  For help, consult a patent attorney.

3.  Document Your Invention. Write out – as detailed as possible – the features of your new product idea.  Sketch out your vision.  Describe each feature and function of the design.  If it can be visualized, illustrate it.  You need to detail the nature of your product idea so that an outside party can understand it.  Sign and date your documentation.

4.  Create 3D CAD Models. Now is the time to consult with a professional.  Locate a Mechanical Engineer Design Consultant or a Product Design Firm to assist in the following steps.

All product design is based on 3D CAD modeling.  Each part of the product will need to be modeled, as well as the entire assembly.  At this time, consider materials and manufacturing processes.  If you’re not sure exactly how everything will work yet, allow your engineer to refine your concept and develop a wholesome design strategy for your product.  Virtually test the moving parts through range of motion in the final assembly to ensure everything will function smoothly.

You may also want to create a virtual prototype, a series of photo-realistic images based on your CAD models that can be used for marketing, pre-sales and capital generation purposes.  This is something you could give to potential investors to represent the look and feel of the product without costing you the expense of creating an actual prototype.

5.  Create Manufacturing Drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to completely detail the product design, including geometry, tolerances, materials, manufacturing methods, and other technical information.  With these prints, any supplier in the world should be able to produce your product exactly as intended.

Depending on the product, you may need drawings to make a prototype, or you might be able to wait until you are ready to start talking to production suppliers to get quotes.

6.  Build the Prototype. Make the parts to as closely resemble the intended, final product design as possible.  Through rapid manufacturing and rapid prototyping, you can build your prototype so that the product’s every use may be tested.  Refine any features or functions and ensure the prototype design works as planned.

Viable prototypes are essential to generate investor buy-in and large pre-orders.  If necessary, build new prototypes based on the required changes you discovered through your first prototype.

7.  Create a Bill of Materials (BOM). This spreadsheet must comprehensively list all parts used in the product design, suppliers, cost and technical information, including the custom-made parts as well as the purchased parts.  Setting up this framework early will allow you to track costs throughout the product design process.

There you have it – the seven steps to making your new product idea a reality.  Contact a Mechanical Engineer Design Consultant today for help with your vision.

Stay tuned for the next steps in new product development process.