3DI'S APPROACH TO DESIGN

Appointing 3di as your design partner, offers you a fresh invigorated perspective, inspiration and new ideas that your business may not have necessarily considered exploring.

DISCOVER | DEFINE | DEVELOP | INTEGRATE

Our process of converting an idea to a marketable product, or simply improving a current product offering is explained in more detail below.

DISCOVER

Appointing 3di as your design partner, offers a fresh invigorated perspective, inspiration and new ideas that you may not have necessarily considered.

The discover stage of your product development journey is where we immerse ourselves into your brand and business and collaborate to understand; “What is already out there?” “Who is your target audience?” By recording and analysing end user behaviours we can adapt and apply these to the product design and manufacturing specification.

The discover phase will often involve the following:

  • Idea exploration
  • Design and planning
  • Concept design
  • Market research and idea evaluation
  • Sketch generation
  • Manufacturing considerations
  • Protect Intellectual property

DEFINE

Following the discover stage, this is where your ideas take shape.  Creating computer-aided design drawings and renders will explore form and styling.

This stage of the design process also allows us to identify any obstacles or challenges we could face and find solutions to ensure the product journey stays on track and within budget.

The definition stage is where we put together a strategic plan of action for your project. We will draw on all the previous knowledge we have gained in order to take your project to the next level.

The definition phase will often involve the following:

  • Idea exploration
  • Design and planning
  • Concept design
  • Market research and idea evaluation
  • Sketch generation
  • Manufacturing considerations
  • Protect Intellectual property

DEVELOP

The develop stage is where your ideas are brought to life as concepts materialise into reality. We use several processes and techniques to make this happen, including workshops, sketching, CAD and product prototyping. As an experienced product design consultancy, we have been creating tailored product development solutions for many years and we know just how to bring great products to market.

The aim of the development stage is to meet the brief we created during the definition stage. Manufacturing processes will be reviewed, and the most suitable ones selected. Throughout this process, we will be in close contact with manufacturing professionals to ensure that the correct materials are selected, and performance is evaluated.

Our CAD capabilities in house can test materials for robustness and performance using software called, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Mouldflow Analysis.  This is used to measure how a part or assembly will perform over its lifetime.

Once solutions have been decided upon, we will create a full specification and engineering drawings for production ready. Working prototypes either produced on our 3D printer in house or through one of our product prototyping partners. We will test the form and function of the chosen solution prior to full-scale production. You will have photo realistic renders, engineering drawings, complete with animations of your product to bring it to life.

The development phase will often involve the following:

  • Feedback from Stakeholders/investors
  • Development meetings
  • Design engineering drawings
  • Product prototyping
  • Product development

INTEGRATE

Once we have taken you through the discovery, definition and development stages, all that is left is to integrate your product into the marketplace. As soon as your design is approved, you’re ready to enter the manufacturing phase and get your product out into the marketplace.

The 3di team are your ideal product launch partners. We have several years’ experience in this area and have been involved in successful projects from concept to launch. We will ensure your product is well designed, well manufactured and ready to enter the real world.

The best manufacturing solutions are selected to work for you and your business model. From the beginning, we take manufacturing processes into account so that your design is fully ready for production.

To complete the integration stage, we add the final production draft details and manufacturing tolerances. We also produce 2D drawings, a bill of materials and a list of essential quality checks for assembly. We will be happy to project manage the manufacturing process for you, or we can use our very own injection moulding facility located in the UK. The integration phase will often involve the following:

  • Getting your product ready to manufacture
  • Preparing all necessary drawings
  • Project managing the manufacturing process
  • Final testing
  • Assisting with the product launch
  • Customer satisfaction surveys