How to turn a product idea into a prototype

1. Write down the problem and the person

Before any drawing, write two sentences: who has the problem, and what goes wrong for them today. “My insulated bottle does not fit the cage on my road bike” is the start of a product. “A better water bottle” is not. Then look at what already exists in shops, on online marketplaces and on crowdfunding sites. Finding something close is not the end of the idea: it shows what people already accept, and where your version has to be different.

2. Sketch, roughly and often

Draw ten versions, not one good one. A front view and a side view separate the height from the width and depth; a few words on each sketch (which part is the lid, where the hand goes) do more than shading. Write down the one or two dimensions that cannot change: it must fit a cup holder, a drawer, a palm. Those numbers will follow the idea through every later step.

3. Make a 3D concept

A 3D concept turns the sketch into something you can turn around, resize and show. This is where Kubikly fits: Product Designer takes a written idea, a sketch or a photo of a product you want to improve, and builds an editable 3D model of named parts with a short brief covering the problem, the audience, features, material suggestions, manufacturing considerations, colourways and open questions. Sizes you give are labelled as given and the rest as proposed, and you change any of it by asking. It is a concept to iterate on, not manufacturing-ready CAD: tolerances, threads and snap-fits are not part of it, and nothing is engineered or checked.

4. Show it to the people it is for

Feedback is cheapest now, before anything has been paid for. Show renders and a one-page brief to people who have the problem, and ask about the problem first: when does it happen, what do they do about it today, what would they change in your concept. “Would you buy this?” mostly invites politeness.

• Use a studio render to show the form and an in-use render to show the context.
• Show two variants rather than one, so people compare instead of approving.
• Note which version people reach for, not only which one they say they prefer.
• Write down the questions they ask; they often become the open questions on your brief.

Kubikly's one-page presentation collects the render, problem, audience, size, features, materials, part list and open questions on a printable page for exactly this kind of conversation.

5. Print a form study

A form study is a physical model that shows size, shape and feel, not function. Export the concept as an STL file (in millimetres) and print it on a desktop printer or through a printing service. Hold it, put it where the product will live, hand it to someone who has the problem. Many shape decisions are made in the first minute with a print in the hand. It will not open, seal or click, because the mechanisms have not been designed yet.

6. Engineering and CAD with a designer

An industrial designer or product engineer turns the concept into production CAD: real wall thicknesses, draft angles for moulding, tolerances, fixings, threads and the way the parts assemble, all chosen for a specific process and material. Bring your brief, the concept files and the decisions you have made, and leave the open questions open rather than guessing. This is usually the first step where you pay a professional, and a clear brief keeps it shorter.

7. Prototypes with a maker

Prototypes come in two kinds. A looks-like prototype shows the final appearance; a works-like prototype proves the function, and often looks nothing like the product. Prototype makers use 3D printing (filament, resin and powder processes), CNC machining, and vacuum casting in silicone moulds for small numbers of realistic parts. Expect several rounds, and give each round one specific question to answer: does the lid seal, does the hinge survive, does it fit the cage.

8. A small batch before full production

Before committing to production tooling, many products go through a pilot run of tens or hundreds of units, made with short-run methods such as vacuum casting, 3D printing or simpler moulds. It tests assembly, packaging and the product in real customers' hands. It is also the point by which you should know which certifications and safety rules apply to your product in the markets where you will sell it.

What it costs

Costs vary widely with the product's size and complexity, the materials, the process and the quantity, so treat any figure you read online with caution and ask for quotes. A few patterns hold for most physical products:

• The early steps (problem, sketches, concept, feedback) cost more time than money.
• Prototypes are expensive per part; production tooling is expensive up front and cheaper per part.
• Changes cost more the later they come: a change to a sketch is free, a change to a steel mould is not.
• Ask two or three suppliers to quote each paid step from the same written brief, so the quotes can be compared.

Protecting the idea

This is general information, not legal advice. Different rights protect different things: patents protect how something works, registered designs protect how it looks, and trade marks protect its name and logo. In many countries, showing an invention publicly before a patent application is filed can prevent it being patented, so talk to an IP professional, such as a patent or trade mark attorney, before you publish, crowdfund or pitch widely. Non-disclosure agreements are useful with designers and manufacturers, but they do not replace registered rights. Kubikly keeps ideas, sketches and designs private to your account, and it does not run patent or trade mark searches.