What we offer you...
Product development
Utilize our experience and process knowledge throughout the entire new development process (NDP). Starting with identifying opportunities for improvement, market gaps as well as real user needs and ending with the final review of the first manufactured parts. There are great advantages in having a design expert in your team right from the start instead of commissioning isolated tasks. The best pathway to innovation is a multidisciplinary team working together closely.
Industrial design & transportation design
Core design work covering drawing based ideation and detailing, CAD based detailing, from rough to refined model making and testing, producing data for manufacturing, presentation and moderation of ideation and decision making processes. This work covers aspects of form-giving (aesthetics), ergonomics, usability, mood & feel, semantics, brand recognition features, practical functions, material, colour decisions and more. It is based on a given brief or one developed together (utilizing some of our other services).
Design management
We overlook and outsource design, development and production tasks for you (even without getting involved in the creation process). In such a role we make strategic suggestions, manage design processes, find and select other designers and service providers. This can be part of organizing a pitch, design competition or to collect a wider range of ideas from different viewpoints (based on location, expertise and other settings). Work is conducted closely with management on a strategic level and utilizes a range of design research methods as basis for decision making and task planning.
Design & trend research
User centred design and design thinking have become buzz words in the design and management world. Today descision making is less and less based on pure intuition and gut feeling, but utilizes knowledge based on engaging earlier and more closely with the user and market.
As part of our services listed above we offer methods and techniques to collect this valueble informations and draw the right conclusions. We plan and arrange task specific interviews, surveys, focus groups and ethnographic work as well as user testing/feedback, literature reviews and more.
Innovation workshops
We use the moderation technique and creative tools to work with development teams and stake-holders as part of generating ideas and working out a feasible design brief. These workshops enable a flying start when done at the early stages of product development or an innovation campaign. They help to collect valuable information and ideas held within different parts of an organization, create powerful new ones and avoid time consuming miscommunication and conflicts. Working with potential users in a co-creation workshop ads the customers view to the picture.
Test modelling & prototyping
The mantra of modern product development and innovation is: Testing, testing, testing!
As designers we are experts in creating cost effective models and prototypes for testing ideas and concepts. From rough foam and paper mock-ups to look-like models and working prototypes. There is a wide range of tools you can use to put concepts in the hand of users and developers in order to improve the final product by 'failing fast and often' before changes become costly.
Note: For OND the term 'design' is not equal to 'mechanical engineering' or 'programming'!
In the spotlight
You have an initial idea and all the digital tools are widely available for everyone and easier to use than ever. Engineering can sort functionality out and a tooling company offers the whole package included in the price per part. Why would you even need a designer? Good question. Here are some answers from ONDs perspective... HEAR MORE
Design Thinking is great, but does not get you far without Design Doing. It is a great approach using techniques from design practise, social sciences and marketing to start and varify ideation with an empathic and real-life understanding for the market, user and your own brand. However, after such an intense briefing and initial creative phase someone has to convert all the great ideas into workable products and services. This is where highly skilled design experts are still essential says Oliver Neuland. MORE INSIGHTS
From brief to product. There are different pathways for a successful design and product innovation process. Here an outline... READ MORE
How to get started
Note down some keywords around your project.
Use Mind map template to get started (download here). Additionally compile some visual material explaining
your project or inspirations.
Summarize essential information about the project you envision. This can be simply re-styling a product or technical concept, idea visualization, new product development, identify opportunities through market and trend reviews or new technology or material use. See project brief as a guide.
Get in contact with us to arrange an initial free consultation and quote. Feel free to propose what the work would be worth to you - we will look into reasonable proposals if the challenge is interesting to us.
Arrange a kick-off workshop with all parties/people involved in the project to collect all existing information, ideas, want and needs. Invite at least a representative of decision makers and strategic leaders, marketing, product planning, engineering (R&D), production/manufacturing and design team.
This will enable a flying start with clear communication and already a pile of feasible ideas to work on and test. We are trained moderators and enable a efficient and result-driven use of the groups time together.
Mindmap Project Brief K-WorkshoP