Category
Inspiration
117 articles filed under Inspiration.
Can your AI generated product actually be built?
An AI generated product design looks finished but rarely is manufacturable. Here is what changes when a render meets tooling, tolerances and real factory cost.
Read more: Can your AI generated product actually be built?
Shark Tank Success for Gelato for Your Face, Powered by LA NPDT
Gelato for Your Face secured a deal with two sharks on Shark Tank with a product developed by LA NPDT, demonstrating the impact of strategic product development.
Read more: Shark Tank Success for Gelato for Your Face, Powered by LA NPDT
How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture a Product in 2025
Learn how to estimate product manufacturing costs, select materials, and design smarter. Includes pricing table and free material cost calculator.
Read more: How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture a Product in 2025
Sheet Metal Design Guidelines: Bends, Tolerances and Costs
Sheet metal design guidelines for prototype and low-volume parts: bend radii, reliefs, hole spacing, tolerances, finishes and cost drivers.
Read more: Sheet Metal Design Guidelines: Bends, Tolerances and Costs
How to Accelerate Product Development: A Startup Guide
Acceleration comes from removing waiting, not rushing engineering. Here are the levers that compress a startup product development schedule, plus a 90-day plan.
Read more: How to Accelerate Product Development: A Startup Guide
Attaining Certified B Corporation Status
Why LA NPDT Has Become a B Corp, and Why Your Organization Should Consider Attaining Certified B Corporation Status Too.
Read more: Attaining Certified B Corporation Status
Product Development Design Concepts – 6 Ideas
Through conceptual design, you can tell good design concepts are vital. Find out here the six ideas for product development design concepts.
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Top Product Development Methods for Design Products Company
Products Design Company: Check this article for exceptional practices for the best working policy for your team.
Read more: Top Product Development Methods for Design Products Company
How to Develop An Idea into a Product | Process Demystified
Product development without a workable process is a futile endeavor. Follow our product development roadmap to develop your idea effectively.
Read more: How to Develop An Idea into a Product | Process Demystified
How to Develop New Product Ideas: 6 Tips That Actually Work
Good product ideas are found, not waited for. Here is the six-step method we use to source, screen, score and validate new product ideas before any money goes into tooling.
Read more: How to Develop New Product Ideas: 6 Tips That Actually Work
From Product Concept to Validated Prototype: 5 Stages
Most concepts fail on sequence, not inspiration. Here is the five-stage path from idea to manufacturable product, with realistic costs and timelines.
Read more: From Product Concept to Validated Prototype: 5 Stages
Empathic design
Nowadays, there is a growing market tendency for empathic design and creating new products aimed at meeting customers’ needs.
Read more: Empathic design
Why Prototyping is So Important to Product Development
Success comes through practice, so it makes sense that a product developer would develop a prototype before manufacturing their products.
Read more: Why Prototyping is So Important to Product Development
The Roles of Prototyping in Concept Design Products
Do you know how to create successful concept design products? If no, harness the power of prototyping in this article for top product success.
Read more: The Roles of Prototyping in Concept Design Products
Using Consumer Feedback to Improve Concept Design Services
Are you pumped about improving your concept design services? Here are some tips on applying consumer feedback to create successful products.
Read more: Using Consumer Feedback to Improve Concept Design Services
NPD Stage Gate Process: A 7-Step Strategy That Works
The seven stages of the NPD stage gate process, what has to be true at each gate, and the mistakes that let weak projects survive review.
Read more: NPD Stage Gate Process: A 7-Step Strategy That Works
Principles Of Conceptual Design And Design for Manufacturing
Moving from ideation to design for manufacturing and to a product is challenging. So, here is how to transform ideas using conceptual design.
Read more: Principles Of Conceptual Design And Design for Manufacturing
Intellectual Property Protection in Product Development
Do you know that without intellectual property protection, someone else can steal your invention? Learn more here about the benefits of IP.
Read more: Intellectual Property Protection in Product Development
Streamlining Product Development Process with Technology
Your product development process can become much more effective with technology. Do you want to know all about this? Check out this article!
Read more: Streamlining Product Development Process with Technology
Creating Successful Marketing Strategy to Launch A New Product
A step-by-step marketing strategy for launching a new product — research, positioning, goals, channel economics, a 12-week calendar and the metrics that tell you it worked.
Read more: Creating Successful Marketing Strategy to Launch A New Product
Challenges to Overcome During the Development of a Product
Are you about to embark on the development of a product for your company? Learn here possible challenges to avoid on the project.
Read more: Challenges to Overcome During the Development of a Product
Best Practices for Expanding and Scaling Product Development
Are you considering widening your profit margin by bringing in new products to the market? Learn more about scaling product development here.
Read more: Best Practices for Expanding and Scaling Product Development
Stages of Product Testing and Their Purposes
Avoid the risk of product failure through product testing. Check the stages of product testing to prevent disorganized building processes.
Read more: Stages of Product Testing and Their Purposes
The Impact of Globalization on Global Product Development
Are you pumped about taking advantage of economic globalization? Check out these benefits and limitations of global product development.
Read more: The Impact of Globalization on Global Product Development
Prototyping in Product Development: How to Do It Right
A disciplined prototyping loop with fidelity guidance, iteration budgets, test criteria and the failure patterns that quietly cost months.
Read more: Prototyping in Product Development: How to Do It Right
How to Create Product Differentiation in the Market
Are you struggling to attract buyers to your MVP? Check here for product differentiation that will make your product sell fast.
Read more: How to Create Product Differentiation in the Market
Creating Successful Products with Product Design Principles
Consistently create functional and aesthetically pleasing products by employing powerful product design principles. Find out how here.
Read more: Creating Successful Products with Product Design Principles
The Impact of Technology Product Concepts on Modern Trends
What is design in technology or what product concepts are leading technology advancement? Check out this article for answers and tech trends.
Read more: The Impact of Technology Product Concepts on Modern Trends
Integrating Sustainability with Eco-Friendly Product Design
Eco-friendly product development is the present and future of the manufacturing industry. Find out here how your company can use this trend.
Read more: Integrating Sustainability with Eco-Friendly Product Design
How to Balance Form and Function in Product Design
Function first, form follows use, affordance, simplicity, manufacturability, durability - the principles that decide whether a product survives contact with users and tooling.
Read more: How to Balance Form and Function in Product Design
The Role of Market Research in Moving from Concept to Product
Do you know the roles of market research in turning concept to product? Learn via this article smart insights to create great products.
Read more: The Role of Market Research in Moving from Concept to Product
Product Concept Design Examples: 7 Cases and What They Teach
Seven product concept design examples, what each one got right, and a repeatable framework for turning an idea into a concept that survives engineering and sells.
Read more: Product Concept Design Examples: 7 Cases and What They Teach
How to Get a Prototype Made: Files, Costs and the 5-Step Path
Most inventors stall at the same place: they have an idea but no idea what a prototype shop actually needs from them. Here is the exact file package, realistic costs, and the five-step path to a working prototype.
Read more: How to Get a Prototype Made: Files, Costs and the 5-Step Path
How Long Does It Take to Build a Prototype?
Realistic prototype timelines by type, what actually eats the calendar, a week-by-week 10-week schedule, and six ways to build faster without ruining the result.
Read more: How Long Does It Take to Build a Prototype?
How to Estimate the Cost of a Prototype in Product Development
A practical method for estimating prototype cost before you commit budget: the three estimating approaches engineers actually use, how to read the anatomy of a quote, how much contingency to carry, and how to compare bids that are not comparable.
Read more: How to Estimate the Cost of a Prototype in Product Development
How Can Development Companies Avoid Losing Time and Money?
Development Companies: How can your company can maximize time and money for better success with an old or new invention idea?
Read more: How Can Development Companies Avoid Losing Time and Money?
New Product Introduction Process: Stages, Costs and Partners
Not all product development companies do the same work. Here is how the four types differ, what each engagement costs, and how to pick the right one for your stage.
Read more: New Product Introduction Process: Stages, Costs and Partners
How to Make the First Step to Develop Your Product: from Sketch to Market
Looking for how to create your product? Then let’s get you started. This article contains practical steps to move you from ideation to getting your products in the market.
Read more: How to Make the First Step to Develop Your Product: from Sketch to Market
What is the Path from an Idea to the Production of a New Product?
Do ideas alone make the product? Not. Fine-tuning and implementation are also involved.
Read more: What is the Path from an Idea to the Production of a New Product?
Prototype Manufacturing Process: Steps, Methods and Lead Times
How a prototype actually gets made: the six steps from CAD release to tested unit, how to pick a process, and what each route costs in time and money.
Read more: Prototype Manufacturing Process: Steps, Methods and Lead Times
Using 3D Printing Prototype As a Market Test for Products
Are you considering a 3D printing prototype for testing the market's response to your new product?
Read more: Using 3D Printing Prototype As a Market Test for Products
Is Your Product Idea a Feature, Product, or Business?
Product idea development? You need to think through if it is a feature, product, or business? Why? Read the blog to find out.
Read more: Is Your Product Idea a Feature, Product, or Business?
Invention Help: How To Develop Product Ideas Using The 3D Ideation Process
There’s never a lack of great product ideas. Yet, you need invention help to process ideas and make them work. So check out this blog.
Read more: Invention Help: How To Develop Product Ideas Using The 3D Ideation Process
How to Choose an Electronics Contract Manufacturer
Choosing an electronics contract manufacturer is a capability and communication decision, not a price comparison. Here is how to shortlist, evaluate, quote and qualify one properly.
Read more: How to Choose an Electronics Contract Manufacturer
Electronic Product Development: How to Approach It
Electronic product development follows six stages from requirements to design transfer. Here is what happens in each, what it costs, and the mistakes that force expensive board revisions.
Read more: Electronic Product Development: How to Approach It
How to Reduce Product Design Cost Without Losing Quality
Spending way more than you should on product design because of some hidden loopholes?
Read more: How to Reduce Product Design Cost Without Losing Quality
Importance of Developing Products During a Recession
A recession is a tough and challenging time for any business. Developing products might be a solution to staying busy.
Read more: Importance of Developing Products During a Recession
Companies That Build Prototypes: How to Find and Vet a Partner
Job shop, development firm or contract manufacturer? How to choose a prototype company, vet it properly and avoid the shops that will cost you months.
Read more: Companies That Build Prototypes: How to Find and Vet a Partner
Observe. Solve. Invent.
Is the earth still spinning around the sun? If yes, that is all you need to know; the next big idea is very close to you.
Read more: Observe. Solve. Invent.
Importance Of Inventions For The Development And Growth Of The USA
How important are the inventions you come up with? Do they hold any value? Oh yes, inventors are one of the USA’s greatest assets. And this article will show you the importance of your inventions.
Read more: Importance Of Inventions For The Development And Growth Of The USA
Toy Safety Testing: Standards, Costs and Choosing a Factory
What toy safety testing covers, what a full test package costs, and how to vet a factory that can pass a third-party audit.
Read more: Toy Safety Testing: Standards, Costs and Choosing a Factory
How to Make Money Out of your Inventions
Selling your product alone as an inventor can be frustrating. But seeing fellow inventors make waves more than you makes it all the more disturbing. Would you like to learn money-generating tips for inventors with product development companies near me?
Read more: How to Make Money Out of your Inventions
Hardware Startups: Why Physical Products Are Different and How to Survive It
Hardware startups do not fail for the same reasons software startups do. Here is what actually kills them, and the sequence that keeps a physical product fundable.
Read more: Hardware Startups: Why Physical Products Are Different and How to Survive It
Flexible Packaging Manufacturers: How to Choose and What It Costs
A buyer guide to flexible packaging manufacturers: converter types, film structures, print and tooling costs, MOQs, and how to qualify a supplier before the first run.
Read more: Flexible Packaging Manufacturers: How to Choose and What It Costs
How To Develop a Product or Service as a Business
Learn more about developing your product or service idea into a thriving business.
Read more: How To Develop a Product or Service as a Business
How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business (and Make It Profitable)
How to know if your idea is worth pursuing is a common question for inventors and entrepreneurs. Invention idea help is in this blog.
Read more: How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business (and Make It Profitable)
How to Know If Your Idea Is Worth Pursuing
How to know if your idea is worth pursuing is a common question for inventors and entrepreneurs. Invention idea help is in this blog.
Read more: How to Know If Your Idea Is Worth Pursuing
Product Naming Process: From Positioning to Trademark Clearance
A step-by-step product naming process for physical products, from positioning brief through trademark clearance to packaging.
Read more: Product Naming Process: From Positioning to Trademark Clearance
How to Do Market Research for a New Product Before Launch
When launching a new product, we advise conducting market research first. Importance of market research for a new product before launch.
Read more: How to Do Market Research for a New Product Before Launch
Product Discovery Workshop: Agenda, Deliverables and Costs
How product discovery turns an idea into a validated, buildable concept - the four phases, their deliverables, and what a discovery engagement costs.
Read more: Product Discovery Workshop: Agenda, Deliverables and Costs
Act on Your Ideas at the Age of 40 Plus
Older entrepreneurs have a substantially higher success rate. Our evidence points to entrepreneurial performance rising according to age.
Read more: Act on Your Ideas at the Age of 40 Plus
Why You Should Pursue Your Product Ideas
If you ever dreamed to develop product ideas but wasn't sure where to start or why to care about, this post is must to read.
Read more: Why You Should Pursue Your Product Ideas
When Should You File a Patent Application?
File a provisional as soon as the mechanism can be described well enough to build — and always before the first public demo. Here are the deadlines, routes and costs behind that rule.
Read more: When Should You File a Patent Application?
New Product Development Plan, manage your invention development process
Every invention requires a proper development strategy & management to bring it to fruition, this is where the new Product Development Plan comes in handy.
Read more: New Product Development Plan, manage your invention development process
Halloween Inventions
Eight coolest Halloween inventions that we can now enjoy thanks to the advances in technological development.
Read more: Halloween Inventions
Uplifting Kitchenware Invention Stories
Are you currently coming up with a new product idea, developing the product concept, or improving existing solutions?
Read more: Uplifting Kitchenware Invention Stories
Travel Gear Ideas By Individual Inventors
Do you want to bring new travel gear solutions to the market but don't know where to draw your inspiration from? Then this read is for you!
Read more: Travel Gear Ideas By Individual Inventors
Prototyping Medical Devices: Stages, Design Controls and Costs
Prototyping a medical device is not just building a working model. Each stage has to produce evidence a regulator will accept. Here is how the stages, documentation and costs fit together.
Read more: Prototyping Medical Devices: Stages, Design Controls and Costs
New Product Ideas Realized by Parents
Motivate yourself with new product ideas created by parents that will inspire you to have an invention idea and bring it to the market.
Read more: New Product Ideas Realized by Parents
Medical Device Design: Process, Documentation and Cost
A practical guide to medical device design under design controls: what each phase produces, how verification differs from validation, and what the work costs.
Read more: Medical Device Design: Process, Documentation and Cost
Strategic Planning
Product development strategy is a vehicle with GPS navigation system that drives your product to the set destination, i.e. market success.
Read more: Strategic Planning
New Invention Ideas: How to Find, Validate and Develop One
Where new invention ideas come from, a prior-art check you can run yourself, a 20-buyer validation script and real development costs.
Read more: New Invention Ideas: How to Find, Validate and Develop One
New Technology Risks
Ensure successful implementation of new technology into your business with practical steps of risk mitigation from LA NPDT team.
Read more: New Technology Risks
Endurance Sports Inventions
Let’s look at the history of sports gear inventions developed in the past 50 years that shaped the modern sports product development industry.
Read more: Endurance Sports Inventions
Product ideas that the market needs
There are always opportunities for innovation & idea development. But how do you come up with product ideas that are needed on the market?
Read more: Product ideas that the market needs
How to Become an Inventor: From Idea to a Product People Can Buy
Nobody becomes an inventor by having ideas — only by finishing one. Here is the sequence, what each step costs, and how to fit it around a job.
Read more: How to Become an Inventor: From Idea to a Product People Can Buy
New Product Marketing Plan: A 90-Day Framework
A week-by-week product launch timeline for physical products, from tooling sign-off through channel readiness, launch day and the 30-day post-launch review.
Read more: New Product Marketing Plan: A 90-Day Framework
A $12,950 mistake you can avoid
How our invention prototyping company saved almost $13k and how you can reduce your manufacturing upfront costs in the prototyping phase.
Read more: A $12,950 mistake you can avoid
Product Launch Timeline: How Long a Launch Really Takes
What a realistic product launch timeline looks like week by week, what a two-week launch can actually include, and the delays that wreck launch dates.
Read more: Product Launch Timeline: How Long a Launch Really Takes
Congratulations on Your Latest Product Idea!
You have an idea worth pursuing. The time to act is now - and you do not have to do it alone.
Read more: Congratulations on Your Latest Product Idea!
Medical Device Verification and Validation: Stages, Costs and Design Controls
Medical device verification and validation explained: design inputs, V&V protocols, human factors, biocompatibility and design-control documentation.
Read more: Medical Device Verification and Validation: Stages, Costs and Design Controls
Means to fund my idea | Angel Investing 101
Angel investors are a fantastic way for startups and small businesses to receive additional financing for their inventions and other projects.
Read more: Means to fund my idea | Angel Investing 101
Why Your "I Wish This Tool Existed" Idea Could be a Market Hit
Inventors who create products for themselves have higher chances to succeed on a market. Why? They didn't wish this tool existed, they created it.
Read more: Why Your "I Wish This Tool Existed" Idea Could be a Market Hit
Digital Product Development Services: Scope, Cost and Timeline
Digital product development services span research, design, architecture, build and iteration. Here is what each stage delivers and what it costs.
Read more: Digital Product Development Services: Scope, Cost and Timeline
Best of Ces Technology for 2020
CES2020 (Consumer Electronics Show) the largest technology show in the world, displaying a variety of innovative consumer technology.
Read more: Best of Ces Technology for 2020
Product Packaging Design Companies: How to Choose One (and What They Actually Do)
Packaging is the last thing many teams plan and the first thing a buyer judges. Here is what packaging design companies do, what it costs, and how to pick one.
Read more: Product Packaging Design Companies: How to Choose One (and What They Actually Do)
Konstantin Dolgan of LA NPDT One of the 100 Most Influential
This January 23, Silicon Bayou named Dr. Konstantin Dolgan as one of the 100 most influential entrepreneurs in Louisiana.
Read more: Konstantin Dolgan of LA NPDT One of the 100 Most Influential
PCB Assembly Process: From EVT Boards to Mass Production
Architecture, layout, EVT, DVT and PVT explained, with what each build stage costs and how long it takes to reach production.
Read more: PCB Assembly Process: From EVT Boards to Mass Production
Industrial Design Consultancy: What They Do and How to Pick One
What an industrial design consultancy delivers, how fees are structured, and how to tell stylists from teams that can get a product built.
Read more: Industrial Design Consultancy: What They Do and How to Pick One
Speed to Market: How to Launch a Hardware Product Faster
Speed to market is won in decisions, not in overtime. Here is how hardware teams compress schedules with parallel work, tooling strategy and disciplined design freezes.
Read more: Speed to Market: How to Launch a Hardware Product Faster
Thanks to all our partners
It's LA NPDT's three year anniversary! Thanks to all the organizations in the stages of the new product development cycle who have helped us along the way.
Read more: Thanks to all our partners
Medical Device Product Design: Classes, Design Controls and the Development Path
Medical device product design is engineering plus evidence. Here is how classification, design controls and usability shape the work from day one.
Read more: Medical Device Product Design: Classes, Design Controls and the Development Path
Top 6 Marketing Tools Blogpost
Read on to learn about how to make a new invention a marketable product and the six best ways to get a new product to market.
Read more: Top 6 Marketing Tools Blogpost
You Have a Product Idea but No Money. What Now?
I have an invention idea but no money. What to do when you have a smart invention idea, but no money to invest? How to get an invention started?
Read more: You Have a Product Idea but No Money. What Now?
Inventing a Product: A 7-Step Guide From Idea to Shelf
Inventing a product in seven steps - validation, prior art, prototyping, protection, costing, manufacturing and the licensing decision.
Read more: Inventing a Product: A 7-Step Guide From Idea to Shelf
Smart Cities: What They Are and Why They Matter
Smart City is the concept of a community, a town, or a city, that uses IoT technology to improve its services. Smart City companies develop IoT solutions.
Read more: Smart Cities: What They Are and Why They Matter
Qualified Research Expenses: What Hardware Teams Can Claim
What counts as a qualified research expense, the four-part test explained for hardware teams, how much prototyping you can claim, and the records to keep.
Read more: Qualified Research Expenses: What Hardware Teams Can Claim
Christmas Inventions that Changed the Way We Celebrate
Read this article on Christmas inventions, to learn some christmas history facts from American traditions and world history.
Read more: Christmas Inventions that Changed the Way We Celebrate
New Product Development Stages: The 7 Steps and What Each Costs
Ideation through launch in seven stages, with the decision each gate has to make, how long it takes and what it costs for a physical product.
Read more: New Product Development Stages: The 7 Steps and What Each Costs
Inventions That Changed the Way We Celebrate Thanksgiving
Ideas come in all shapes & sizes even at Thanksgiving, here are five inventions and products that were created to solve holiday problems.
Read more: Inventions That Changed the Way We Celebrate Thanksgiving
Halloween Products: How Seasonal Items Get Designed and Shipped
Halloween products live or die on a calendar. Here is the twelve-month development schedule, the safety testing seasonal items need, and where the margin actually comes from.
Read more: Halloween Products: How Seasonal Items Get Designed and Shipped
Why You Should Outsource Product Development
Outsourcing new product development companies like LA NPDT give you instant access to the expertise and resources you need to stay ahead.
Read more: Why You Should Outsource Product Development
Medical Device Design Controls: Process, Costs and FDA Pathways
How medical device design controls work in practice - user needs, inputs, verification and validation, the DHF - and what a program costs.
Read more: Medical Device Design Controls: Process, Costs and FDA Pathways
Distribution Strategy Examples: How Products Reach Customers
Distribution strategy examples for physical products - direct, retail, wholesale, marketplace and hybrid - with the margin math behind each channel.
Read more: Distribution Strategy Examples: How Products Reach Customers
Grants for Small Business Startups: Where the Money Actually Is
Most startup grant lists are link dumps. This one groups grants for small business startups by who funds them, what they pay, how long they take and what a winning application has to prove.
Read more: Grants for Small Business Startups: Where the Money Actually Is
Invention Help Companies: Who to Hire and Scams to Avoid
How invention help companies work, what real development support costs, and the red flags that signal an invention promotion scam.
Read more: Invention Help Companies: Who to Hire and Scams to Avoid
New Product Development Ideas- Top 7 Places to Look For
Lightning Never Strikes the Same Spot Twice – So We’re Giving you the Top 7 places to search for new product development ideas.
Read more: New Product Development Ideas- Top 7 Places to Look For
Outsourcing Product Development: Models, Costs and Risks
Outsourcing product development - partner types, contract models, IP and tooling ownership, and the handoffs where projects usually break.
Read more: Outsourcing Product Development: Models, Costs and Risks
Brand Color Psychology: Why We Chose Orange
Color does not carry a fixed meaning — it sets an expectation your product then has to meet. Here is how brand color psychology works for physical products, and why our own brand is orange.
Read more: Brand Color Psychology: Why We Chose Orange
You have an idea – what’s next?
You’ve experienced the blinding glow of your lightbulb moment, the moment of clarity. Your brilliant idea has finally come to you! Contact us today!
Read more: You have an idea – what’s next?
3D Printing for Prototyping: Processes, Costs and Trade-offs
What a 3D printed prototype actually costs by process, and how geometry, material and finishing decisions change the quote.
Read more: 3D Printing for Prototyping: Processes, Costs and Trade-offs
The Equipment Manufacturing Industry: From Custom Machine to Product Line
Most industrial equipment starts as a one-off machine. Turning it into a product line takes a specific set of design and documentation decisions.
Read more: The Equipment Manufacturing Industry: From Custom Machine to Product Line
The Maker Movement: From Bench Project to Real Product
The maker movement made prototyping cheap and put fabrication on desktops. Turning a maker project into a manufacturable product is a different discipline — here is what changes and where projects stall.
Read more: The Maker Movement: From Bench Project to Real Product