How to launch a new product idea within a couple of weeks reacting to the market needs.

There are always opportunities to offer the right product and introduce it to the market at any given time. Will it be a pandemic as COVID-19, a new hype movie people will want to buy accessories with. A new device to fight consequences of a natural disaster or a commodity product which is short in supply. There is always something needed on the market. And you better be ready. Use that window of opportunity efficiently, act upon it in order to give and get the most out of it.

The ability of your product to enter the market within a preferable time frame with high quality characteristics will greatly depend on the robust product development approach, discipline, skills and experience of your product development team.

Particularly with this case study, we’d like to tell you how our team was able to offer the right product at the right time in just a matter of days. You can apply this experience to any market demand and product. We want to build up your confidence that you, too, can do this! We will guide you through the steps taken so you can see how to launch a new product efficiently.

DAY 1

Research, Ideation, Concept Design

Day one of the product development process started with the research of already existing solutions. We looked through the face shields available from Amazon, eBay, and protective equipment wholesalers. Some of them were too uncomfortable or bulky to wear, some required expensive equipment for their manufacturing (which meant a long lead time to get that equipment first hand), and others were just too time consuming to make.

We took all those aspects into account and, prior to starting the design process, set our requirements for the product. These included:

1. Easy and fast to manufacture.

2. Comfortable wear and stylish look.

3. Quick and easy to assemble.

4. Raw material availability and acceptable lead time.

5. One size fits all.

Having all those points laid out, our team of designers and engineers began developing the first prototype. For the design process, we used Fusion 360 software, and after a few drafts, we started 3D printing.

Alongside the product development and prototyping, our Graphic & Web Designer together with the Marketing & PR team was working on creating content and gathering the target audience around the product. By implementing marketing parallel to all other stages, you will always reduce product’s introduction time to the market and increase the opportunity to involve early adopters. And we did just that.  

DAY 2

Prototyping

From the beginning, we used several of our 3D printers such as SeeMeCNC Artemis, Creality CR-10, and Raise3D Pro2 Plus. We still had issues with the printing speed of plastic parts. Through testing and creative approach, our Industrial Designers and Engineers took care of not only the speed aspect. They optimized multiple features with just two iterations.

First, they reduced the width of the plastic band by half from the original prototype, which allowed us to fit more prints on a bed and double the printing speed, and to cut the raw material usage accordingly. And secondly, they changed the spike shape of the prongs to T-shaped, and that modification made the assembly/disassembly much faster and easier not only for us, but for the future users of the UPShield face shields.

At that very time, our Content Writer was making articles ready for publishing. Coupled with the marketing team actively engaging social networks.

It’s always necessary to consider the immediate and long-run perspective of your product. Specifically, here is where social media platforms come in very handy. In our case, Facebook and Instagram played an important role, especially with setting appropriate target groups for paid ads.

DAY 3

Marketing, Promotion, Distribution

Involving TV and radio stations is the most efficient way to fast-track the market awareness about the product availability. Taking into account the timing and applicability, it was one of the first arenas we turned to.

We collaborated with many of our local media broadcasters, and were able to reach a broad audience.

We completed assembly and packaging by the end of Day 3. As a result of our initiative to assist during the pandemic, we began donating face shields to hospitals, police stations, hospices, and other institutions alike.

We also made the UPShiled design available on our web-site https://lanpdt.life/upshield for all people who have the equipment. So they can make face shields for themselves or join our effort and create them for others.

Well-coordinated work and professional skills of our product development team members, who have different backgrounds and expertise, made it possible to bring forward a high demand product within a few days.

DAY 4-14

Design Improvement and Optimization

After we supplied the first face shields and began receiving feedback from the end users, we were able to further modify and optimize the design.

Moreover, the improvements made were beneficial for both, us and the customers, and they included the reduction of:

– Raw material consumption for production.

– Printing time by 30%.

– Weight (optimal comfort for users).

– Assembly time (helped to meet the growing demand in time).

From the beginning of the product development, we managed to tackle all of our five initial design requirements for UPShield in a matter of 2 weeks. After making 17 design iterations, this PPE was ready to serve not only those who needed it then more and foremost but also people from different walks of life in the aftermath of the epidemic.

UP Shield Website Header

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is always a way to develop and bring your product to the market effectively and efficiently in a very short span of time. It’s important to remember that your reaction to meet the market demand is crucial in that respect. While you’re thinking your steps through without acting on your idea with what you already have, the window of opportunity can close quite fast.  Do your homework, learn how to launch a new product, and start realizing your ideas and dreams today.

Now you know, how to launch a new product idea within a couple of weeks.