Question 1

Do I need a custom PCB, or can I use off-the-shelf electronics?

Accepted Answer

Usually both, at different points in the project. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi and pre-built modules are the fastest and cheapest way to prove a concept works and to learn from users early. A custom PCB assembly is usually what gets a product to its final size, unit cost and certification target. The judgement is when to switch.

Question 2

Do I need a prototype for electronic product development?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For electronic products, prototyping is a ladder of builds, and each rung answers a different question: does the idea work at all, does it work and feel like a real product, and can it be manufactured. Skip a rung and the problem it would have caught turns up later, after tooling, when it is expensive to fix.

Question 3

How do electronic and mechanical design work together?

Accepted Answer

Electronic and mechanical design run in parallel from the first concept, exchanging design data in a fixed order so neither discipline waits on the other. Electronics added after the mechanical design is finished compromises both the board and the enclosure, so we run a defined workflow that settles board size, component placement and keep-out areas early, and keeps every iteration in file formats both sides can use directly.

Question 4

How do I get a patent?

Accepted Answer

A patent is a legal right which protects your invention. This gives you the exclusive right to make and sell products using the inventive feature for a limited time (up to a maximum of 20 years in the UK).

Question 5

How do I make a prototype of my idea?

Accepted Answer

During product development you will want to produce multiple prototypes to test the design, gain user feedback, use to seek investment and marketing, and set your expectations with manufacturers.

Question 6

How long does electronic product development take?

Accepted Answer

It depends on complexity more than anything else. As a general guide, set aside at least 9 months from initial idea to certified products coming off a production line. Simple products can be faster; connected products that need radio and EMC certification usually take longer.

Question 7

How much does electronic product development cost?

Accepted Answer

There is no honest single figure. An electronic product's development cost is driven by its complexity, its connectivity, the certification it needs and the tooling behind its enclosure, and the same idea can be executed at very different budgets. Published ranges are wide enough to be useless, so we scope each project individually and quote it in stages, with a defined cost and output for each phase.

Question 8

How to choose the right manufacturer

Accepted Answer

Choosing a manufacturing partner(s) is generally strategic and based on your product and its market, the wrong choice can cost you time, money, and credibility. The strategy will determine which consideration should be favoured above another.

Question 9

How to design a patentable product

Accepted Answer

Everyone wants to secure the protections of a patent, it gives you the exclusive right to make and sell products using the inventive feature for a limited time and this can give you a huge advantage in the tricky early adoption stage.

Question 10

How to get funding

Accepted Answer

Getting funding or investment for an idea is not the easiest of tasks, but if you have a good idea and can prove the market potential is strong, then you are in a good position.

Question 11

How to redesign a product to be more sustainable

Accepted Answer

Sustainability is becoming ever more crucial, from an environmental standpoint, but also from a marketing and legal perspective. Many companies are trying to improve the sustainability of their current product lines.

Question 12

How to tell if an idea is worth developing

Accepted Answer

It is very common for the person that has come up with an idea to think it is amazing.

Question 13

What are the differences between product design, industrial design and UX design?

Accepted Answer

Product design is best for creating and developing products that solve real user problems while meeting business goals. Industrial design is better when the focus is on the physical form, materials, ergonomics and usability of objects that are manufactured.

Question 14

What are the stages of electronic product development?

Accepted Answer

We run electronic products through the same four-phase journey as every Bang project: Discover, Develop, Engineer and Deliver. Electronics adds its own milestones inside each phase, from quick off-the-shelf prototypes at the start to a custom PCB assembly engineered for manufacture and certification at the end.

Question 15

What are the stages of the development process?

Accepted Answer

Product development can be a daunting undertaking even for experienced businesses. This is partially due to the high degree of uncertainty and up-front cost involved.

Question 16

What certification and testing does an electronic product need in the UK?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the product and the markets you sell into. Most electronic products placed on the UK market need conformity marking (UKCA or CE) backed by evidence they meet the rules that apply to them: typically electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electrical safety, radio regulations for wireless products and the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS), plus producer obligations such as WEEE registration.

Question 17

What is 3D printing?

Accepted Answer

3D printing is a method of creating physical 3D models from digital files.

Question 18

What is a B Corp?

Accepted Answer

A B Corp, short for Certified B Corporation, is a for-profit business independently verified as meeting B Lab's standards for social, environmental and governance performance, and legally committed to considering all of its stakeholders, not only its shareholders. Certification covers the whole company rather than a single product or service.

Question 19

What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

Accepted Answer

An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the simplest version of a product that delivers core value to users while allowing teams to test, learn, and improve with minimal effort.

Question 20

What is electronic product development?

Accepted Answer

Electronic product development is the process of taking a product that contains electronics from an initial idea through to manufacture. It covers the electronic hardware (the circuits, printed circuit boards and components), the firmware that runs on it, and the physical product around it, developed together through concept, prototyping, testing, certification and production.

Question 21

What is product development?

Accepted Answer

Product development is the process of creating a new product and bringing it to market. This starts with conceiving an idea, creating a brief and goes through several stages, prototyping, engineering, testing until the product is manufactured and sold.

Question 22

What is the difference between electronic product design and electronic product development?

Accepted Answer

Electronic product design is the part of the journey that shapes how the product works and looks: the circuit architecture, PCB layout, enclosure, and how people use it. Electronic product development is the whole journey: design, plus prototyping, testing, certification, design for manufacture and the move into production. In practice the two terms are used almost interchangeably.

Question 23

What is the difference between product design and industrial design?

Accepted Answer

Both industrial designers and product designers focus on creating products that offer the best possible customer experience.

Question 24

What is the Double Diamond process?

Accepted Answer

The double diamond design process is a visual framework developed by the UK Design Council that breaks problem-solving into four stages: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.

Question 25

What is the product life cycle?

Accepted Answer

The term product life cycle can refer to two different concepts: The life of the physical components of a singular product from raw material, through production and use to disposal.

Question 26

Why do products fail?

Accepted Answer

This is a guide aimed primarily at start-ups and inventors. Throughout the years we have helped many projects to market but there are still a number who fail.

Frequently asked questions

Design

Development process

Electronic product development

Funding & cost

IP & patents

Manufacturing

Product development

Prototyping

Sustainability

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