If you wanted to embark on a new business venture but knew it had only a five percent chance of…
Modern Product Design
A blog covering news, stories, and information about what we do.
The SGW / Portsmith Partnership: Developing Products That Improve Human Existence
“Leave the world in better conditions in which you found it.” — Baden Powell At SGW, we reflect frequently on our…
SGW Designworks CEO Accepted into Forbes Business Council
"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."—Bill Gates At SGW Designworks, our…
6 Product Development Trends to Expect, Post-Pandemic
A few months ago, several members of the SGW Designworks leadership team convened for a roundtable discussion that served as…
Doing Our Part: Product Developers Behind the Scenes in the Age of COVID-19
We’ve been talking a lot lately about our mission here at SGW Designworks to “improve human existence” — and, in…
The Human Side of Engineering and Product Development
During my college years, a family friend asked what I was studying. They were quite surprised when I told them mechanical…
Improving Human Existence — And Our Ethical Obligations As Product Developers
In 2019, we saw a lot happen from a product standpoint, from groundbreaking developments to unfortunate and sometimes tragic mishaps…
Product Development in 2020: An SGW Perspective
Recently, several from SGW’s leadership team convened to discuss the state of product development in 2020 — specifically, trends and…
Increasing Capabilities of VR Lead to Further Breakthroughs in Product Design
In recent years, virtual reality has all but revolutionized the world of product design (at least for the companies that…
SGW Designworks Clients Recognized at 14th Annual Idaho Innovation Awards
“A noble purpose inspires sacrifice, stimulates innovation and encourages perseverance.”— Gary Hamel, Management Consultant This year marked the 14th annual…
Nonstop to Taiwan: Cementing a Manufacturing Partnership with Megaforce
In recent months, you may recall reading about our new manufacturing management service offering, or seeing press coverage of our…
Lean Hardware Development: What’s Working Among Companies Large and Small?
If the terms “feature creep,” “waterfall,” and “agile methodology” are a regular part of your vernacular, it’s safe to assume…
Empathy in Action: An Example of Empathic Product Design
“Empathy is one of our greatest tools of business that is most underused.”—Daniel Lubetzky, CEO, Kind When people hear the…
From Stanford to SGW: An Intern Product Designer Perspective
Hi, I’m Kenzie Roan — Boise born and raised, a Product Design student at Stanford University, and SGW Designworks’ summer…
International Business: Benefits for Our Clients and the Classroom
Like most product designers and developers, we thrive in an innovative, fast-paced environment. (We are problem solvers, after all.) As…
We’ve Found It! Transforming Product Challenges into Eureka Moments
Eureka! It only took two weeks and we finally had it. We had started with a blank canvas and we…
Just Launched: New Solution-Based Service Offering
In our over ten years working with companies to accelerate their product development projects, we have learned a lot about…
Destination Oshkosh: SGW Lands at AirVenture 2019
When you hear of the Wisconsin town of Oshkosh, one might think of overalls and industry. After all, the area…
Revolutionizing the GSE Market: The AERO Specialties Story
When AERO Specialties first reached out to us in 2013, we were eager to work with them. The company, which…
Client Confidentiality in Product Design and Development
If you’ve been acquainted with SGW Designworks for a while, you know we are vocal champions of our clients’ success.…
Developing Service Equipment (That Lasts)
In recent years, SGW has established relationships with companies whose products and equipment must hold up to incredibly harsh conditions…
Product Testing, 1,2,3…
“Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. It’s coming up with ideas, testing principles, and perfecting the engineering, as…
Commercializing an Idea: 9 Steps for Startups and Emerging Businesses
Mature businesses are keenly aware of the resources and investment required when commercializing an idea. However, startups and emerging businesses…
Well-Designed Products — and How We Build Them
Well-designed products make me happy. The feeling of holding a product and immediately understanding what it is and how I…
9 Tips for Early-Stage Product Development
“Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.”Brian Reed Whether we’re working on an industrial design project, firmware development, or…
The 4 Levels of Prototype Development
So you have an idea. Maybe you know you’re going to need to show more than just an idea to…
5 Lean Principles and How These Guide the SGW Environment
We’ll be the first to tell you: there is a lot to be learned in the world of product design…
Electronic Product Design and Development — and the Technology That Makes It Possible
As time goes on, more products are designed with integrated electronics to provide specific functionality or connectivity. Businesses that have…
Injection Molding vs. 3D Printing – Which One, When?
As a product development company, we focus on applying lean principles and working with insight. This requires prioritizing frequent and…
Let’s Talk Machines: 10 Processes Used to Make Product Prototypes
“You do not need to be Alan Greenspan to understand that the more things a machine can do, the bigger…
Client vs. Product Design Companies: Two Perspectives
At SGW Designworks, we take great pride in our ability to work with clients of all types. In fact, the…
From Sketch to CAD — The Engineer’s Drawing Board Then and Now
“When designing a part for a plastic injection mold, you should be able to put your pen down on a…
Product Engineering with Insight: The SGW Philosophy
Any good product development engineer knows that, in addition to repetition and practice, they must think critically about how the…
Product Design Services: How Outsourcing Can Reduce Your Cost
Many companies tend to think that the leanest way of operating is to focus on product design internally. This approach…
When Vision Becomes Reality: How VR is Revolutionizing Consumer Product Design
What comes to mind when you think of applications for virtual reality? Gaming? Military? Education? What about prototyping? Believe it…
Developing a Product Is Hard (Here’s How to Make it Easier)
You have an idea for a new product. Great. Now what? You should build a prototype, right? Find angel investors? Apply for a patent?…
How Outsourcing to a Product Development Firm Speeds Up Time to Market
It’s no secret that it’s difficult — if not impossible — to make money on an idea if it doesn’t…
I’m a New Grad Who Chose Mechanical Engineering — Here’s Why
My path towards a career in mechanical engineering began at home as a kid, in a family where I am…
Researching Product Prototyping Companies — And Finding the Right Fit
For many organizations, the decision to research product prototyping companies can feel like a leap forward in the production process.…
Building A World Class Product Development Team
Product Development - it's sexy, it's cool, everybody wants to be involved with it. It is where new ideas are…
An Intern’s Perspective on Team Engineering
Over the past several months, I've been fascinated by the incredible feats of engineering that were accomplished during the space…
Industrial Design Company SGW Designworks
Industrial Design Company In the world of product design and engineering, the term "Industrial Design" is used many different ways,…
Should You Hire a Product Design Company?
Should you Hire a Product Design Company? Many of the smaller businesses we work with understand that in order to…
VR Prototyping Can Save you Thousands of Dollars
When you hear Virtual Reality Prototyping, do you think gaming somewhat instantly? if you do, you are not alone. But…
A guide for Startups working with Product Design Companies
We are frequently asked if we work with startup companies. The answer is a qualified 'Yes': While most of our…
Structuring Product Design Engineering Projects
The success or failure of a product development effort depends on many things. The development work itself will focus on…
Top 5 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Product Development and Design Process
5 Top Benefits of Outsourcing Your Product Design Process Have you ever considered outsourcing product design? There are many advantages…
Managing Innovation in Product Development Engineering
Product Development engineering in practice, as we have seen, relies heavily on the application of creative ideas into innovative products/processes.…