Durability is one of many categories to consider when your team is developing a new product. For many products, it’s right up there with production cost, ergonomics, and functionality in terms of importance. But it can be tricky to get ruggedization right because the...
Updated 8/1/22 Prototypes serve an important role for companies developing new products. When developed and used properly, prototypes can speed up development, test assumptions, and reduce overall development risk. But how much does it cost to prototype a product? A...
From the smartphone in your pocket to the vehicle you drive, great products don’t just happen. They require more than an advanced technical skillset or a team of talented developers. A great product requires thoughtful consideration of its end-user. This is where the...
The market for connected products and IoT devices continues to grow. Products from coffee makers to sporting goods are now connected to the web. This means development teams have to run not only mechanical and electronics engineering in parallel, but firmware...
We’ve come a long way since our company’s inception in 2008. What started with three co-founders and a Rolodex has evolved into an award-winning firm housing an 18-member team of talented engineers and product development experts. Our service offerings have expanded...
Since 1950, many of the world’s most well-designed products have been recognized by the GOOD DESIGN® Awards. This is the world’s oldest design awards program — described as “the most sought-after international seal of outstanding design quality.” GOOD DESIGN marks its...
Since its publishing in 2011, Eric Ries’s bestselling book The Lean Startup (along with its principles, like the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop) has ushered in an entrepreneurial revolution. We certainly felt its impact. Our company, SGW Designworks, was one of...
“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”– Michael Scott, The Office Plenty of TV-famous bosses believe they truly know how to motivate their team — or how to improve company culture — yet we laugh and...
Does your company culture need a reboot? Continue reading for part one of our Conversations on Culture Series, in which we explore the reasons why a product development firm's culture is so important and why we decided it was time to make a change. A thriving...
“Good design is the most important way to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.” —Former Samsung CEO Yun Jong Yong At SGW Designworks, our philosophy is much the same — we won’t settle for mediocrity when it comes to the product development work we do for our...
What do you consider to be the most well-designed products in recent history? Perhaps you might think of important inventions like the smartphone or the 3-D printer. But there are countless other lesser-known products created during this time that share the hallmarks...
At SGW, we've spent recent weeks reflecting on 2020 and how the past year has impacted us and our industry as a whole. For most, it would be an understatement to say this has been a time of significant change. Societally, professionally, and personally, humans all...
Are you a small business, startup, or inventor and you have an idea for a product, but aren't sure if (or how) to proceed? If so, it’s good to make an honest assessment now, before making costly investments or taking other unnecessary risks to get your idea off the...
If you wanted to embark on a new business venture but knew it had only a five percent chance of success, would you proceed? Many would say no. And yet, thousands of companies begin the arduous process of launching new products each year, despite the bleak future of...
“Leave the world in better conditions in which you found it.” — Baden Powell At SGW, we reflect frequently on our mission to “Improve Human Existence.” It’s a lofty ambition, to be sure. But because we strongly believe our partnerships — and the products we...
"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."—Bill Gates At SGW Designworks, our leadership team is continually looking for opportunities to empower our clients, individuals within our company, and the business community at large....
A few months ago, several members of the SGW Designworks leadership team convened for a roundtable discussion that served as both a retrospective and a projection of where we see our company going in the months and years to come. We talked about SGW’s humble...
We’ve been talking a lot lately about our mission here at SGW Designworks to “improve human existence” — and, in the age of COVID-19, the importance of this mission cannot be overstated as we look at the challenges ahead for both our nation and the world at...
During my college years, a family friend asked what I was studying. They were quite surprised when I told them mechanical engineering — because they responded with, “But you are so good with people!” However, there is — or should be — a human side of product...
In 2019, we saw a lot happen from a product standpoint, from groundbreaking developments to unfortunate and sometimes tragic mishaps — everything from the launch of Tesla’s new Cybertruck and its broken glass snafu to the two deadly Boeing 737 MAX passenger airline...
Recently, several from SGW’s leadership team convened to discuss the state of product development in 2020 — specifically, trends and technological advancements that are shaping our industry. To spark this discussion, we reflected on a Forbes article from last year...
In recent years, virtual reality has all but revolutionized the world of product design (at least for the companies that embrace this technology). In 2018, we discussed some of these advancements with GoEngineer and how VR capabilities have drastically reduced...
“A noble purpose inspires sacrifice, stimulates innovation and encourages perseverance.”— Gary Hamel, Management Consultant This year, 2019, marked the 14th annual Idaho Innovation Awards program, which was organized by Stoel Rives LLP, Trailhead, and the Idaho...
In recent months, you may recall reading about our new manufacturing management service offering, or seeing press coverage of our MOU signing with Taiwan-based manufacturer Megaforce. Developing this manufacturing partnership has required much work behind the scenes...
If the terms “feature creep,” “waterfall,” and “agile methodology” are a regular part of your vernacular, it’s safe to assume your career entails lean hardware development. Just as the terminology specific to hardware* engineering may be complex and nuanced, so too...
“Empathy is one of our greatest tools of business that is most underused.”—Daniel Lubetzky, CEO, Kind When people hear the word “empathy,” many think of how it affects our interpersonal relationships, specifically how we relate to and connect with other humans. But...
Hi, I’m Kenzie Roan — Boise born and raised, a product design student at Stanford University, and SGW Designworks’ summer product design intern. Coming into my summer internship at SGW I was excited to dig in and apply the principles I learned in school to real...
Like most product designers and developers, we thrive in an innovative, fast-paced environment. (We are problem solvers, after all.) As such, we enjoy being presented with challenges — which is a good thing, because no two projects are the same. This means each day is...
Eureka! It only took two weeks and we finally had it. We had started with a blank canvas and we now had a concept idea worthy of our client’s approval. Did we really say “Eureka”? Not really, but maybe we should have. It was more like, “Yep, there it is....
manufacturing management service from SGW Designworks
When you hear of the Wisconsin town of Oshkosh, one might think of overalls and industry. After all, the area was once known as “Sawdust City” due to the number of lumber mills in the vicinity. But this special place in America’s heartland is known for more than...
When AERO Specialties first reached out to us in 2013, we were eager to prove our ability to provide exceptional ground support equipment design. The company, which consists of self-admitted “aviation pros,” has a track record in the ground support equipment (GSE)...
If you’ve been acquainted with SGW Designworks for a while, you know we are vocal champions of our clients’ successes. In our company’s history, we’ve worked with industry leaders in agriculture equipment, consumer, industrial, and IoT markets to develop a host of...
In recent years, SGW has established relationships with companies whose products and equipment must hold up to incredibly harsh conditions in an industrial setting. Frequently, we are tasked with developing service equipment such as GSE (ground service equipment) for...
“Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. It’s coming up with ideas, testing principles, and perfecting the engineering, as well as final assembly.”James Dyson During the product development process, design iterations allow us to work out the kinks in a...
Mature businesses are keenly aware of the resources and investment required when commercializing an idea. However, startups and emerging businesses may not be as familiar with the process. In our years helping businesses both large and small to develop meaningful new...
Well-designed products make me happy. The feeling of holding a product and immediately understanding what it is and how I can use it is satisfying. Even more satisfying: having played a part in the process of designing something well and understanding the amount...
“Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.”Brian Reed Whether we’re working on an industrial design project, firmware development, or PCBA design and layout, early-stage product development sets a precedent for eventual project outcomes. From the...
So you have an idea. Maybe you know you’re going to need to show more than just an idea to potential investors, but you’re not entirely sure what prototype development entails. If this describes you, you’re not alone — prototyping questions are among the most common...
We’ll be the first to tell you: there is a lot to be learned in the world of product design and development. From understanding and applying lean principles to grasping the specific uses of certain types of tools and equipment, we are presented with challenges and...
As time goes on, more products are designed with integrated electronics to provide specific functionality or connectivity. Businesses that have dominated their market space are feeling pressure from competitors who are adding technology to products that were...
As a product development company, we focus on applying lean principles and working with insight. This requires prioritizing frequent and focused prototyping throughout a project’s lifecycle. And it means we as designers and developers must have an in-depth...
“You do not need to be Alan Greenspan to understand that the more things a machine can do, the bigger the market.”Fred Hapgood, Discover Magazine, June 2008 As we develop product prototypes in today’s modern world, it is crucial that we understand our capabilities —...
At SGW Designworks, we take great pride in our ability to work with clients of all types. In fact, the most successful product design companies are able to convey complicated concepts while truly understanding their client’s needs — then communicating accordingly....
Engineers who have been around pre-CAD remember when sketching their designs on paper was a standard part of the engineering development process. They used large drafting tables and a variety of tools to get the angles and edges nice and clean and they did their math...
Any good product development engineer knows that, in addition to repetition and practice, they must think critically about how the process of their work relates to the selection of materials, the design of parts, and fabrication. This type of critical thinking and...
Many companies tend to think that the leanest way of operating is to focus on product design internally. This approach has its benefits — but often leads to inefficiencies, loss of business, and burnout among employees. While it may seem like a waste of money to pay...
What comes to mind when you think of applications for virtual reality? Gaming? Military? Education? What about prototyping? Believe it or not, VR is incredibly well-suited to enterprise applications, particularly within the design and engineering sector — as it...