PRODUCT DESIGN SERVICES
Product Design Services
From First Sketch to Production-Ready CAD
Synectic's product design team takes products from concept sketches through production-ready CAD — aesthetics, ergonomics, and manufacturing built in from the start.
THE DESIGN PHASE
Functional, Aesthetic, & Manufacturable Designs
Product design is the work of deciding what a product looks like, how it feels in the hand, how a user interacts with it, and what makes it stand apart on the market. Industrial design is the discipline at the heart of that process — focused on aesthetics, ergonomics, and form.
At Synectic, industrial design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Our ID team works alongside mechanical and electrical engineers from the first brainstorming session, so the concepts we generate are grounded in engineering reality from day one. A design that looks stunning in a rendering but can’t be manufactured at cost is a problem we catch before it becomes your problem.
Whether you need a full concept-to-CAD design engagement or industrial design expertise applied to a product that already has its mechanical architecture defined, we scope the engagement around what your project actually needs.
What you get at the end of the design phase
- 2-3 distinct product concepts with documented design rationale
- Concept sketches — ideation drawings through detailed form studies
- CMF (color, material, finish) specification
- Photorealistic renderings for stakeholder review, fundraising, or marketing
- Full 3D CAD models in SolidWorks — ready for prototype development
- Ergonomic analysis and human factors documentation where required
- DFM assessment confirming the design can be produced at target cost
- All files yours to keep — sketches, CAD, renderings, documentation
THE FULL JOURNEY
Product Design is One Part of the Journey
Once your design is production-ready, the same Synectic team takes it through prototyping, NPI, and manufacturing. You don’t change partners at design transfer — we stay with your product all the way to the production floor.
Need a partner for the full journey?
WHAT WE DO
What Our Product Design Services Cover
Two disciplines working as one — product design covers the technical design process, industrial design covers the aesthetics and human experience. At Synectic they happen in parallel, not in sequence.
Product Design
Concept Generation
Sketching & Ideation
CAD Modeling & Renderings
Industrial Design
Industrial design is the discipline focused on how a product looks, feels, and communicates. At Synectic our industrial designers work alongside mechanical and electrical engineers from the first session — the way a product looks is never an afterthought to how it works.
Aesthetics & Form
Materials, Colors, & Finishes
Ergonomics & Human Factors
THE DESIGN PROCESS
From Concept to Production-Ready CAD in Four Steps
Every design engagement follows the same disciplined sequence — fast enough to maintain momentum, rigorous enough to prevent expensive redesigns later.
Concept Generation
Collaborative brainstorming with your team. Multiple directions explored, documented, and presented for feedback and selection.
Sketching & Materials
Selected concepts developed into detailed form sketches and materials, colors, and surface finish specifications. Renderings produced where needed for stakeholder review.
CAD Development
Winning concepts converted to full 3D CAD in SolidWorks. Engineering analysis applied throughout to validate key design decisions before prototyping.
Design Refinement
Breadboard prototypes for electronics validation. Concept downselection and final refinement until the design is ready for prototype development.
OUR APPROACH
What Makes Our Product Design Approach Different
Industrial design at Synectic is integrated with engineering — not handed off to it. Here’s what that means in practice.
Design and Engineering in Parallel
Our ID team and mechanical engineers work simultaneously from the first session — not sequentially. This eliminates the classic "design then engineer" gap that causes redesigns and budget overruns.
The Mack Group Advantage
Synectic is part of the Mack Group family of engineering and manufacturing companies. Our design team has direct relationships with the production staff who will build your product. That proximity means manufacturing constraints inform design decisions from the first concept session, not after tooling has been committed.
Human Factors for Demanding Environments
How users interact with a product under pressure — grip, reach, force, visual feedback, and error reduction. We apply human factors engineering across every vertical where a poorly designed interaction creates risk, whether that's a professional tool, a food service machine, or a piece of capital equipment.
Cross-Vertical Design Experience
Consumer products, medical devices, capital equipment, food service equipment, defense systems — different industries have different design languages and constraints. We know the difference.
Everything Generated is Yours
Every sketch, CAD file, rendering, and materials specification belongs to you. We retain no IP and place no restrictions on what you do with the design outputs — take them to any manufacturer, investor, or partner.
Path to Prototype and Production
Design doesn't stop at CAD. Our prototype development team builds and tests what the design team creates — and our integration with the Mack Group means the path to production is built into the process from day one.
PORTFOLIO HIGHLIGHTS
Products We've Prototyped and Brought to Market
Every product below started as a prototype at Synectic and went on to full production. From medical devices to consumer products and capital equipment.
FAQ
Product Design Services - Common Questions
What is product design?
Product design is the process of deciding what a product looks like, how it feels in the hand, how a user interacts with it, and how it will be built. It covers concept generation, sketching, CAD modeling, materials and finish specification, and engineering refinement — the work that turns a requirement or idea into a design ready for prototyping.
How does industrial design fit into product design?
Industrial design is the specific discipline within product design focused on aesthetics, ergonomics, and the visual language of a product — how it looks, how it feels, and how it communicates. At Synectic our industrial designers and mechanical engineers work in the same team from the first session. We don’t treat aesthetics as a separate phase that comes after engineering — the two happen together from concept stage through to production-ready CAD.
What is the difference between product design and product development?
Product design is one phase within a broader product development engagement. Design covers what a product looks like, how it feels, and how a user interacts with it — concept generation, sketching, CAD modeling, and engineering refinement. Product development is the full process from strategy through manufacturing, of which design is phase two. At Synectic you can engage us for the design phase specifically or for the complete development journey. See how we approach full product development →
What is a product design concept?
A product design concept is a proposed direction for what a product could be — its form, function, and fundamental approach to solving the design problem. At the concept stage we’re not committing to a single solution. We develop two to three distinct concepts, each documented with the rationale behind it and the trade-offs it makes. Concepts typically take the form of sketches, 2D layouts, or early 3D explorations — enough to evaluate and compare directions before committing resources to full CAD development.
What is concept development in product design?
Concept development is the structured process of generating, exploring, and narrowing design directions before committing to a single path. It starts with understanding the problem — requirements from the Product Development Specification, user needs, manufacturing constraints, and competitive context. From there the team generates a range of ideas, sketches them out, evaluates each against the design criteria, and selects the most promising direction to develop further. Good concept development produces better designs because it explores the space of possibilities rather than defaulting to the first idea that seems to work.
How are product design and industrial design different?
Product design is the broader term — it covers the full design process including concept generation, mechanical engineering, CAD modeling, and engineering refinement. Industrial design is a specific discipline within product design focused on aesthetics, ergonomics, and the visual language of a product. In practice at Synectic the two are inseparable. Our industrial designers and mechanical engineers work in the same team from the first session rather than one handing off to the other.
How do you create a product design?
Creating a product design at Synectic follows four phases. First, concept generation — collaborative brainstorming that produces two to three distinct directions documented in sketches and early layouts. Second, sketching and materials — the selected concept is developed into detailed form studies and materials and finish specifications. Third, CAD development — the design moves into full 3D CAD in SolidWorks with engineering analysis applied throughout. Fourth, refinement — breadboard prototypes test electronic concepts, decisions are validated against the Product Development Specification, and the design is prepared for prototype development. Every deliverable belongs to you.
How do user needs influence product design?
User needs are the starting point for every design decision we make. Before concept generation begins, we work with you to define who uses the product, in what environment, for what purpose, and with what physical and cognitive constraints. Those requirements get captured in the Product Development Specification and become the criteria against which every design decision is evaluated. Form, ergonomics, interaction design, material selection, and interface layout all trace back to specific user needs — not aesthetic preference or convention.
How do you test your product design?
Testing during the design phase typically takes the form of breadboard prototypes, early physical models, and engineering analysis rather than formal verification testing — that happens in the prototype development phase. During design we test concepts by building rough physical models to evaluate form and ergonomics, creating breadboard electronics to validate a circuit or control approach, and running simulations or hand calculations to confirm structural or thermal behavior. The goal is to catch problems while design changes are cheap — before tooling is committed or production prototypes are built.
What makes product design successful?
A successful product design meets four criteria simultaneously — it solves the user’s problem effectively, it can be manufactured at the target cost, it performs reliably under expected use conditions, and it communicates the right things about the product and brand. The designs that fail usually compromise one of these for another — a design that looks great but can’t be manufactured, or one that’s engineered perfectly but no one wants to use. The discipline of product design is holding all four in tension throughout the process.
How do you know when a product design is complete?
A product design is complete when it meets all the requirements in the Product Development Specification, has been reviewed against manufacturing constraints, and is documented in production-ready CAD files ready for prototype development. In practice this means all functional requirements are addressed in the design, engineering analysis confirms key performance parameters, materials and finishes are specified, and a DFM review has been completed. A design that looks finished in CAD but hasn’t been reviewed against manufacturing constraints is not complete.
How do I bring a product design to market?
Bringing a product design to market requires three phases beyond the design itself — prototyping and validation, new product introduction, and manufacturing. Prototyping builds physical units and tests them against performance and usability requirements. NPI covers tooling, supplier sourcing, and pre-production builds that prove the manufacturing process works. At Synectic the design team that created your product stays involved through all three phases — and through our integration with the Mack Group, production happens without changing partners. See how we approach the full development process →
Can you work on just the design phase if we already have an engineering team?
Yes. We regularly engage as the design-phase partner for companies that have internal engineering capability but need industrial design, concept generation, or CAD development support. We scope the engagement around what you actually need and hand off clean files — SolidWorks CAD, sketches, materials specifications, renderings — that your team can take forward.
Do you do product design for medical devices?
Yes, and it’s where a significant portion of our design experience sits. Medical device product design requires human factors engineering, IEC 62366 usability compliance, biocompatible material selection, and design documentation that supports FDA submission. We are ISO 13485:2016 certified with 40+ years of FDA-regulated device design experience. See our medical device design services →
How many concepts will you develop?
Every engagement produces a minimum of two to three distinct concepts — not minor variations on a single direction. Each concept documents the design rationale and trade-offs so you can make a decision grounded in information rather than preference. The scope of concept development is defined in the fixed-fee proposal before work begins.
What CAD software do you use?
SolidWorks for 3D CAD modeling, rendering, and simulation. Adobe Creative Suite for sketching refinement, materials and finish presentation, and rendering post-production. Physical sketching for ideation and concept exploration. All native SolidWorks files are delivered as part of every engagement.
How much do product design services cost?
A focused concept generation and sketching phase typically starts around $15K–$30K. A complete design engagement from concept through production-ready CAD — including materials specification, renderings, and full design documentation — typically runs $40K–$100K depending on product complexity. Every engagement is fixed-fee. If you have a specific budget, tell us and we’ll scope accordingly.
How does sustainability affect product design?
Sustainability in product design shows up in material selection, part count, and end-of-life planning. Choosing recycled or recyclable materials, reducing the number of unique components, designing for disassembly so materials can be recovered, and specifying surface finishes that don’t require hazardous processes are all decisions made during the design phase that have lasting environmental impact. For products heading into regulated markets — particularly in Europe — RoHS, REACH, and WEEE compliance constraints are design inputs from day one, not afterthoughts. We incorporate sustainability requirements into the Product Development Specification at the start of every engagement where they’re relevant.
We already have CAD files. Can you pick up from there?
Yes, and it’s one of the most common ways we engage. Clients come to us with existing CAD that needs a DFM review, engineering refinement, or a redesign before prototyping. We assess what’s there, identify the gaps, and propose the right scope — not a full restart unless that’s what the project actually needs.
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Related Resources
Concept Development: A Practical Framework for Product Teams
Essential CAD Design Techniques for Better Product Design
3 Reasons Experience Matters in Product Design
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