Design process, tech packs, material samples and specifications laid out
01
Discovery

Brief, scope, and strategic alignment

Every project starts with a call, not an email form. We need to understand what you're building, why, and what success looks like. Get the brief wrong and everything downstream suffers. It's where mistakes get expensive.

Duration
1–2 weeks
Deliverable
Scope document + project proposal
Your input
Brief, references, cost targets
02
Concept Development

Design with manufacturing intent baked in

Sketch, material direction, hardware, construction logic. All in parallel. We design it knowing exactly how it will be made and what it costs at scale.

Duration
3–5 weeks
Deliverable
Concept sketches, material board, initial BOM
Milestones
Concept sign-off
03
Technical Development

Spec pack, patterns, and factory briefing

Approved concept becomes a full technical specification: flat patterns, construction details, dimensioned drawings, hardware specs, materials callouts. Everything a factory needs to produce a correct first sample without a phone call.

Duration
4–6 weeks
Deliverable
Full spec pack, tech pack, factory brief
Factory involvement
Costing, feedback loop begins
04
Sampling & Refinement

Proto rounds managed end to end

First samples arrive. We inspect them against the spec and document every deviation with photo evidence. You see the feedback summary and sign off before we send anything back to the factory.

Duration
6–12 weeks (2–3 rounds)
Deliverable
Revision reports, golden sample
Milestone
Pre-production sign-off
05
Production

On-the-ground quality control throughout

Production runs with us managing the factory directly. We do in-line inspections at 20% and 80% through the run. Final inspection to AQL 2.5 before it ships. Defects get fixed at source, not six weeks later via email.

Duration
6–14 weeks (volume dependent)
Inspection standard
AQL 2.5 throughout
Deliverable
Goods on ship, QC report
06
Post-Launch

Iterate, scale, and repeat

Product is in market, feedback's coming in. We use that first production run to build a better second one. Tighter tolerances where variability showed up, specs adjusted from real-world use, costs optimised for higher volume orders.

Focus
Re-order optimisation, cost reduction
Benefit
Faster subsequent cycles
Outcome
Measurable COGS improvement
Indicative timeline: concept to first shipment
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
M8
M9
M10
M11
M12
Discovery & Concept
Technical Development
Sampling & Refinement
Production & QC (12 wks)
Shipping (5–6 wks)
Discovery & Concept M1 – M3
Technical Development M3 – M5
Sampling & Refinement M4 – M8
Production & QC M7 – M10  ·  12 wks
Shipping M10 – M12  ·  5–6 wks
M1M3M6M9M12

Timelines are indicative and vary by product complexity, factory lead time, and revision cycles. Development-only or manufacturing-only engagements compress significantly.

Sam discussing production with a factory manager on the floor
How we think
01

Manufacturing first

Design decisions get made with the factory floor in mind. If it can't be made consistently and affordably at scale, it stays out of the spec.

02

On-site, not remote

Factory problems get solved at the factory. Not from a spreadsheet. We're there when it counts.

03

Honest timelines

We tell you upfront what's realistic. A tight date we miss is worse than a real one we hit. We don't sell you deadlines we can't keep.

04

Cost as a design constraint

Target cost isn't an afterthought. It's a constraint from day one. We design to the number.

05

One point of accountability

You have one contact. They know the design, the factory, the spec, the QC history. Nothing slips between the cracks because there aren't any.

06

Compounding returns

Your second product is always faster and cheaper than the first. Factory relationships, existing material partnerships, and what we've learned compound. That's where the real value comes from.

Ready to start?

One call is all it takes. We'll talk through what we'd do, how long it'll take, and what you'll spend.