Synthesis

Straight talk on product design

What we've learned taking products from concept to production, for founders who'd rather know now than find out at the factory.

Not sure where to start? Tell us what brought you here:

Recommended Coffer Studios CMF: colour, material and finish variety
CMF Design • 8 min read

What Is CMF Design and Why It Decides Whether Your Product Looks Cheap or Premium

Colour, material and finish decisions are made on almost every product; most just aren't made deliberately. Here's what actually goes into getting them right.

Recommended Exploded engineering view relevant to prototyping
Manufacturing & Engineering • 7 min read

The Prototype Mistake That Costs Founders $20,000 (And How to Avoid It)

The single most expensive mistake we see founders make isn't skipping a prototype. It's prototyping the wrong thing, the wrong way.

Recommended Hand-drawn concept sketches, a 3D-printed prototype and design pens on an industrial design worktable
Product Development • 6 min read

From Sketch to Shelf: What a Full Product Development Process Actually Looks Like

A product goes through six real stages, not one. Almost every blown budget or missed deadline traces back to one of them getting skipped.

Recommended Material finish swatches, calipers, and a colour, material and finish exploration sheet for a product's housing and controls
CMF Design • 6 min read

Colour, Material, Finish: The Brief Your Manufacturer Actually Needs to Get It Right

A moodboard isn't a brief a factory can quote against. Here's what actually needs to be in it.

Recommended Repeat pattern swatches, a colour chip fan and a printed textile roll on a surface design worktable
Surface & Print • 6 min read

What to Put on Your Product Before It Goes to Market: Surface and Print Design for Houseware Brands

Pattern and print aren't decoration bolted on at the end. Here's where founders usually get it wrong.

Recommended 3D-printed prototype parts relevant to manufacturing tolerances and draft angle
Manufacturing & Engineering • 6 min read

Draft Angle: The 2° Rule That Decides Whether Your Injection-Molded Part Ships or Sticks

1 to 2 degrees is where to start, not where to stop checking. Here's what actually changes the number.

Recommended Hand-drawn concept sketches and a wood-toned prototype on an industrial design worktable
Materials & Processes • 7 min read

Designing for Manufacturing with Wood: The Complete Guide

Wood isn't manufactured like metal or plastic. Material, routing, grain direction and finish, what actually changes.

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