A new methodology
Design for Here™
Not for there.
Design inherently solves problems. Most problems are local. Local people are best suited to design solutions for here — the place they are in.
The Problem
Hardware development is broken
The challenging investment environment for hardware development means that for startups and bootstrapping inventors it seems impossible to scale without trading equity for capital or relying on selling IP or exiting in order to generate revenue.
Tooling costs can be genuinely out of reach and intimidating ROI figures mean that manufacturing ramp-up needs to be aggressive and, usually, unrealistic.
1000s
of miles to your manufacturer
Months
of lead time for tooling
£10k+
minimum tooling investment
The Missed Revolution
The factory came to the shed. The methods didn't.
Product development is a well established industry with tried and tested methods for product ideation, development, prototyping, testing, and design for manufacture. These processes have yielded world-changing products and increasingly integrated designs.
Alongside this we've seen the miniaturisation and democratisation of manufacturing technologies — CNC, additive, and assembly automation — bring the power of the factory to the garden shed inventor.
The increase in consumer demand and manufacturing miniaturisation combined could have resulted in a micro-manufacturing revolution. In reality, the "on demand" and "digital manufacturing" revolutions have once again become the realm of high-value products or large scale manufacturers.
The Methodology
Design for Here™ changes this.
We've developed and adapted traditional design thinking approaches by tailoring them to the manufacturing technologies that we can access here.
Identify manufacturing methods before engineering design
Design thinking tailored for low-volume manufacture
Consider the circular economy from the start
Maintain full oversight and ownership throughout
The Pillars
Built on five principles
Environmental
Local supply chains, reduced shipping, and designing for the circular economy from day one. The greener way to build products.
Cost Trade-offs
No tooling costs. Higher per-part and labour costs, but dramatically lower barriers to entry and sustainable unit economics at low volumes.
Quality & Repeatability
Digital manufacturing methods deliver consistent, measurable quality. Every part is traceable and every process is repeatable.
Circular Economy
Products designed for disassembly, repair, and material recovery. End-of-life is considered at the start of life.
Oversight & Ownership
No middlemen, no poor-oversight video calls across time zones. You own the process, the tooling, and the IP — completely.
Manufacturing Methods
The technologies of here
Low-volume manufacturing methods that bring production power to your doorstep.
Laser Cutting
Precision flat-profile parts from sheet materials
CNC Machining
Subtractive manufacturing for metal and plastics
Additive Manufacturing
3D printing technologies for rapid prototyping and production of complex geometries
Desktop Injection
Small-scale injection moulding for higher-volume local production
The Big Think
Design solves problems. Most problems are local.
The economic, environmental, and psychological impacts of product development can no longer be ignored.
When your manufacturer can be thousands of miles and hours of air travel away, challenging video calls providing poor oversight and middlemen can be the only option to build a relationship with your manufacturer.
The Design for Here process truly enables hardware startups to thrive, is built for on-demand and digital manufacturing, and considers the circular economy from the start.
The greener, more affordable, and just better way of doing things.