Brief_Design

IDESIGN

Selecting a Product Design Consultancy

If this is the first occasion for you to work with a product design consultancy, here are some tips on how to select the appropriate consultancy for your project:

Project Manager

By appointing a project manager in the company to draw up a design brief establishing what you want from the design project and initialising the necessary communication links within your company's structure. Have a good idea of the budget, tooling and development time scale involved.

The Design Consultancy

Choose from a number of design companies whose capabilities fit in with the requirements of your design project. Ask for relevant design experience in the type of products you manufacture, picking a minimum of two consultancies that interest you. Having talked or possibly visiting the consultancies you will quickly establish an idea of what company will suit your needs and how well you will be able to work together. Don't give a detailed brief at this stage until you are sure you want to go with a particular company.

Develop a brief

It is recommended to send a brief to each consultancy you are considering and asking them to submit the following by a set deadline:

- a statement explaining how they propose to approach the project
- a schedule of work stages and details of fees
- terms and conditions

Selection

Select and appoint in writing the consultancy of your choice, notifying the unsuccessful candidates. And remember, the better the design brief, and the more open communication between you and your designer is, the more successful your design project will be in the long run.