Products that go beyond the expected

Initial Concepts [back to top]

Pencil sketches allow for a more natural product design and allow us to capture ideas as they happen.

What does a flower have to do with a light? When it comes to good design, it means a lot.

At Genau Design, we believe good design has universal appeal. When a product is designed well, it will attract more buyers. An investment in good design is a good investment. Done right, your ROI is immediately felt.

We draw our inspiration from many sources. Artworks are a great source, and going to a good museum is one of our favorite pastimes. As the artists who's works grace a museum's halls, we also draw our inspiration from those that have come before. From the beauty of nature to the awe of industrial marvels, the piety of charitable acts and the imagination of science fiction, inspiration is all around us.

We love the back of the envelope.

Our best work is done on the "back of the envelope". As a challenge of a new project settles in and begins to take shape in the eye of the imagination, inspiration strikes at any time. We always carry a pencil and paper for these exact moments.

Once an idea is formed, new ones come quickly. Computers today, as advanced as they may seem, are too slow to capture ideas as they happen. That's why we start our work with paper and pencil. Paper and pencil allows rapid exploration of ideas and often sparks new directions. These basic tools are the foundation of our work and what we present as our initial concepts.

Narrowing down the focus.

We share our pencil sketches with our clients at our first review meeting. This allows you to get a sense of our style with very little investment. These meetings often spark more sketches and allows you to direct important aspects of the product.

We take this input back to the shop for refinement. At this stage, we begin to conceptualize the design in three dimensions using Computer Aided Design (CAD).

No idea is a bad idea.

We strongly believe in "green light" thinking at the early stages. "Green Light" is a term we first heard from Dr. Paul MacCready, the brilliant engineer who created the Gossamer Albatross and the first human-powered plane to cross the English Channel among other great accomplishments. Although a strange idea may seem absurd, it causes one to think differently and may lead to a true breakthrough.

From Sketch to 3D Model [back to top]

Visual representations of your product are printed on 17 x 22 inch presentation boards to gain feedback from key stakeholders and potential customers

Taking your idea to the next level of realization.

Once a general design direction is achieved, we translate two-dimensional sketches into three-dimensional computer models. We use Parametric Technology's Pro Engineer software with the ISDX extension. It has the power to collaboratively develop an idea into any shape, geometric or organic. Key features are explored and the design of your product takes shape.

We distill these models to their essence – removing unnecessary details and refining the shapes to a few variations. We utilize our photo-realistic rendering services to create visual representations of your product. These are printed on 17 x 22 inch presentation boards for another meeting with you. These boards are yours to keep and are often used to gain feedback from key stakeholders and potential customers.

We also offer 3D Printing services for rapid prototypes of your designs. In addition to plastic printing, we have resources in machining and other fabrication techniques to deliver a looks-like/works-like prototype of your product. This is a one-off model that aims to be as close to a production part as possible. Contact us for more details.

Our product design models are primarily for form and space-claim. Once a design is approved, we prepare our CAD files as shells for import into almost any 3D CAD software program. From here, your engineering resource can integrate internal components for final production drawings.

We also offer Research and Development and Design Engineering services to help realize new technologies and new uses of existing technologies. Contact us for more details.

Get Ready for Manufacturability [back to top]

Just because it can be prototyped, does not mean it can be produced.

Once your product is designed, it's imperative it can be produced. Production these days takes all forms from short-run production of a limited edition to thousands or millions of parts, the choices for production are different depending on the part's purpose.

How many parts will you be making? What's the expected lifetime of a part? What is the target price? Is design more important than cost? These are important questions to ask at the beginning of the design process. Changes here can cost tens or hundreds of times more than in the initial stages of design.

We have experience in injection molding, die casting, die punching, metal forming, spin welding, ultrasonic welding, forging, extrusion, CNC, screw machining, proto molding and many other processes to make as little as ten parts or millions and millions of parts. We ask early and often about the production run to ensure we design parts that can be made for the intended purpose.

We have been involved in manufacturing a large array of parts for limited production runs and products for mass distribution. Our network of talented individuals and institutions allows us to refer you to the people that can help get your product off the ground. From tube bending and glass grinding to PCB programming and electronic circuit board manufacturers, we can help you bring your idea to fruition.

Protecting Your Ideas [back to top]

A patent gives you the protection of your idea, but it may not give you the right to make it.

You may have a great idea that's patentable, but it may rely on another patent. So although your idea is protected, you may be infringing on another's patent by using it.

Patent law is a highly-specialized profession and is worth every penny for a good attorney. There are many myths and realities to patent protection. We strongly recommend a patent attorney if you feel hesitant about sharing your ideas. A patent attorney can also help you broaden your claims so your patent covers more than your original idea. The United States Patent and Trademark Office website lists registered attorneys. This is a good place to search. A referral from a trusted advisor is also a good resource.

Non Disclosure Agreements

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are a contract between you and the person you are sharing your idea with. They provide somewhat of a gentlemen's agreement and may be hard to enforce without a patent filed or granted. That's not to say that NDAs should be taken lightly. They build trust and confidence with the people you are working with, and if a person or company wants to maintain a good name, they generally will abide by the non-disclosure parameters.

Non-Disclosure Agreements generally identify what will or has been shared and ask that details unknown to the world at large not be shared with anyone until they are public or after a certain time frame. Your patent attorney can draw up an NDA for your particular idea and the types of people you will be sharing it with.

Design Patents

Design patents are great for securing the shape of an item. They can be subjective and depending on who is reviewing it, a small detail may render a new design different from what is protected in a design patent. Check with your patent attorney.

Utility Patents

Utility patents protect the function of something or the method of creating something. These provide broader protection than a design patent and generally can be applied to a larger variety of products. Check with your patent attorney for more details.

Contact us for a Free Consultation [back to top]

Genau Design & Development, LLC.

925 S. Los Robles Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91106

626 683 9101

www.genaudesign.com

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Get started with Genau Product Design for only $2500!

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