Most people who are in the game of product design or inventions will know that in order to know if your product is marketable, you have to build a prototype.

Now, sadly, not everybody has access to Santa’s Toy Workshop in the North Pole, so you need to know how to create a prototype so that you can share your product idea with people who can help to make it a reality. 

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Here’s how to make it happen. 

1. Make a Concept Sketch

You should get your ideas down on paper to help you to visualize it in further detail. In these early stages, lots of ideas will be running through your head and by sketching them out you will see which of them will work, and which may not. 

If you’re an avid inventor, you will likely already keep a sketch notebook to provide documentation that can be used when you submit your patent. Having these drawings will help you to keep your patent protected. Keep your drawings signed, dated and clearly labelled. Once you have come to a clear decision about what you want your prototype to look like, you can then create a digital drawing to begin to see it come to life. 

 If you have the ability, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) can move your invention through the process much quicker by providing uniformity understood everywhere. It’s possible to get gd&t training online to help you understand the process.

2. Build a Physical Prototype 

After creating your virtual prototype, you should then be able to build a physical prototype. There are several resources available to help to do this. You can use a dedicated prototype designer or going to a specialist engineering company such as Rapid Axis to help to build your prototype. Alternatively ask a handyman or advertise in a college with an industrial design course, if having access to enough cash is problematic. 

During the initial physical prototype stage you may find some issues that will need correcting before finding a patent. Be aware that you may need to build several prototypes before you come up with your final design. Start by using cheaper materials and moving onto more expensive materials as your design progresses. When your design is in its most improved states then you should be able to build a prototype that will replicate the actual product you want to sell to customers. 

3. Find a manufacturer 

When you have a working prototype, you may technically be ready apply for a parent. But it is worth considering taking the extra step of locating a manufacturer that us able to produce your product in a way that makes sure that it is highly profitable. This means being able to build your product at a low enough cost that you are able to afford by covering your expenses without using too many of your resources to pay for it. 

Take the time to look for manufacturers who will help you to reduce your potential spending both in the testing stage and production phases that will help you to determine the most cost-efficient price. 

It may be worth speaking to a range of suppliers and manufacturers that will help you to get estimates that will help you to get your idea to a prototype, and finally into production.