The Early-Stage Company Product Design and Development Checklist

Early-stage innovators and startup companies often have many questions when it comes to the design and development of a new product. In most instances, early-stage innovators come to us very early in the product development process, and they lack the resources or capabilities to move forward with their ideas.

Follow This Checklist to be Prepared For Your Initial Meeting

Here’s our list of ideal checklist items we would recommend entrepreneurs have when they reach out to a product design agency, like Motiv. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything, the Motiv team can help. Early-stage innovators and startup companies often have many questions when it comes to the design and development of a new product. In most instances, early-stage innovators come to us very early in the product development process, and they lack the resources or capabilities to move forward with their ideas.

Before Reaching Out to a Design Firm

  • Timing: In most instances, early-stage innovators will seek a product design firm very early in the development process. They lack the resources or capabilities to move forward with their ideas.
  • Research and Define Your Idea: Startup companies should have a clear understanding of your innovation or product idea. This means having formal documents on market research, and a competitive analysis. Clearly define your value proposition, your unique selling points, and the problems your product aims to solve.

Getting Started With a Design Firm

  • A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
  • Product brief and specifications
  • Market research
  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Prototype
  • Pitch decks for venture capital
  • Intellectual Property
  • Messaging and branding
  • Attorney

Getting Started With a Design Firm

Once an agency agrees to work with you, have this research ready to go:

  • Create a Detailed Brief: Based on your business plan, prepare a detailed brief that outlines your concept, objectives, target audience, and any specific requirements. Include sketches, diagrams, or any visual aids that can help communicate your idea more effectively.
  • Have an Initial Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy: Mitigate the risk inherent in the introduction of a new product. Understand your target market profiles, create an initial marketing plan, sales goals, and distribution strategy. Don’t forget about packaging design and other brand design assets that help end-users understand your product.
  • Identify Core Features and Functionalities: Prioritize the key features and functionalities you want your product to have. Understand what aspects of your product are critical and which ones can be considered for future iterations.
  • Understand Your Target Audience: Identify and understand your target audience's needs, pain points, and preferences. The better you know your potential users, the more tailored the design can be.

Project Specifics

  • Budget: Determine a budget for the product’s full development – concept to production. Be transparent about your financial constraints.
  • Set a Realistic Budget and Timeline: Determine a budget and timeline for the product’s full development – concept to production. Be transparent about your financial constraints and project deadlines.
  • Define Metrics of Success: Determine the metrics or indicators that will define success along the way. These metrics could include initial milestones, such as usability testing results, or user feedback to units produced and sold.

Ongoing Work With a Product Design Firm

  • Be Open to Feedback: Be open to suggestions and feedback from the product design firm. Successful product development often involves collaboration and iterative improvements throughout the process.
  • Communication and Expectations: Clearly communicate your expectations for the collaboration and establish effective communication channels. Regularly update each other on progress and any changes in requirements.

Naturally startups will seek professional advice, and we are always happy to provide guidance, but ultimately, it is up to the innovator to take the next steps.

Not Ready to Move Forward With a Product Idea? Check Out Our Workshops

We craft a customized product design workshop for you to:

  • Get feedback on a product idea.
  • Develop a rich pipeline of new line and category extensions under those brand platforms.
  • Get feedback on product packaging.
  • Spark new creativity from within your team using our best-in-class concept development techniques.
  • Take an existing product(s) and tweak, shape, refine, or transform them into something new and potentially game changing.
Product Design Workshops

Contact Us to Get Started

Connect with a product  design expert at Motiv to get started with your next project.