119: Planning for the Unexpected in Product Design

Kelly Schmutte is a dual degree graduate and a lecturer at Standford University at d.School.  She has also worked at IDEO and on product development of many hardware products, including designing and running her own product called PerfectFit, one of the world’s leading professional dance shoes, and is the co-author of the design book Navigating Ambiguity.  Today Kelly is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand ambiguity and unexpected circumstances within the product development journey, and how to maximize the value of your product through prototyping and testing before going into manufacturing.

Today you will hear us talk about:

Defining ambiguity - The quality of being open to more than one interpretation

How does it apply to hardware product design

Framing the problem, then asking why that problem is important

How do you then go about solving the problem.

What is some of the academic research around ambiguity in design

How do you use this in hardware design

The importance prototyping

Prototype to learn at first, then prototype to figure it out, then prototype to perfect it and validate it.

EPISODE LINKS

Kelly Schmutte / Navigating Ambiguity Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-schmutte-a29b614/

Website: https://perfectfitpointe.com/

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623448/navigating-ambiguity-by-andrea-small-kelly-schmutte-and-stanford-dschool-artwork-by-reina-takahashi-photographs-by-andria-lo/

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent

Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/

Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry’s leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!