# 180 - Making Design Fun! With Deon Mixon

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2023-01-31
- Length: 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon

## Summary

Deon Mixon, founder and CEO of Design Eye, discusses his journey from a graphic design student in Detroit to creating the board game Design Eye to increase diversity in the design industry. He details the prototyping process, which evolved from an early prototype called GNA, through a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $13,000 to fund the first production run of 1,000 units. Mixon explains how he managed manufacturing via Alibaba and Skype, and outlines his strategy to pivot from a game company to a design education company targeting school districts. He also previews upcoming products, Design Eye Pro and Design Eye Harmony, which will be launched via future Kickstarter campaigns.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon#t=0) Introduction: Deon Mixon and Design Eye
- [3:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon#t=200) Mixon's Background and the Origin of Design Eye
- [7:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon#t=468) Prototyping, Name Changes, and Diversity Goals
- [12:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon#t=775) College Thesis, Prototyping, and Kickstarter Execution
- [18:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon#t=1117) Production, Sales, and Pivot to Education Company
- [24:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon#t=1473) Upcoming Products: Design Eye Pro and Harmony

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Design Eye (product)
- GNA (product)
- Alibaba (other)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Spark Packaging (company)
- Gyro (company)
- Western Michigan University (other)
- AIGA (other)
- 99% Invisible (other)

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## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-31-180-making-design-fun-with-deon-mixon. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.