# 110: Design for Manufacturing Consumer Products

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2022-01-19
- Length: 25m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Tim Uys, Head of Design at MAKO Design + Invent, explains the critical role of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) in bringing consumer products to market. He outlines a three-step process from concept design to prototyping and finally production, emphasizing that DFM is not a linear handoff but a collaborative, iterative loop between designers and manufacturers. Uys advises inventors to maintain an open mind, prioritize specific constraints like speed, cost, or quality, and accept that 'perfection is the enemy of success' to avoid missing market windows. He stresses the importance of providing manufacturers with comprehensive documentation—including CAD files, 2D drawings, and animations—to build trust and secure better pricing and engineering support.

## Chapters

- [0:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products#t=47) Introduction: Tim Uys and MAKO Design + Invent
- [4:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products#t=247) The DFM Process: Concept, Prototyping, and Production
- [9:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products#t=543) Three Rules of Thumb for DFM: Open Mind, Priorities, and Perfection
- [14:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products#t=869) Transferring Design to Manufacturers: Documentation and Storytelling
- [19:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products#t=1174) Building Manufacturer Relationships and Iterative Improvement

## Topics

- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- MAKO Design + Invent (company)
- Nike Golf (company)
- Dell (company)
- Qualcomm (company)
- ID-ONE (company)
- Apple (company)
- iPhone (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [IDology #8 - Dos and Don’ts of product development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-02-15-idology-8-dos-and-donts-of-product-development) (IDology)
- [#461: Why Manufacturing is Part of Product Development with Mike Dolphin](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2026-06-22-461-why-manufacturing-is-part-of-product-development-with-mike-dolphin) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [Ep. 8 | From Prototype to Market: Design for Manufacturability with Untapped Engineering Resources](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2020-08-25-ep-8-from-prototype-to-market-design-for-manufacturability-with-untapped-enginee) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Darragh Hudson | How to Set up A Manufacturing Supply Chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-11-18-darragh-hudson-how-to-set-up-a-manufacturing-supply-chain) (Being an Engineer)
- [82: Design is Compromise](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2022-07-18-82-design-is-compromise) (Thoroughly Considered)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-01-19-110-design-for-manufacturing-consumer-products. 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 Product Startup.