# 179: Maximize the Value of your Design Agency Partner

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2023-06-08
- Length: 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Nick Allen, an industrial designer at MAKO Design + Invent, explains how hardware founders can maximize the value of their relationship with a design agency. He advises inventors to clearly articulate their vision, target audience, and constraints through sketches and bullet points, while leveraging their own domain expertise. The conversation emphasizes distinguishing between 'must-have' and 'want-to-have' features to avoid feature creep and ensure a successful MVP launch.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner#t=0) Introduction and Nick Allen's Background
- [3:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner#t=231) Leveraging Domain Expertise and Vision
- [8:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner#t=497) Documenting Constraints and Design Intent
- [12:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner#t=731) Managing Feature Creep and MVP Scope
- [14:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner#t=894) Collaborative Decision Making and Version 2.0

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- MAKO Design + Invent (company)
- Red Dot award (other)

## 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)
- [IDology #1 - How to get the best designs from an industrial design company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2022-10-24-idology-1-how-to-get-the-best-designs-from-an-industrial-design-company) (IDology)
- [S2E37 Defied the odds:  A Physical Product Development Firm That Focuses on Startups & Small Businesses, Mako Design + Invent –Kevin Mako](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-23-s2e37-defied-the-odds-a-physical-product-development-firm-that-focuses-on-startu) (Being an Engineer)
- [How educating your environment makes you a better designer - IDology #14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2024-01-23-how-educating-your-environment-makes-you-a-better-designer-idology-14) (IDology)
- [IDology #4 - Tips on outsourcing product development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2022-12-14-idology-4-tips-on-outsourcing-product-development) (IDology)

## 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/2023-06-08-179-maximize-the-value-of-your-design-agency-partner. 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.