Industrial design firm for hardware founders.

Form, ergonomics, colour, material and finish, designed by the people who will engineer your product and stand on the factory floor with it. It’s the work behind our 24 design awards, including Red Dot and iF.

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Reply within one working day · Your CAD and CMF files are yours · 24 design awards

Render of smart glasses with a thick acetate-style frame on black
24

design awards for our work, Red Dot and iF among them

250+

products we’ve designed since 2015, each one tooled, not just rendered

2

phases of Product Path™ where industrial design leads: concept and engineering

3 in 4

of the brands we design for sell in the US and Europe

Trusted by global brands and 80+ founders

  • Panasonic, an Analogy Design client
  • Google, an Analogy Design client
  • Unilever, an Analogy Design client
  • Mondelēz, an Analogy Design client
  • Maersk, an Analogy Design client
  • Aprilia Racing, an Analogy Design client
  • Marvel, an Analogy Design client
  • Borosil, an Analogy Design client
  • boAt, an Analogy Design client
Sreejith Kumar, Associate Vice President, Design, BorosilIn-house design lead, BorosilSreejith KumarAssociate Vice President, Design, Borosil
“Analogy's structured design approach and contemporary styling broke traditional norms, delivering a unique product design. Their European-inspired aesthetics are highly recommended for innovative projects.”

More clients on our design work

A beautiful render is the easy part.

The hard part is keeping it beautiful once the battery, the board, the screws and the mould have had their say.

Most designs that die do so in engineering: walls get thicker, the seam moves, the button grows and the product ends up looking like everything else. We design form and engineering together, so what you approve is what comes off the tool.

The design engineering couldn’t build

Approved in month two, redrawn in month five because nothing fit inside it.

The ergonomics nobody tested

It looked right on screen and felt wrong in the hand. Foam and printed models catch that for very little.

The finish that raised the unit cost

A texture or colour chosen without the factory in the room can add steps you pay for on every unit.

The product that looks like the category

Safe choices make a product invisible on a shelf or a campaign page. Good industrial design gives people a reason to pick it.

What industrial design includes

Five pieces of work, done by designers who sit next to the engineers. Every decision is checked against how it will be made.

Sheet of backpack form sketches with two rendered directions

Form and sketching

Hand sketches and quick renders explore proportion, stance and silhouette until the product has a clear character, grounded in your brand and your users.

Phase 1
01 / 05Next ↓
A hand holding a matte black earbud charging case

Ergonomics and user experience

How it’s held, carried, opened, cleaned and charged. We test with foam and printed models and real people, so comfort and usability are designed in, not patched later.

Phases 1–2
02 / 05Next ↓
Colour, material and finish board for a countertop air fryer

Colour, material and finish

CMF studies choose colours, materials and textures that look right and that the factory can hold at volume, priced before they’re locked.

Phases 1–2
03 / 05Next ↓
Render of a white and stainless countertop oven with a dark glass door

3D design and visualisation

The chosen design is built in 3D CAD, surfaced for manufacturing and rendered, so you can review it, test it with users and show it to investors.

Phases 1–2
04 / 05Next ↓

Where it fits

Industrial design runs through phases 1 and 2 of Product Path™.

Form starts in concept and is finished alongside engineering, so the design you approve is the one that ships. It’s included in phase pricing, not billed as a separate project.

Phase 1

Concept and strategy

Industrial design starts here: form, ergonomics and CMF directions.

Phase 2

Engineering and prototyping

Design continues into engineering, so the form survives the parts inside.

Phase 3

Manufacturing and scaling

We protect the design through tooling, finishes and first shots.

Phase 4

Launch

Renders and packaging that show the design as it will really be made.

Industrial design, step by step

How the design takes shape

From brief to engineering handoff, each step settles one design question. Swipe or scroll sideways, or jump to a step.

Brief and direction

Removes the risk that the design solves the wrong problem.

Mood board of architecture, textures and colours setting the direction for a toothbrush
The decision

What should this product say, to whom, and next to which competitors?

You walk away with

A design brief, user and competitor research, mood boards and the design principles every decision is measured against.

How long

1–2 weeks

Good to know

If you’ve done concept design with us, most of this step is already done.

Form exploration

Removes the risk that it looks like everything else.

Line sketches exploring an air fryer form from several angles
The decision

Which form direction carries the brand and fits the parts inside?

You walk away with

Sketches, quick renders and foam or printed form models of three to five directions, narrowed to one.

How long

2–3 weeks

Detail and CMF

Removes the risk that it feels cheap or can’t be made.

Four toothbrush colourways in purple, pink, blue and orange
The decision

Does every surface, button and finish work for the user and for the factory?

You walk away with

Refined 3D CAD, ergonomic validation, a CMF specification and photorealistic renders for review.

How long

2–4 weeks

Engineering handoff

Removes the risk that the design gets lost in engineering.

An engineer reviewing tea maker CAD on screen beside printed parts
The decision

Is the design ready to engineer, prototype and tool without losing its character?

You walk away with

Production-intent surfaces, a CMF book, design intent notes and a joint review with the engineers who take it forward.

How long

1–2 weeks

Good to know

The designers stay on the project through prototyping and tooling to protect the design.

Next step: prototyping and MVP

Is industrial design what you need?

If you know what the product does and need it to look, feel and work right, yes. Otherwise, here’s where we’d start.

A working prototype that still looks like a prototypeIndustrial design
A product that looks like everything else in its categoryIndustrial design
A range that needs one family lookIndustrial design and CMF
An idea with no direction yetConcept design
A design your factory says can’t be mouldedDesign for manufacturing

What industrial design costs, before you have to ask

Industrial design is included in Product Path™ phase pricing, so you don’t pay for it twice or manage a separate studio.

Most founders get industrial design as part of phases 1 and 2 of Product Path™. Phase 1 usually starts around $10,000–$15,000. If you only need design on an existing concept, we scope that as a custom proposal after a free call.

Scope and price are agreed before work starts. No hourly billing and no open-ended retainers.

What shapes an industrial design budget

Where your design work lands comes down to six things.

Parts the user touches

Buttons, screens, lids and straps each need design and testing. A single moulded shell needs far less.

Form directions

Three is usual for a new product. A redesign of an existing product may need fewer.

Ergonomic testing

Desk checks, or rounds of foam and printed models with real users. We scope what your product needs.

CMF range

One colourway or a family of finishes and SKUs. Each variant is designed, specified and priced.

Existing work

A validated concept, sketches or CAD can shorten the design phase. We’ll tell you on the first call.

Renders and assets

Review renders are included. Campaign renders and animation are scoped separately.

What you own

Sketches, CAD, renders and the CMF specification are yours, ready for engineering with us or with anyone else.

Need a second opinion first? Start with a design review sprint

A small fixed-fee sprint reviews your existing design in two or three weeks: form, ergonomics, CMF and how it will be moulded. Start a phase within six months and the sprint fee comes off the price.

Why founders choose a design studio that also engineers

Designers and engineers at the same table

The form is checked against the parts inside every week, not after the design is signed off.

Award-winning, and built to ship

24 design awards, including Red Dot and iF, on products that went on to manufacturing.

You own the design

Ownership is written into our agreements, with an NDA signed before you share anything sensitive.

Industrial design: a freelancer, a design agency, or us
QuestionA freelance designerA branding-led agencyAnalogy
Who checks the form against the parts insideYou, after the factAn outside engineering firmOur engineers, in the same design reviews
How CMF is specifiedFrom a mood boardFrom a mood board and rendersWith supplier samples and a unit cost for every finish
What happens at the factoryNobody is thereA site visit, if budgetedOur Shenzhen team protects the design through tooling
Award recordVariesOften strong24 awards, including Red Dot and iF

Industrial design for US founders, without the Bay Area price

Design reviews are visual and need you in the room. Here’s how that works from the US.

Live design reviews in your hours

Form and CMF reviews happen on video in your time zone, with physical samples shipped when the decision needs a hand on it.

Samples on your desk

CMF swatches and printed models are couriered to you, so you choose finishes in real light, not on a screen.

Design files you can take anywhere

Native CAD, renders and the CMF specification are yours to use with us or any engineering team.

Where our industrial design has shipped

Consumer electronicsPersonal careHome appliancesOutdoor gearKitchenwareWearables

Guides on industrial design

Notes on form, trends and working with a design studio. All articles

DesignWhy startups work with an industrial design consultancyRead the guideDesign8 industrial design trends to keep an eye onRead the guideDesignIndustrial design and sustainable productsRead the guide

Industrial design questions, answered

Have a design question we missed? Send it over and a designer will reply within one working day.

What is industrial design?

Industrial design decides how a physical product looks, feels and works for the person using it: its form, ergonomics, controls, colours, materials and finishes. Good industrial design also accounts for how the product will be engineered and manufactured.

What do industrial design services include?

Research and a design brief, form sketches and models, ergonomic testing, colour, material and finish studies, 3D CAD and renders, and a handoff to engineering. At Analogy the same team then carries the design through prototyping and tooling.

How much do industrial design services cost?

Industrial design is included in Product Path™ phase pricing, and Phase 1 usually starts around $10,000–$15,000. If you only need design on an existing concept, we scope it as a custom proposal after a free call.

How long does an industrial design project take?

Usually six to eleven weeks from brief to engineering handoff, depending on how complex the product is, how many directions we explore and how much ergonomic testing it needs.

What files do I receive at the end of an industrial design project?

Native and neutral CAD files such as STEP, renders, a CMF specification and design intent notes. Everything is yours to take into engineering and manufacturing.

When should I start industrial design?

Once you know what the product needs to do and who it’s for. If that isn’t clear yet, start with concept design, which includes early form work.

Do I need a finished CAD file before starting?

No. Most projects start from a concept, a sketch or a working prototype. If you have CAD, we’ll review it and build on what works.

Can you redesign an existing product?

Yes. We redesign products for better ergonomics, a lower unit cost, a new market or to stand out, and we check every change against tooling you already own.

What makes a good industrial design?

It’s useful, easy to understand, comfortable, honest about what it is, and possible to make at the price you need. Looking good follows from getting those right.

How does an industrial design firm help startups?

It turns an idea into a product people want to pick up, and keeps that design intact through engineering and manufacturing. For a startup that often means a stronger campaign page, an easier investor conversation and fewer redesigns later.

Do you offer industrial design for founders in the US?

Yes. About 75% of our clients are in the US and Europe. Reviews happen in your working hours and our contracts and payments are set up for US companies.

Who owns the industrial design and CAD?

You do. Sketches, CAD, renders and the CMF specification belong to you, and we sign your NDA, or send ours, before you share anything sensitive.

Bring us the product that deserves better design.

A concept, a CAD file or a prototype that works but doesn’t look the part. In 30 minutes we’ll tell you what good industrial design would change, and roughly what it costs.

If your product needs engineering before it needs design, we’ll say so.