Going from design to product is less like a straight road and more like building the car while driving it. Here’s how we make it work.
Day 1 — “It’s Just an Idea”
It started on a Tuesday.
Our client said, “We want to build a compact jump starter that doesn’t look like a car accessory.”
We nodded.
Then we started sketching things that looked like power banks, perfume bottles, maybe even toys.
One looked like a hip flask.
Another resembled a camera grip.
All were too nice to be tossed in a glove box.
That was the point.
Week 2 — Looks Meet Logic
By now, we had foam mockups.
Not because they’re pretty, but because nothing kills a design like holding it wrong.
We realized the “cool” design didn’t fit most glove compartments.
We also realized that one version blocked the ports when placed flat.
That’s when design turned into constraints.
And constraints turned into solutions.
Week 4 — Talking to Engineers (and Actually Listening)
We sat down with the mechanical team.
Turns out, our tapered edges created a weird void that couldn’t house the cells efficiently.
“If you shift the curve by 2mm, we can fit the 8000mAh pack without stacking cells.”
Done.
This phase is where most designs die.
Ours didn’t—because no one said, “That’s not my department.”
Week 6 — Into the Factory Fog
We handed over the files.
Tooling kicked off.
Then came the part where nothing seems to happen for three weeks—but everything is happening.
A sudden call:
“The overmold finish you specified won’t release cleanly from the mold. Can we switch to texture #140?”
Sure. But not before we printed samples on actual ABS to confirm the visual.
Week 8 — The First Real One
T0 sample arrived.
Still warm from the mold shop.
We passed it around like a newborn.
Everyone had an opinion. That was expected.
What wasn’t expected?
The button rattle.
It was tiny. Barely audible. But noticeable.
We fixed it with a tighter rubber dome and a custom housing ridge.
Small stuff. Big impact.
Week 10 — Almost There (But Not Quite)
Packaging showed up.
Perfect color.
Wrong orientation—graphics faced the bottom of the box when opened.
We laughed. Then fixed it.
That’s what the “design to product” phase really is:
A long series of preventable mistakes you only catch if you care enough to look.
What We Learned (Again)
- Good design is invisible—but bad development isn’t.
- Every millimeter matters.
- Great ideas become great products only if the team doesn’t treat handoffs like hot potatoes.
Final Thought
“Design to product” isn’t a pipeline. It’s a pulse.
It requires communication, patience, and the ability to kill your favorite idea for the right one.
At WokooDesign, we don’t just hand over files.
We walk the messy, jittery, beautiful road with you—until what was just an idea becomes something you can hold.
📦 From sketch to shelf. We’re in.
