Ask HN: How do you design your prototypes for physical products?

2 points by andromeda__ 9 years ago | 2 comments

As a developer who's been tinkering with Arduino, I've had a couple of ideas for physical products but I struggle with building a prototype i.e. an aesthetically pleasing casing branding and some hardware peripherals that would make the product come to life.

a) Which is the best way to develop a 3D design for my product after which I could possibly 3D print the product?

b) I also worry about revealing too much of the products specs before going to market. How can this be handled?

What I've considered:

1) Using a service like upwork to find a reliable freelancer (this brings me back to question 'b' above) 2) Taking a crash course on 3D modelling and doing it myself (I'm a self-taught developer and I've always thought I could learn anything but I have come to appreciate that it takes time to be good at anything)

EDIT: What is the prototype for? A pitch to investors.

franciscop 9 years ago |

What is the prototype for? It really depends the objective I'd recommend one way or another.

For rough early prototype: polystyrene, cardboard, American duck tape, cheap wood. Add some painting for non-crappy look. This is good for dimensioning, seeing the shape, early internal testing, etc.

For a public prototype: 3D printed, CNC, reuse some box/similar. This is good for whenever you have to show it to other people be it investors, general public, etc.

About Upwork (cheap labor), from what I've seen most people there are in no position of stealing your idea and rushing to market with it themselves.

deanfranks 9 years ago |

Take a look at Autodesk Fusion 360. It is free to makers / small startups. I use it extensively for product prototype development including for 3d printing and subtractive machining. Another good resource is McMaster Carr, they have downloadable 3d models for most of what they sell. Having accurate 3d models for all the fasteners and other parts makes a big difference in quickly building a 3d model as well as the quality of renderings done in the cad system.