Design 1st

06/24/2025

One of Design 1st's most successful client Kickstarter launches is happening now — Groove Thing blew past $65K on Day 1!

We helped them engineer a breakthrough product that lets you feel music — a first-of-its-kind innovation in sensory tech.

Big congrats to the Groove Thing team on an incredible launch.

Check out the campaign here.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/groove-thing/the-worlds-first-internal-music-player

Seduce your senses | Music should be felt, not just heard | Lose yourself and be touched by music with Groove Thing.

06/10/2025

Design 1st CEO Kevin Bailey explores a critical question in his latest Fast Company piece.

How do you design products that remain viable when trade conditions shift?

Physical product development has always been high-stakes, and adding tariff uncertainty stacked the deck against you even more.

The companies getting this right are doing a few things differently:
- Classifying components by regional availability
- Building multiple sourcing scenarios into their BOMs
- Treating design flexibility as a competitive advantage

The reality is that design decisions made years ago determine which products stay profitable today.

If you're developing physical products, this could save you from costly redesigns down the road.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91340518/how-product-companies-can-smartly-navigate-tariffs-supply-chain-pressure

We are seeing a fundamental shift in how smart companies approach product design.

06/02/2025

Design 1st, as a Gold Sponsor of the ACIDO The Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario, 2025 Rocket Awards, is proud to highlight our Sustainability Award winner!

Benjamin Chinn from Carleton University - School of Industrial Design with Hazina, a project that transforms Tanzanian classrooms using found materials for playful, interactive learning. It’s a smart, resourceful approach to education—exactly the kind of thinking we love to see.

We’re all about supporting real-world design that makes a difference. Learn more about Hazina and the 2025 ACIDO Rocket Awards here:

https://design1st.com/press-releases/acido-2025-rocket-awards/

Design 1st Press Release Design 1st Champions Sustainable Design at the 2025 ACIDO Rocket Awards Last updated : As a Gold Sponsor of the 2025 ACIDO Rocket Awards, Design 1st proudly presents the Sustainability Award to Carleton University’s Benjamin Chinn for Hazina, a project that reimagines rura...

02/18/2025

We’re excited to share Design 1st CEO Kevin Bailey’s latest Fast Company analysis on the forces reshaping product development in 2025.

Drawing from our experience leading 100+ product development projects last year, the article breaks down three key trends that are actively changing how products are designed, built, and manufactured:

➡️ AI is becoming the brain of hardware innovation—powering everything from smart medical devices to autonomous robots.
➡️ Legacy products are getting powerful digital upgrades—connectivity, automation, and redesigns are extending product life cycles.
➡️ North American manufacturing is making a comeback—reshoring, supply chain shifts, and digital factory tech are changing production.

Read the complete article to see how these trends are shaping product innovation today:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91273636/the-top-10-trends-driving-product-innovation-in-2025

From AI-powered hardware to the reinvention of legacy products, here is what’s shaping the future of physical products.

02/18/2025

We’re excited to share Design 1st CEO Kevin Bailey’s latest Fast Company analysis on the forces reshaping product development in 2025.

Drawing from our experience leading 100+ product development projects last year, the article breaks down three key trends that are actively changing how products are designed, built, and manufactured:

➡️ AI is becoming the brain of hardware innovation—powering everything from smart medical devices to autonomous robots.

➡️ Legacy products are getting powerful digital upgrades—connectivity, automation, and redesigns are extending product life cycles.

➡️ North American manufacturing is making a comeback—reshoring, supply chain shifts, and digital factory tech are changing production.

Read the complete article to see how these trends are shaping product innovation today:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91273636/the-top-10-trends-driving-product-innovation-in-2025

From AI-powered hardware to the reinvention of legacy products, here is what’s shaping the future of physical products.

02/07/2025

The Design 1st team is coming off the heels of a record-breaking year.

In 2024, we worked on 104 physical products across 12 industries—our biggest year yet. We helped entrepreneurs and companies bring innovative products to market faster, from AI-powered medical devices to connected industrial hardware.

What we learned can help you in 2025! Our latest newsletter breaks down:

- Key trends shaping hardware innovation
- Recent client product launches across industries
- Lessons from working on 104 physical products
- AI tools to speed up design and manufacturing

Read our newsletter to uncover the insights shaping product development in 2025:
https://news.design1st.com/p/trends-shaping-product-development-in-2025

Explore the key trends shaping physical product development in 2025, backed by insights from Design 1st’s experience across 104 projects last year.

06/06/2024

🏆 Congrats to The Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario Rocket Competition Award Winners🏆

We're proud to be a gold sponsor at this year's 22nd Annual ACIDO Rocket Competition, where innovation meets design!

A big shout-out to Madeleine Eisert from Carleton University (Official) Industrial Design program, who received the Design 1st Disruptor's Award for her project, "Gobi" - an automated management device for Type 1 Diabetes.

Learn more about Gobi and ACIDO's Rocket Competition here:
https://acido.info/gobi/

04/30/2024

🔌 Introducing Lūp Cable – the magnetic, self-organizing USB-C cable revolutionizing cable management! We're thrilled to have worked with Lūp Cable on the electronic engineering of this innovative product.

Our team at Design 1st helped Lūp Cable overcome unique engineering challenges and create a flexible and durable cable that meets strict electrical performance standards. 🔋

Since launching on Amazon just three months ago, the Lūp Cable has earned Amazon's Choice status in the competitive USB cable category.

Read our case study to learn more about our collaboration, and visit the Lup Amazon store (link in comments) to try it out for yourself!

https://design1st.com/portfolio/lup-magnetic-usb-cable/

Lūp reimagines the charging cable experience, eliminating the frustration of tangled and unruly cables. Magnetic attraction makes Lūp easy to coil and stow, essentially self-organizing with a flick of the wrist, ensuring it stays perfectly coiled until needed again.

04/02/2024

💡Thinking about adding Edge AI to your product lineup? We've got just what you need! Our latest guide demystifies the integration process, outlining the challenges and showcasing the opportunities for new products.
is more than a trend; it's a game-changer for device connectivity, processing power, and battery efficiency.

Design 1st Blog Last updated : Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ushering in a new era of innovation, particularly with Edge AI, which allows companies to embed smart, responsive AI capabilities directly into their physical devices. By processing data on the device itself, Edge AI enhances efficiency,...

02/01/2024

🌟 Design 1st's 2023 Year-End Highlights & 2024 Outlook 🌟

2023 was a landmark year for Design 1st despite economic challenges. Project highlights include:
- 84 unique physical products designed
- 26 new customers across various sectors
- 7 products launched, 3 industry awards
- 2 NPI trips to Asia
- Strong client retention with 70% project revenue from loyal clients

📈 Our journey through 2023 showcased our expertise in navigating challenging landscapes and staying ahead of trends like AI integration, battery innovation, and edge AI hardware. We’re proud of our projects, ranging from AI devices in various industries to pioneering work in hydroponics and collaborative robotics.

Please read our full news release with trends we are watching in 2024!

https://design1st.com/press-releases/successful-2023-admist-economic-uncertainty/

Design 1st's 2023 success: 84 products designed, strong client retention, and project highlights in AI devices, electric bikes, connected transport devices, hydroponic systems, and CoBots amidst economic challenges.