Design 1st, 314 Athlone Avenue, Ottawa, ON (2026)

Name: Design 1st
Address: 314 Athlone Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Z5M4, CA
Telephone: +1 613-235-1004
Price range: $$

Design 1st is a full-service industrial design and engineering firm that develops simple, compelling products that incorporate human behavioral science to support an organizations’ business and marketing goals. For over 25 years, Design 1st has helped Entrepreneurs, Start Ups and Enterprise organizations across Canada and the United States transform ideas into winning products across a variety of

industries including – but not limited to – mining, telecommunications, healthcare and robotics. With executive leadership roots in Nortel Networks and a senior, hands-on staff with diverse expertise, Design 1st has developed over 750 projects that influence millions of people globally and secured 130 client patents. Core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics design, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup have established Design 1st as one of the most trusted product design firms across North America.

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...

Address

314 Athlone Avenue
Ottawa, ON
K1Z5M4

Telephone

+1 613-235-1004

Website

https://www.Design1st.com/

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