Hillside Product Design has been a key player in the frontline process of manufacturing for many years now. Where and how did it all begin for you?
Hillside Product Design is guided by Managing Director Chris Howsam, who has worked in product design consultancy since 1985 advancing through the usual career path to being a partner. Fifteen years ago, Chris made the decision to relocate to Devon and set out on his own. Hillside Product Design has been going from strength to strength ever since. With a career spanning over 30 years, Chris has accumulated a unique blend of visual, practical and technical expertise. Forever staying abreast of current trends and innovations he is supported by a team of highly acclaimed design and engineering experts who all share a passion and drive for creating fresh, innovative and successful products across a broad range of industries.
Hillside are known for being a very diverse product design company. Are you able to expand on some of the projects you have undertaken in recent times and how they vary from job to job?
We do design products for a broad range of industries covering the consumer, engineering, retail and smart sectors. We are very proud to have been included in the development of these projects, some allowing for lots of innovation making it particularly unique upon launch. Some have complex mechanical design including moving parts which can be challenging to resolve within the constraints sometimes imposed. And some projects we are particularly proud of because of how elegantly they solve some complex problems. However, we have a policy of confidentiality regarding our clients and our relationships with them, so unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to single out a particular product by name.
How long does it take on average from the first idea to a finished design and then a final product on the shelves?
This can vary greatly depending on the complexity of a product, the availability of funding, intellectual property searches, compliance testing, toolmaking and deadlines for trade shows and exhibitions. We generally say that launching a new electronic product would take nine months. However, a simple single part product could take as little as a few weeks, or a complex product requiring extensive research and development including intellectual property searches and patent applications could take eighteen months or more.
If you’ve got an idea you want to take to market, we will assist you through your journey. We work closely with all our clients to ensure they have all the support they need throughout the product development process.