D2M Innovation

From a rough idea to a product that can be made

D2M Innovation works as a product design firm in the UK, taking early ideas to the point where they can be manufactured. It was founded in 2010 to support founders from the first idea through to launch, at a time when most product design firms stopped at development. Clients include inventors and founders with ideas for children's goods, sports and leisure equipment, home and garden items, health and wellbeing products and pet products. The people doing the design work carry a project from the first research to the production stage, and the work is carried out in-house with a network of professionals and manufacturers that the firm brings in when a project needs them.

Viability checks, prototypes and engineering design

The first step is a viability and risk review, which tests the commercial case for an idea and maps the risks attached to it. Product design covers concept and engineering work for physical products, and the firm's textile and soft goods practice covers bags, backpacks and other fabric products. Functional and high-fidelity prototypes are used to prove a concept before production is considered. The firm says it recognises risks early and tests each concept through prototypes, so that a product has a genuine chance of commercial success.

Intellectual property and manufacturing support

The firm describes itself as made up of innovators, designers and engineers, but not patent attorneys. For intellectual property it works with a small group of Chartered Patent Attorneys, whom it says it has vetted for integrity and for alignment with its values. They join the work at the patent drafting and filing stages. Manufacturing support covers moving a finished design into production, and the firm presents its process as combining design, production, marketing and IP protection in a single plan.

Transparency, confidentiality and products of its own

The firm's stated values are transparency and honesty. It says it will tell a founder when an idea is strong and also when it is not yet workable, and it describes confidentiality as central to its work. It says it will explain why and seek approval before bringing in suppliers, lawyers or anyone else. The firm also develops products of its own, including a patented appliance, a modular bag, a cycling light licensed to another company, a backpack range funded through crowdfunding, and a pushchair travel system that launched through a major UK department store.