10 Design Thinking Consultants for Product Innovation

Written By jackson hedden

Your team just nailed the pitch. The idea is brilliant, ambitious, and centers on a custom physical product that will blow the client away. The excitement is electric, until someone asks, "So, how do we actually make this?" That's the moment when creative vision meets manufacturing reality, and it can be a daunting place for an agency. This is where you need a partner who can bridge that gap. The best design thinking consultants don't just run workshops; they are hands-on experts who guide your idea through a proven, human-centered process. They help you turn a concept into a tangible, market-ready product that works flawlessly and looks incredible, all while keeping the project on time and on budget. This guide will show you how to find the right one.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with people, not just the product: Design thinking is a framework that grounds your creative concepts in real human needs. It provides a structured way to de-risk product development for your clients, ensuring the final item is something people will actually want and use.
  • A consultant provides a path to a physical product: The right partner doesn't just talk theory; they guide your team through a hands-on process. They facilitate research, ideation, and prototyping to turn a big campaign idea into a tangible, well-designed item.
  • Vet partners for their practical skills: Look for a consultant with a portfolio of successful physical products and a clear, collaborative process. The best partners act as an extension of your agency, bringing the technical and strategic know-how to execute your creative vision flawlessly.

What is Design Thinking? (And Why Should You Care?)

So, what exactly is design thinking? At its core, it’s a problem-solving framework that puts people first. Instead of starting with a product idea and hoping people like it, you start by deeply understanding the audience you’re trying to reach. It’s a way to figure out what users truly need, not just what they say they want. For creative agencies, this is a game-changer. It means your brilliant campaign ideas and branded products are grounded in real human insight, making them far more likely to resonate and succeed.

Think of it as a structured way to de-risk creativity. You’re not just throwing ideas at the wall; you’re building a process to find the right ideas and bring them to life effectively. This approach helps you move from a vague client brief to a tangible, user-loved product with confidence. It’s about asking the right questions, testing assumptions early, and making sure the final product isn’t just cool, but genuinely useful and desirable. By focusing on the end-user from day one, you ensure your work makes a real impact.

The 5 Stages of Design Thinking

The design thinking process is often broken down into five distinct stages. While it sounds linear, it’s actually a flexible and iterative cycle. The five main steps are:

  1. Empathize: This is all about research. You get to know your audience on a personal level through observation and interviews to understand their experiences and motivations.
  2. Define: You’ll synthesize your findings to state the core problem you’re trying to solve from the user’s perspective.
  3. Ideate: Here’s where you brainstorm. The goal is to generate a wide range of potential solutions, encouraging even the wildest ideas.
  4. Prototype: You create simple, low-cost versions of your best ideas. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about making your concepts tangible enough to test.
  5. Test: You get your prototypes into the hands of real users and gather feedback to refine your solution.

How Design Thinking Drives Product Innovation

Adopting a design thinking mindset does more than just improve a single project; it transforms how you approach innovation altogether. When you build products based on genuine user needs, you create solutions that people actually love and want to use. This process uncovers new opportunities you might have otherwise missed, giving your clients a competitive edge. As a firm like IDEO has shown, companies that prioritize design are more resilient and successful in the long run.

For an agency, this means you can confidently pitch and execute ambitious physical product ideas. It fosters a more collaborative environment, getting your creative, account, and strategy teams on the same page with a shared, user-focused goal. Ultimately, design thinking helps you connect your agency’s creative vision to tangible, market-ready products that deliver measurable results for your clients.

What Does a Design Thinking Consultant Actually Do?

So, what does a design thinking consultant bring to the table that your creative team doesn’t already have? It’s less about raw creativity and more about a structured, human-centered process for innovation. Think of them as a guide who helps your team move from a brilliant, abstract idea to a tangible, validated product that people will actually love and use. Their job is to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and keep the end-user at the heart of every decision.

A consultant facilitates the entire journey. They lead your team through a proven framework that starts with deep user empathy and ends with a market-ready concept. This process is designed to reduce risk by making sure you’re building the right thing before you invest heavily in development and manufacturing. For a creative agency tasked with launching a physical product, this structured approach is invaluable. It provides a clear path forward, turning a potentially chaotic venture into a manageable, step-by-step project that aligns creative vision with real-world execution.

Define Problems Through User Research

Before you can create a great solution, you have to deeply understand the problem. A design thinking consultant starts here, focusing on the people who will ultimately use the product. Their first job is to move beyond assumptions and gather real-world insights. This is about understanding what users truly need, not just what they say they want or what the brief initially outlines. They use methods like one-on-one interviews, observational studies, and customer journey mapping to uncover hidden pain points and opportunities. This research phase ensures the entire project is built on a solid foundation of genuine human needs, preventing you from creating a beautiful product that solves a problem nobody has.

Develop Concepts Through Ideation

Once the problem is clearly defined, it’s time to generate ideas. A consultant leads structured brainstorming sessions designed to produce a wide range of potential solutions. This isn’t a free-for-all; it’s a facilitated process that encourages wild ideas while staying focused on the core user problem. Using specific ideation techniques, they help your team explore every possibility without judgment. The goal is to go broad first, then strategically narrow down the concepts to a few promising contenders that can be developed further. This collaborative stage merges your agency's creative firepower with a repeatable method for innovation.

Test Ideas with Prototypes

This is where ideas become real. A design thinking consultant helps you build quick, low-cost versions of your best concepts to test with actual users. These aren't final products; they are simple mockups meant for learning. Prototyping can range from paper sketches and cardboard models to interactive digital mockups or simple 3D-printed forms. By putting these tangible models in front of users early and often, you can gather immediate feedback, identify what works, and discover what doesn’t. This iterative cycle of building, testing, and learning saves an incredible amount of time and money by ensuring you refine the concept before committing to full-scale production.

Empower Your Team with New Skills

A great consultant doesn’t just deliver a final concept and walk away. They work to empower your team with a new way of thinking and problem-solving. By guiding your creatives, strategists, and account managers through the design thinking process, they transfer valuable skills that your agency can apply to future projects. They facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions that teach your team how to apply a human-centered lens to their work. The ultimate goal is to build a culture of innovation within your own organization, making you more self-sufficient and better equipped to tackle complex product challenges for your clients down the line.

Top Design Thinking Consultants to Know

Finding the right creative partner can make all the difference, especially when you’re tasked with bringing a big, ambitious idea to life. The world of design thinking is filled with brilliant firms, but each one brings a unique flavor to the table. Some are massive consultancies that integrate design with high-level business strategy, perfect for enterprise-wide transformation. Others are specialized studios that live and breathe product innovation, turning ambitious concepts into tangible, real-world items that people can hold in their hands. Think of this list as your curated guide to the best in the business.

Whether your campaign needs a complete customer journey overhaul, a category-defining physical product, or just a fresh way to get your team thinking more creatively, there’s a consultant here for you. We’ve gathered the top names you should know, from the pioneers who popularized the methodology to the nimble firms that execute flawless physical products. As you explore your options, consider what your primary goal is. Are you solving a complex business problem for a client, designing a seamless service, or creating an unforgettable brand experience through a physical touchpoint? Your answer will help you find the perfect fit for your next project.

1. Jackson Hedden Inc.

If you're an agency with a brilliant idea for a physical product, Jackson Hedden Inc. is your go-to partner for bringing it to life. They act as a behind-the-scenes product development team, turning creative vision into tangible, market-ready results. Specializing in industrial design and manufacturability, they handle everything from initial sketches and high-quality prototypes to packaging and production strategy. They speak the language of creative agencies and are built for collaboration, making them the perfect extension of your team when a campaign calls for a physical touchpoint, branded merchandise, or an immersive product experience.

2. IDEO

You can’t talk about design thinking without mentioning IDEO. As one of the original pioneers, they helped bring this human-centered approach to the global stage. IDEO is known for helping companies create entirely new businesses, brands, and experiences from the ground up. They don’t just design products; they design the systems and tools needed to make big ideas a reality. If you’re looking to tackle a major innovation challenge or build a culture of creativity within an organization, IDEO remains a foundational and inspirational force in the industry.

3. frog Design

When you want to make a statement, you go to frog. This firm is known for turning ambitious ideas into iconic products and experiences. They dive deep into user research to uncover insights that lead to bold, future-focused concepts that capture attention. frog Design is a great fit for brands that aren’t afraid to push boundaries and want to create something truly memorable. Their work is less about incremental improvements and more about creating the next big thing, blending strategy, design, and technology to deliver powerful results.

4. McKinsey Design

What happens when you combine one of the world’s top business consulting firms with a powerful design arm? You get McKinsey Design. They excel at bridging the gap between high-level strategy and real-world execution. This team helps large organizations translate their business goals into human-centered products and services that actually get made. If you need a partner who understands both the creative process and the complexities of corporate operations, McKinsey Design brings a unique blend of analytical rigor and design expertise to the table.

5. Accenture Song

Accenture Song takes a wide-angle view of the customer experience. Their expertise is in "service design," which means they look at the entire customer journey, not just a single product or digital screen. They masterfully combine digital, physical, and organizational design to create seamless and compelling interactions at every touchpoint. For agencies building holistic brand campaigns, Accenture Song is a powerful ally. They understand how to orchestrate complex systems to ensure the brand promise is delivered consistently, no matter how a customer engages.

6. Deloitte Doblin

Deloitte Doblin uses design thinking to tackle fundamental business challenges. They go beyond just product design to help companies rethink everything from customer experiences and service models to how they make money. By applying a structured approach to innovation, Doblin helps organizations find new opportunities for growth and create sustainable competitive advantages. They are an excellent choice when the problem isn't just about a single product but about transforming the core of the business itself.

7. IBM iX

For large-scale, enterprise-level challenges, IBM iX is a major player. They focus on helping big companies adopt design thinking across the entire organization. By blending deep consulting experience with design and technology, they are equipped to handle complex, global projects. IBM iX works to embed a human-centered mindset into a company's DNA, making them a strong partner for businesses undergoing significant digital or cultural transformation. They help teams build the skills and processes needed to innovate consistently over the long term.

8. Fjord

Now part of Accenture Song, Fjord made its name as a leader in service design. They were among the first to champion the idea of designing the entire customer journey, looking beyond screens to map out every interaction a person has with a service. Fjord’s legacy is built on a deep understanding of human needs and behaviors, which they use to create elegant and intuitive experiences. Their influence is still strongly felt in the industry, particularly in how companies approach the design of complex, multi-channel services.

9. LUNAR

Before being acquired by McKinsey, LUNAR was a legendary product design firm with a cabinet full of awards and a reputation for creating beautiful, desirable objects. Their strength has always been in crafting exceptional physical products, from consumer electronics to healthcare devices. Now operating within McKinsey, LUNAR brings that legacy of product excellence to the firm's strategic offerings. They represent the power of combining world-class industrial design with deep business insight, ensuring products aren't just beautiful but also successful in the market.

10. Designit

Designit operates at the intersection of strategy, design, and technology, with a focus on driving innovation for large companies. They use an agile and collaborative approach to move quickly from idea to implementation, whether they're designing a single product or an entire service ecosystem. Designit is known for its hands-on, human-centered process that helps organizations transform their offerings and create lasting value. They are a great partner for businesses looking to make significant changes and build a more innovative, customer-focused future.

Which Industries Benefit Most from Design Thinking?

The short answer is: pretty much all of them. It’s easy to assume design thinking is just for tech startups or consumer electronics, but its human-centered approach is industry-agnostic. Because the process focuses on solving real user problems, the framework can be applied to almost any challenge. For creative agencies, this is a huge advantage. It means you can bring innovative product ideas to any client, whether they're in finance, healthcare, or consumer packaged goods.

Design thinking has been used to reshape everything from banking apps to hospital waiting rooms. You’ll find its principles at work in a wide range of industries, including hospitality, education, and even automotive design. The common thread isn’t the product or service itself, but the commitment to understanding the end-user’s needs, pains, and desires. This is why it’s so effective for creating campaign-specific merchandise or immersive brand activations; it ensures the final product resonates deeply with the target audience.

The methodology is also particularly powerful for companies undergoing a digital transformation. As brands move more of their operations online, creating meaningful physical touchpoints becomes even more critical for building loyalty. Design thinking helps bridge the gap between a brand's digital presence and the tangible products customers hold in their hands. It provides a structured way to reduce risk and drive measurable results, ensuring that your creative concepts translate into real-world products that people love and use. This process turns a simple piece of merchandise into a memorable brand experience.

How to Spot a Great Design Thinking Consultant

Finding the right design thinking consultant is less about hiring a vendor and more about finding a true creative partner. The best ones don't just follow a rigid, step-by-step formula. Instead, they bring a specific mindset and a set of practices that help your team uncover real insights and turn them into tangible, market-ready products. They act as a bridge between your agency's big-picture vision and the detailed work required to make it real.

When you're vetting potential partners, you're looking for someone who can seamlessly join your team, speak your language, and add a new dimension of expertise. They should be just as comfortable in a creative brainstorm as they are mapping out a production plan. A great consultant clarifies ambiguity, inspires new ideas, and gives your team the confidence to build something physical and impactful. Below are the key traits that separate the good from the great.

They Have a Collaborative, Human-Centered Mindset

A great consultant is obsessed with the people who will actually use the product. They start by focusing on the human side of the problem, not just the business or technical requirements. Their goal is to gain a deep understanding of what users truly need, which often goes beyond what people say they want in a focus group. They’ll push your team to get out of the boardroom and into the real world to observe behaviors, frustrations, and unmet desires.

This human-centered approach is fundamentally collaborative. Look for a partner who asks thoughtful questions and listens more than they talk. They should see themselves as a facilitator who brings your team, your client, and the end-user into the creative process. They don’t dictate solutions; they create an environment where the best ideas can surface from anywhere.

They Use an Iterative Process with Real Prototypes

Design thinking isn't a straight line, and a great consultant embraces that. They guide your team through an iterative cycle of learning, building, and testing. While the phases often include Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test, a skilled partner knows how to adapt this framework to fit your project's unique needs. They are comfortable with the messy, non-linear nature of creative work and know how to keep the project moving forward.

The key to this process is making ideas tangible. A top-tier consultant will push to create and test prototypes early and often. They know that a physical model, even a simple one, provides far more valuable feedback than a slide deck ever could. This hands-on approach quickly reveals what works and what doesn’t, saving you time and money while ensuring the final product is something people will love.

They Communicate Clearly and Work Across Teams

Your consultant should be an exceptional communicator who can translate complex ideas into clear, actionable steps. They need to be able to connect with everyone involved, from your agency’s creative director to the client’s marketing team. They excel at taking a vague problem statement and helping the group define the real challenge that needs to be solved.

This skill is especially important in an agency setting, where you need a partner who can integrate smoothly into your existing workflow. A great consultant acts as a central hub for the project, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed. They build consensus, manage feedback, and make sure the creative vision is never lost during the development process. They don’t just deliver a report; they guide your team toward a successful outcome.

Red Flags to Watch For

Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to look for. Be cautious of consultants who present design thinking as a rigid, one-size-fits-all methodology. If they seem uncomfortable with ambiguity or promise a perfectly linear process, they may lack the flexibility needed for true innovation. Another major red flag is a lack of emphasis on user research. A partner who is willing to skip or rush the empathy phase is missing the entire point.

Also, watch out for consultants who are all talk and no action. If their process seems to live entirely in presentations and workshops without a clear path to prototyping, they may not have the practical skills to help you build a real product. True design thinking is about doing, not just discussing. These common challenges can signal a consultant's limitations, so keep an eye out for them during your initial conversations.

Common Business Challenges a Consultant Can Solve

Adopting a design thinking framework is a fantastic goal, but it’s rarely a simple switch. Even with the best intentions, teams often run into roadblocks that can stall a project and drain creative energy. This is completely normal. Shifting how your team thinks and works is a major undertaking, and it often brings a few common growing pains to the surface. You might find that your team is hesitant to abandon familiar, linear workflows, or that you’re struggling to turn a mountain of user research into a tangible product.

This is where a design thinking consultant shines. They don’t just teach the theory; they roll up their sleeves and help you work through the messy middle where the real innovation happens. A great consultant acts as a facilitator, a guide, and a strategic partner who provides structure and momentum. They are experts at handling the human and logistical hurdles that come with creating something new, helping your team build the confidence and skills needed to turn a brilliant idea into a market-ready product. From managing team dynamics to keeping the project on track through iterative cycles, they help you solve the problems that stand between you and a successful launch.

Overcome Resistance to Change

Introducing a new process into any team can be met with skepticism, and design thinking is no exception. People are often comfortable with what they know, and the seemingly unstructured nature of design thinking can feel risky, especially when client deadlines are looming. This cultural resistance isn't a sign of a bad team; it's a natural human reaction to the unknown. A design thinking consultant helps by demystifying the process. Through workshops and hands-on sessions, they give your team a safe space to learn and experiment. They build buy-in by demonstrating the value of each stage, turning skeptics into advocates by making them part of the solution.

Connect User Research to Real-World Execution

Your agency is likely an expert at uncovering deep user insights. But how do you translate a key finding from an interview into a specific feature on a physical product? This is a common gap where great ideas can fall flat. A consultant helps bridge the gap between abstract research and concrete application. They guide your team in a process that ensures every design decision is rooted in user needs. They facilitate sessions that turn data points into sketches, models, and prototypes, making sure the voice of the customer is not just heard but is actively shaping the final product from its core concept to its final form.

Adapt to a Non-Linear Creative Process

Agency life often runs on clear timelines and predictable phases. Design thinking, however, is iterative and non-linear by nature. You might create a prototype, test it, and realize you need to go back to the drawing board. For teams used to a straightforward path, this can feel like moving backward. A consultant provides the framework to manage this non-linear process effectively. They help the team embrace the cycles of ideating, prototyping, and testing as essential steps toward a better outcome. By providing structure and keeping the focus on learning, they turn potential chaos into a powerful, focused method for discovery and refinement.

Build a More Collaborative Environment

Amazing products are rarely built in a silo. They emerge when diverse perspectives from creative, strategy, and technical teams come together. Yet, fostering true collaboration can be challenging, especially when you’re working with external partners. A consultant is a neutral facilitator who specializes in creating a collaborative environment. They use structured activities to break down departmental walls and ensure everyone has a voice. By leading cross-functional workshops, they help your agency and its partners merge their unique expertise, creating a shared sense of ownership and a final product that is far more robust and innovative than any one team could have created alone.

How to Measure the Success of Design Thinking

So, you’ve embraced a new creative process. How do you prove it was worth it? Measuring the success of Design Thinking can feel a bit like trying to bottle lightning, especially since its biggest wins aren't always immediate or purely financial. But it’s not impossible. The key is to use a smart mix of data and human feedback to tell the full story. By tracking the right things, you can clearly show how a human-centered approach leads to better products and happier clients.

Track Customer Satisfaction and Engagement

This is where you find out if your big idea truly connected with people. Instead of just guessing, you can use concrete metrics to gauge how users feel about the final product. Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) are your best friends here. These simple surveys ask people to rate their experience, giving you a clear before-and-after picture. Did the new design make people happier? Are they more likely to recommend the brand? These numbers provide direct evidence that your user-focused process worked. This gives your team and your client the confidence that you’ve created something people genuinely love while measuring the impact on business goals.

Measure Adoption Rates and Error Reduction

A beautiful product that no one uses isn't a success. That’s why you need to track how people interact with it in the real world. Adoption rates show you how many people are actually using the product, while task completion rates tell you if they can use it easily and effectively. For physical products, you can also measure error reduction, which shows how intuitive the design is. Are people using it correctly without getting frustrated? These metrics help you validate the design by proving it’s not just aesthetically pleasing but also functional and user-friendly. It’s the proof that your solution works as well as it looks.

Calculate ROI and Business Impact

Ultimately, every creative effort needs to connect back to business goals. While the return on investment (ROI) for Design Thinking isn't always a direct line to sales, its impact is significant. Think about it in broader terms: faster time-to-market because you avoided major revisions, lower development costs because you prototyped early, or increased brand loyalty from a superior user experience. A blend of quantitative and qualitative Design Thinking metrics tells the complete story. For an agency, the ROI might even be a stronger client relationship or a powerful case study that helps you win your next big project.

How to Choose the Right Design Thinking Consultant

Finding the right design thinking consultant is a lot like casting the perfect partner for a high-stakes project. You need someone who not only gets your agency’s creative vision but also has the practical skills to turn that vision into a tangible, market-ready product. The best consultants act as a seamless extension of your team, bridging the gap between a brilliant campaign idea and a physical item that people can actually hold and use. They bring a structured, human-centered process to the table that can keep your project on track and aligned with your client’s goals.

But not all consultants are created equal. Some are great at running workshops and teaching theory, while others are focused on hands-on execution and delivering production-ready outcomes. For an agency, you likely need a partner who can move quickly from concept to prototype without losing sight of the brand story you’re trying to tell. The key is to find a firm that matches your pace and can deliver real-world results, not just a stack of sticky notes. Before you sign a contract, it’s important to do your homework and ask the right questions to ensure you’re choosing a partner who can truly bring your ideas to life.

Key Questions to Ask Before You Hire

When you’re vetting potential consultants, start by getting a clear sense of their methodology. Ask them to explain their approach; a good partner can easily articulate how design thinking helps solve problems by focusing on user needs. Next, ask for proof of their work. Look for case studies that show how they’ve helped other companies achieve specific goals, like how IDEO helped Sephora improve its shopping experience. Finally, ask how they define success. A results-driven consultant will talk about using a blend of quantitative and qualitative design thinking metrics to measure impact, from customer satisfaction to ROI. This shows they’re focused on delivering business value, not just creative exercises.

Understand Different Engagement Models

It’s also crucial to understand how a consultant will work with your team. Ask about the types of services they offer, which can range from one-off workshops to full-scale project management. Some firms, like Cast & Hue, provide a mix of consulting and training to help build your team’s skills. You should also clarify how they collaborate with clients. The best partners work alongside your team to turn unclear problems into clear plans, using deep user insights to guide the process. Finally, get a handle on their timeline. One of the biggest benefits of this approach is speed, so ask how they can help your team make remarkable progress in days instead of months.

How Much Does a Design Thinking Consultant Cost?

Let’s talk about the bottom line. Bringing in a design thinking consultant is an investment, and the cost can vary quite a bit. It’s not just about paying for someone’s time; it’s about paying for the expertise to get your physical product right the first time, saving your agency headaches and budget overruns down the line. The price depends on a few key things, from the consultant’s background to the kind of support your project needs.

Understanding these variables will help you budget effectively and find a partner who fits your agency’s goals. Whether you need someone for a quick workshop or a partner for a full product launch, there’s an engagement model that makes sense. Think of it less as a cost and more as a strategic investment in creating a tangible brand experience that people will remember.

Factors That Affect Pricing

The cost of a design thinking consultant is shaped by a few main factors. First is their experience. A seasoned consultant with a deep portfolio of successful product launches will naturally command a higher rate than someone newer to the field. Their specific expertise also matters. If your project requires deep knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, or complex user interactions, that specialized skill set will influence the price. Hourly rates can range anywhere from $150 to over $400.

The project’s scope is the other major piece of the puzzle. A short, one-off ideation workshop will cost less than a months-long engagement that takes a product from a sketch to a production-ready prototype. The complexity and the specific deliverables you need, like user research reports, concept renderings, or physical models, all play a role in the final quote.

Common Packages and Engagement Options

Consultants typically structure their fees in a few different ways. For projects where the scope might evolve, many work on an hourly or daily rate. This gives you flexibility, allowing you to tap into their expertise as needed. Daily rates often fall between $1,500 and $5,000. For projects with a clear start and finish, a fixed project-based fee is more common. This is great for agencies because it provides cost certainty from the outset. These project fees can range from $5,000 to $50,000 or more, depending entirely on the deliverables.

Some firms are also moving toward value-based pricing, where the fee is tied to the results and the value delivered to your business, not just the hours worked. When you’re vetting potential partners, ask them how they structure their fees and which model they recommend for your specific project.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Isn't design thinking just a fancy term for brainstorming? Not quite. While brainstorming is a key part of the process (in the Ideate stage), design thinking is a much more structured framework. It starts with deep user research to make sure you’re solving the right problem before you even think about solutions. It’s a full-cycle approach that includes defining the problem, generating ideas, creating simple models to test those ideas, and gathering real feedback to refine them. Think of it as a roadmap that guides your creativity toward a specific, user-validated goal.

My agency is already full of creative people. Why would we need an outside consultant? That’s a great point. A design thinking consultant isn’t there to replace your team’s creativity; they’re there to channel it. Think of them as a facilitator who provides a proven process for innovation, especially when you’re creating a physical product. They keep the project focused on the end-user, manage the iterative cycles of prototyping and testing, and bridge the gap between a brilliant creative concept and a tangible, well-made item. They bring a specialized skill set in product development that complements your agency’s expertise in brand and strategy.

This process sounds like it takes a lot of time. Can we still meet tight client deadlines? It might seem that way, but this approach is actually designed to save you time in the long run. By building and testing simple, low-cost prototypes early on, you can identify and fix major issues before you’ve invested heavily in development and manufacturing. This front-loaded work prevents costly revisions and delays down the road. A good consultant is an expert at keeping the process moving, helping your team make smart, fast decisions that lead to a better final product without derailing your timeline.

What’s the difference between a design thinking consultant and a product design firm? There can be a lot of overlap, but the focus is often different. Many consultants specialize in the strategic side, running workshops and teaching teams how to apply the methodology to business problems. A product design firm, like Jackson Hedden Inc., does that and more. They are hands-on partners who take your idea from a sketch all the way to a production-ready outcome. They have the technical expertise to create detailed plans, build high-quality prototypes, and ensure the final product is not only beautiful but also functional and manufacturable.

How do I know if my project is big enough for this? We just need some cool branded merch. Design thinking principles are scalable and can be applied to projects of any size. Even for something like branded merchandise, this approach can make a huge difference. Instead of just putting a logo on a generic item, you can use the process to understand the audience receiving the merch. What would they find genuinely useful or delightful? Prototyping a few different ideas for a key influencer package, for example, can help you create a memorable experience that gets talked about, turning a simple product into a powerful brand moment.

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