Top Product Development Firm Reports Record-Breaking Year Helping Companies Develop AI-Powered and Connected Hardware

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – How one of the largest end-to-end product development firms in North America accelerated go-to-market for 100+ physical products last year, from AI-powered medical diagnostics to sensor-enabled cobots and connected industrial equipment.

Last year, the product design and development experts at Design 1st helped 104 physical products across 12 industries go to market faster than ever. This record-breaking year included the full range of the product lifecycle, from launching 14 first-to-market products to redesigning legacy equipment with modern capabilities. These projects reflect the major trends shaping the future of physical products, including the rapid adoption of AI, edge computing, and wireless connectivity.

With over 25 years of experience helping clients design, develop, and engineer products, Design 1st knows that companies face mounting pressure to deliver smarter physical devices faster than ever. In 2024, Design 1st’s end-to-end product development expertise enabled its clients to seamlessly achieve the integration of physical products with customized intelligent electronics and software while outperforming competitors. Here are key insights from some of these breakthrough products from 2024, offered to help decision-makers confidently plan and execute their next product strategy.

Trends and Takeaways for 2025

The 100+ projects completed by Design 1st last year reveal the trends driving physical product innovation right now. Forging ahead in 2025, we see product businesses focusing on three key areas to stay competitive and meet evolving market demands:

• AI-Driven Hardware: The AI revolution extends to hardware with the integration of AI thinking into all new electronic device designs. From medical diagnostics to collaborative robots, embedding AI at the edge enables smarter devices that reduce costs and improve hardware performance in real time.
• Seamless Connectivity: Today’s products require flawless communication across multiple protocols like Matter, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Seamless connectivity in 2025 means meeting user expectations as well as passing critical certification requirements.
• Legacy Product Redesign: More and more every year, longstanding businesses understand the need to update proven products to meet modern demands, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge. From industrial diagnostic tools to consumer devices, product companies are adding new features and streamlining production without starting from scratch.

Client Success Highlights Smarter Development

A new infographic visualizes the scope of Design 1st’s work across various industries, showcasing the diversity of projects and breadth of innovation delivered in our record-breaking 2024.

But Design 1st’s year wasn’t just about the numbers—it was about delivering real results for clients at all stages of development. Here are a few examples of how our integrated design and engineering approach made the difference:

• Collaborative Robotics with Swabbot: A complex “cobot” (collaborative robot) designed for industrial cleaning, Swabbot came to us requiring seamless integration of sensors, AI, and mechanical systems. Design 1st’s expertise ensured the product met stringent performance requirements while staying on schedule.
• A Dozen Projects in Reliable Wireless Connectivity: Smarter products need to operate flawlessly in demanding environments. Design 1st delivered reliable wireless connectivity for a dozen projects spanning consumer, medical, and industrial applications with multiple integrated protocols.
• Redesigning Mining Capabilities: A mining company tasked Design 1st with upgrading diagnostic equipment to include new sensors and edge computing capabilities. The result was a modernized product with enhanced functionality, reduced costs, and faster time to market.

These examples underscore why businesses—from startups to established enterprises—choose Design 1st: they need smarter solutions, faster timelines, and products that work right the first time.

Action Plan for Smarter Product Development in 2025

In this new year, businesses should take three key lessons from Design 1st’s proven approach:

1. Integrate early to eliminate silos. Fragmentation across multiple skill sets and development vendors creates delays and risks. Design 1st aligns industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics, and embedded software from the outset, preventing costly missteps and ensuring a faster, more integrated, and more reliable path to market.
2. Prioritize scalability to hit market timelines. In today’s competitive landscape, startups and SMBs need to hit tight timelines, whether for funding milestones or market entry. Our streamlined process eliminates inefficiencies, enabling clients to scale faster without compromising quality.
3. Align technology trends with real-world functionality. The latest technologies—AI, edge computing, and connectivity—are only valuable when they solve real problems. The right expertise ensures products are not just innovative but practical, delivering measurable results for both businesses and users.

As businesses forge ahead in 2025, they know the need for smarter, faster product development has never been greater. Design 1st’s record-breaking year proves that integrating expertise across design, engineering, and software isn’t just a differentiator—it’s a necessity for delivering physical products that align with market trends and meet business needs.

For more on how our end-to-end approach helps companies reduce risks and shorten timelines while delivering innovative products, explore Design 1st’s portfolio. To learn how we can help accelerate your project, schedule a consultation today.

About Design 1st
Design 1st is one of North America’s most trusted full-service product design firms, with over 25 years of experience, 1,000 products developed, and 130 client patents secured. From startups to enterprises, Design 1st specializes in transforming ideas into commercialized hardware products, offering expertise in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Learn more at www.design1st.com.

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SOURCE Design 1st