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Matt Selnick

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Let’s recap. You’ve <a href="https://www.delve.com/insights/when-to-use-soft-goods-in-product-design" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chosen soft goods materials</a> for your product design and you’ve vetted your MVP design through <a href="https://www.delve.com/insights/how-to-use-low-and-mid-fidelity-prototyping-for-soft-goods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">low and medium-fidelity prototypes.</a> You’ve put your early prototypes in front of users, gathered feedback, and tested the core elements of your design. You may have already taken some time to incorporate improvements. (If you haven’t yet, consider whether you should). 
Now, it’s time to create a high-fidelity prototype.

Read our entire content series on how to develop the best version of a product that incorporates softer materials.

It’s important to remember, at this stage, that you didn’t set out to create just the bare minimum. The excitement around a new product idea often comes from the vision of the completed product—and it’s critical to remember that the low- and medium-fidelity models you've created so far are just part of the process of getting there.
Your high-fidelity prototypes or “alpha” designs will bring your product to life in its most realistic materials and form—and can be used to amplify your MVP into a truly compelling offering.

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<h4>For Example: Music&nbsp;Not&nbsp;Impossible Vest</h4>

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A whirlwind product development journey led to a thrilling launch for an IoT "surround-body" wearable that uses haptics to create an immersive experience.

Case Study: Not Impossible Vest

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Delve created high-fidelity prototypes during our <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/not-impossible-labs" target="_blank">collaboration with Not Impossible Labs</a> to enable us to test the sensing technology while having comfortable models that fit a range of users and were useful for several events and presentations.

<h2>Why High-Fidelity Prototypes Are Helpful</h2>
We often use high-fidelity prototypes to: 
<ul><li>Communicate the design intent to development partners or investors and begin building relationships. </li><li>Letting the idea stand on its own in user research studies for others to evaluate. Don’t move on until you’ve identified what must change to make your product compelling to users. Is the product too medical, too sporty? Does it not have enough structure or flexibility? Does it look too cheap or too expensive? </li><li>Address any applicable FDA approval requirements. If your product has FDA approval requirements, there are various types of human factors studies that require higher precision, cytotoxicity or biocompatibility testing, and assembly control. High-fidelity prototypes are essential for these. </li></ul>
<h2>High-fidelity Prototypes Help You Answer Questions Like:</h2>
<ul><li>How does this latest version fit and feel on the body? Is it comfortable and ergonomic?&nbsp;</li><li>How does the product perform under different conditions, such as impacts, rapid movements, or extreme weather?&nbsp;</li><li>Does the product meet industry standards and regulations for safety and performance?&nbsp;</li><li>How does the product compare to its competitors?</li></ul>

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Consider a company that was developing a new type of smart-home technology built into furniture. The furniture product might require comfort against the skin, areas for the user to interface with, and a construction that retains its shape over time. The company would create high-fidelity prototypes to evaluate the form, material, and feature placement. These models would be able to address issues in the design as well as customer perception, before the smart electronics are finished and integrated.

<h2>How to Get There: Working with a Development Partner or Vendor</h2>
When we develop a product traditionally, using rigid plastics, hardware, or embedded electronics, we have ways of predicting and navigating development challenges that might be similar from project to project. Vendors play a role in ensuring all stakeholders are on the same page regarding execution, materials, and cost. 

With soft goods products, similarities are less common, as there may be a diverse range of materials being sourced, and often a hybrid of automated and manual techniques being used to build the product. Because of this, vendoring may become more challenging. 

This is where engaging a development partner to produce high-fidelity prototypes for you has a few benefits: 
<ul><li>Many vendors specialize in building prototypes to your specifications on a small scale. </li><li>They have expertise in breaking your design and patterns down into assembly steps. </li><li>They can provide insight into how to manufacture the prototype most efficiently. </li><li>They will work with you on iterative changes through various high-fidelity prototypes before establishing a production plan.</li></ul>
Before you reach out to developers or manufacturers, take a step back and consider your plan of attack.&nbsp;
The big question you must answer: Do you have what you need to communicate your design to someone else?

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<h2>Creating Your Tech Pack</h2>
In order to document and coordinate all the elements of a product idea, it is common to create a technical package (“tech pack”). You then send the tech pack to a vendor to evaluate and quote the cost to build your product. 

In the tech pack, be sure to include: 
<ul><li>A high-level, brief description of your product idea (keep it simple). </li><li>Key views (orthographic views) of the intent and provide callouts with references where needed </li><li>Materials, critical dimensions, and manufacturing processes you require </li></ul>
<ul><li>Documentation of other necessary components or assemblies </li><li>Initial questions and challenges that you want to work through with the vendor </li><li>Mockups, images, small material swatches / samples of reference products that you mention in your tech pack (if possible).</li></ul>
When you send a tech pack, someone unfamiliar with your journey sees your design for the first time and needs to be able to recreate it using the processes they have available. The more relevant technical information you provide to the vendor, the better the interaction will be. 

What you can leave out: 
<ul><li>Explaining or over-wording your decisions </li><li>Asking too many questions (prioritize the critical ones, then ask you go) </li><li>Details around future product plans or product variations (nail down the first product first) </li><li>Additional images and drawings that do not provide specific information </li></ul>
<ul><li>Detailed branding or color variations (unless they are critical to the product)</li></ul>
Additionally, be conscious of the language barrier you might be facing with overseas vendors. Keep your wording concise and avoid using metaphors or colloquialisms from your native language that might not translate well in other cultures.<h2>Finding the Right Partners</h2>
Look for partners that have experience producing similar products to yours, as they will understand your specifications, perform proper quality assurance checks, and understand the logistics to get a product like yours to market. If your product requires production between soft goods, molded parts, electronics, or more, you’ll want to know that they’re able to properly handle this type of coordination and assembly. 
The right partner might be a product development partner or ‘broker’ who can shop your concept around with their factory connections. They will advocate for you and ideally act as a voice of expertise in your development decisions. 

Considering the specific parts of your product, you may want to discuss what items of your design will take longer to acquire or produce, and whether these partners are able to source and support your requests. These might be specific materials, colors, or custom components.
 Sourcing timelines can play a big role in a vendor’s ability to support your project. 

Additionally, consider any regulations to which your product will need to comply—make sure the vendors are adequately certified as well.<h2>The Right Materials and Processes</h2>
Creating your high-fidelity prototype can be an exciting but also limiting part of the process since technique and design need to be balanced against cost and timeline. 

In typical soft goods production environments, such as with backpacks or footwear, there may be anywhere from 5 to more than 100 construction steps before a finished good is packaged and on its way to the customer. 

Consider that: 

<ul><li>Every stitch, layer, and accessory needs to be not only created, but placed and assembled in exactly the way that you want. Gather insight from your vendors on what elements are driving cost and complexity, and where the challenging steps in the assembly might be. </li><li>The feedback you’ve received from your users and stakeholders can factor into the details of your product’s construction.</li></ul>
At Delve, we’ve developed experience in commercial and medical applications, where sewn components often are incorporated around hard structural components. Deep consideration is given here for how to create the right fitment and comfort for the user, especially when biocompatibility is critical, or the users will have limited mobility.

<h2>Before You Move on, Make Sure That You Have: </h2>
<ul><li>Selected materials that fit the performance criteria that you’ve established. </li><li>Assessed every part and its materials. </li></ul>
<ul><li>Considered details and features such as branding and packaging, and your sustainability goals. </li><li>Asked your suppliers about packaging for shelves or online ordering and what they recommend for your product. For example, what if your product could compact smaller in a different style of bag or box, reducing its packaging size? In a shipping container travelling overseas, reducing the size of each box could reduce the environmental impact of shipping and save you money as well. </li><li>Do your suppliers offer more sustainable options that you can leverage? </li></ul>

At this stage, to fairly evaluate your full vision, try not to compromise on your design, business, and sustainability goals. If your vision comes back to sustainability initiatives, you’ll want your product to set you up for success. Cost reduction exercises can always come later.

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<h2>The Right Fit </h2>
Often, with soft goods, we create an experience for users of different shapes and sizes, which may require your product to be adjustable or to come in different shapes and sizes as well. Think of a pair of sneakers – the design is the same, but the proportions for a Women’s 5US vs. a Men’s 12US are very different. Unfortunately, it’s rarely as simple as pressing the ‘scale’ button to adapt your product to large and small users.&nbsp; 
Make sure you’ve taken the time to gather data on what variations and adjustments you need to support and have backed that up with relevant anthropometric dimensions. This will give a vendor much more to work with when they create a size run for your product.

<h4>For Example: Penumbra REAL System</h4>

A radically different approach to stroke rehab, the REAL system is designed to be accessible, effective, and fun. It’s the first virtual reality (VR) system that is purpose-built from the ground up for rehabilitation in a healthcare environment.

Case Study: Penumbra REAL Immersive System

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As part of Penumbra’s REAL system, Delve designed the sensor modules to attach with soft neoprene bands that are easy for the therapist to place on the patient. The bands come in a set that is assigned to the patient for the duration of therapy for sanitation reasons. 
Each band needed to adapt to a wide range of body sizes on various limbs and maintain elasticity over repetitive sessions.
While being limited to bio-compatible materials for skin contact, it was a unique challenge to create the proper user experience without needing to create several sizes for the product. Read more about our work on the <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/real-immersive-system" target="_blank">Penumbra REAL Immersive System</a>.

<h2>The Right Amount </h2>
Your first model with a manufacturer will likely be several steps away from what you want to put on a store shelf. So, it’s important to consider the quantity you need to get started and learn. With the first few units you create, do you plan to do testing or studies with users before making improvements to your design? Do you plan to meet with investors to showcase your innovation coming to life? Achieve the right amount for your needs by: 
<ul><li>Creating a thorough testing plan for your high-fidelity prototype to evaluate newly added features and materials. This will build confidence that the final product will meet the desired standards for performance, comfort, durability, and aesthetics. </li></ul>
<ul><li>Using off-the-shelf parts or accessories in place of custom ones (that aren’t critical yet) to reduce your upfront costs. While these won’t achieve your full design and product intent on the first high-fidelity prototype, they’ll enable you to create product faster without significant up-front investment. You’ll be able to learn more quickly what your users want and need while testing the necessity of customized and costly components in your product. </li><li>If you do still require customization, low-quantity techniques like 3D printing may enable you to test your design while enabling changes, reducing costs, and minimizing waste. </li><li>If you are planning on offering multiple sizes, consider whether you are better off evaluating a single size before investing in and managing your learnings across a wider range of sizes.</li></ul>

Product design is an iterative process. Models are a critical part of that process.

Don't Miss: Models and Prototypes 101

<h2>Using Your Prototypes to Gather Real User Feedback </h2>
Once you’ve received your shiny, crisp high-fidelity prototypes, don’t be discouraged from putting them through their paces. It’s much better to ruin a few of these prototypes than to launch many more that can’t handle the real use conditions.
Remember, many users view soft goods products through a style and fashion lens before they consider functionality. Receive their feedback accordingly and be prepared to dig deeper to understand the full range of their concerns.
Don’t forget to stand by the regulations you’ve researched as well – it’s up to you to communicate your product requirements to your vendors, and to agree together upon being able to achieve them.
<h2>Using Your Prototypes to Help You Achieve Your Sustainability Goals</h2>
Your prototypes are opportunities to push the design of your product as far as you can to achieve an innovative solution that your customers will be excited about, and champion above your competitors' products.
Designing a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing product that also maximizes sustainability may be one of the best ways to achieve this. A great example of this is Allbirds’ upcoming <a href="https://www.allbirds.com/pages/moonshot-zero-carbon-shoes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">M0.0NSHOT</a> sneaker – which aims to achieve a net-zero carbon shoe, using both design and manufacturing efficiency.

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Here are a few considerations you can use to reality-check your design for sustainability: 
<ul><li>Is your product a single-use or single-user product? How might you challenge this in your design? For example, how could your design be modified to have multiple uses? </li><li>Durability is crucial for sustainability. If your prototypes are having wear issues, consider reinforcing stress points or exploring other construction techniques to ensure it can withstand wear and tear over time. Don’t forget to clean or wash your designs several times to ensure the materials hold up to typical cleaning procedures. Remember, users will assume some method of cleaning regardless of what you put in a manual. </li><li>How might you improve your product’s end of life? Can you make it easily dismantled for material reclamation after it is no longer repairable? Consider minimizing the bonding or adhering of materials. </li></ul>
<ul><li>How are your materials created and sourced? Are they manufactured to minimize energy use, water use and material waste? For instance, you might consider using textiles produced using water-saving dyeing methods, using fewer harmful chemicals, or that were produced closer to the factory.</li></ul>

You may find that this exercise, while often aspirational, usually leads to a more efficient, innovative product. Often, if you can remove or reduce something from your product, it’s better for the business’ bottom line as well. The more core to your design these considerations can be incorporated, the fewer barriers you will have in designing an eco-friendly and regenerative solution.
<h2>Bringing It All Together Towards Production</h2>
Working through high-fidelity prototypes with your partners is typically a multi-stage process requiring patience and persistence—but it will be well worth your while. Each prototype you create will enable you to obtain detailed, specific user feedback, refine your design iteratively, mitigate risks, and ultimately, achieve the optimal version of your product for production.
Continue this conversation on LinkedIn! Share you thoughts about this blog post on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/matthewselnick_how-to-use-high-fidelity-prototyping-for-activity-7096851525573976064-aFMs?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop" target="_blank">Matt's LinkedIn page.</a>

Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.delve.com/services" target="_blank">Product Development & Design Services at Delve.</a>

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How to Use High-Fidelity Prototyping for Soft Goods

How to Use High-Fidelity Prototyping for Soft Goods

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