Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.  What’s it going to cost me?

The most common FAQ and the cost of a design project varies considerably, depending on your needs and requirements and of course those of your customers and suppliers. In order to ascertain these requirements and to ensure the design process goes smoothly Papa Bravo do not provide a quotation over the telephone, as there is a process we follow to ensure the outcome of your project answers your needs and provides the best possible solution. We do this by identifying specific needs and tailoring a proposal specifically for your project, this includes an agreed project brief, timescales/lead-times and precise costings. Which is extremely important as we charge a fixed price per project. We do not charge by the hour, or by the day as this is open to abuse. What we quote is what you pay.  UNLESS you change the brief during the design project.

Q2. Do I have to pay for everything up front?

Commercial investment and when it will be required is a popular FAQ, in short, No, you do not have to pay for your entire project from the start. We recognise that any new product development does not always go according to plan and we understand the need to minimise the costs and risks to you. We therefore charge for a project a stage at a time and you can stop your project at any time and you only pay for the stages you have already authorised us to carry out.

Q3. How long does it usually take?

The design project timescales are totally dependent upon the amount of work involved and the intricacy of the work required.  This is a FAQ that is difficult answer and to confirm exact timescales until we have established exactly what is required for the project. Once we have received full and precise project details from you Papa Bravo will create a proposal designed specifically for your project which includes an agreed project brief and precise costings. This proposal will include estimated timescales, as the progress of the project depends upon the feedback received from the client, timescales can differ immensely from project to project. The main point to remember is that our pricing is fixed irrespective of the timescales involved. However time costs may vary if you, the client, change the brief during the product design development.

Q4. What services do Papa Bravo have on offer?

Papa Bravo blends creativity and innovation with a wealth of engineering expertise. Offering the complete design service Papa Bravo can take an idea from concept right through to manufacture.  Our design team are highly trained and experienced in every area and aspect of product and industrial design and can turn these skills to any form of physical design. To date Papa Bravo have completed design in areas including highly conceptual packaging and wearable technology through to heavily engineered mass produced components in plastics and metals as well as making the most of cutting edge rapid manufacturing techniques. We specialise in the design of concepts where ergonomics and anatomy are key; as well as consumer and safety products.

Q5. Will I be involved in the design process?

This is a common FAQ and YES, you will be consulted. When you give us the go ahead and once you have signed our ‘Authorisation to Proceed’ document to develop your design. We keep you informed of all aspects of the project as it develops and evolves. The design process is all about keeping you informed and consulting you every step of the way. It is of the utmost importance to us that your knowledge and experience is used throughout the course of the project as you may have many ideas for the solution which will have come from experience and knowledge not found within Papa Bravo. Which we hope would ensure that you have full confidence in our design and creativity abilities and professionalism in our approach.

We will throughout the life of your project produce presentations and/or information which will show the progress of your project and we will request feedback from you.

It is essential that you do not hold back on your criticisms or indeed interest in any concept as this will improve timescales and help build confidence in our abilities and relationship between us to help reach an appropriate design solution. Through this process Papa Bravo will continue to develop the concept of your design until you are comfortable that the solution satisfies your requirements and you are ready to move on to the next stage of your product development.

Q6. What will I get from the service you provide?

This will depend upon your individual requirements of the project and will be detailed in a project proposal which we will prepare and submit to you prior to the commencement of the project. These usually include Concept development will result in visuals consisting of hand sketching, research boards and possibly some basic CAD. CAD Realisation will result in the production of CAD files made available in the most appropriate form for any follow-on processes. Animation may also be used where appropriate alongside photorealistic renders for design approval. Physical prototypes will be produced as and when required which will be dictated by your discussions with our design team.

Q7. How do I start?

If you believe you have a unique/original idea with the potential to be protected from being copied and if you haven’t spoken to a patent lawyer and produced a patent application for the concept, then do not worry. In the first instance you should insist on getting a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in place with anyone you divulge information to. Once you have a NDA in place or a patent application you can discuss your idea freely with a third party such as Papa Bravo.

It is very important that you inform a design company about every aspect of the product you wish to develop. This should include information about product specifications, who will be your target market, your budget details, who will be your customers and suppliers and how you intend to market your product.  Its a common FAQ and this information will ensure a thorough process to  a solution which is fit for purpose and you get the most from the design process. It would be preferential that you speak to us prior to making a patent application. It is very likely that we could work out a better solution for you. You have the skills in identifying the opportunity, we have the Product Design skills to explore the opportunities for you.

Q8. Will I need a prototype?

This is a common FAQ and well, a sketch of a concept is useful to an extent, but how do you turn it into something meaningful which you can relate to… prototype it! We use a range of methods to construct physical models of products to really understand and reflect upon their ability to function in the real world and meet their intended requirements. Prototyping is an essential stage in any design project.

We use the prototype to evaluate the manufacturability of the design through careful analysis of its features, developing the design where needed, using modern CAD software.

This process will also give feedback from customers and suppliers alike about the acceptability of the design.

Q9. What is a NDA and why is it required?

An NDA is a non-disclosure agreement. This is a document signed by both parties which binds organisations and individual parties into an agreement of mutual confidentiality without consent. It means that if one party wishes to discuss the concept with anyone else they must seek your approval first. From a patent application perspective, a NDA is a way of demonstrating that your idea is not in the public domain so is capable of being protected from copying (i.e. there is no ‘prior art’ in the public domain).