September 2016 - Sated Design

Adult toy product design consultant

Sated Design have many years’ experience producing prototypes for the adult toy industry. They generally fall into five types and cover many applications.

What is an adult toy prototype?

For an Adult Toy Product Design consultancy, a prototype is a preliminary version of a product used for testing and evaluation, so that the design can be optimised as part of its development journey leading to manufacture and launch.

While not all properties can be replicated, experienced prototype makers like Sated Design can produce prototypes which can help stake-holders to make the best decisions for the project. It is important to set out the purpose of the prototype as this is key to how a prototype would be prepared.

Why use sex toy prototypes?

Prototyping is the link between virtual design and real life and is a vital way of testing designs. 2D images can only tell us so much about a product, and there is no substitute for holding something in your hand. The benefit of designing products digitally is that extremely high levels of accuracy and intricacy can be achieved. This paired with modern prototyping techniques such as stereolithography (‘growing’ parts out of laser cured resin) can provide stunning results. The result then allows testing to be carried out – whether it’s for client approval on form and feel of the product, or to inform the designer of adjustments to mechanisms or tolerances on parts that fit together.

The power of a prototype

At some point a human being will interact with a product. The sooner that user interface is evaluated, then the better that interaction could be. It’s impossible to overstate how important prototyping is to ensuring an effective product design and development process, delivering the optimum results and a great end-user experience.

Prototypes with purpose

Sated Design have many years’ experience producing prototypes. They generally fall into five types and cover many applications. Read more

Adult product design company

Sated Design have extensive experience in all types of prototyping for new adult sex toy product development. No matter what stage your project is at or what your prototype requirements are, we can help.

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Adult toy product design company

Sated Design have many years’ experience producing prototypes for the adult toy industry. They generally fall into five types and cover many applications.

1. Sex Toy Cosmetic Prototypes – ‘looks like’

Used for evaluating product form, feel, ergonomics and styling, we use this prototyping level for marketing, photography, video, and focus groups. This kind of prototype will feature accurate likenesses of product forms, materials, finishes and surface textures but only from one or two elevations. The level of detail and the ‘wholeness’ of the prototype are often dependent on the application and the client’s budgetary constraints.

2. Adult Toy Proof of concept Prototypes – ‘works like’

A test-rig. This kind of prototype functions electromechanically in the same way as the final product. This type of prototype is very useful as a proof-of-concept, demonstrating novelty for Intellectual Property, or to communicate core functionality. For example suction, vibrator motors, moving parts, or detachable accessories. What it doesn’t do is look exactly like the finished product – some or all of the external form may be cut away or missing, and the prototype is more ‘functional’ than cosmetic.

3. Sex Toy Presentation Prototype

The prototype is functionally and visually identical to the final product – sufficient to take the design to a meeting with potential buyers or investors, or to trial with product testers. Materials may not be the same as in production, and some manufacturing details such as draft angles will be missing but that would not be apparent. High definition 3D printed parts are common for this kind of prototype.

4. Pre-production Facsimile Prototype

Launching a product is a big leap, so it is crucial that our clients are confident that the designs we produce for them are right. To enable our clients to proceed with confidence, we use prototypes which mimic, as closely as possible, the product’s intended mechanical and aesthetic characteristics and manufacturing details. As well as for final sign-off, this kind of prototype is often used for achieving certification. While specific production-grade injection moulding polymers or casting alloys are not always available for prototyping, parts will typically be prepared from the closest possible material.

5. Sex Toy Prototype tooling

Where a product requires a very large tooling investment or will be produced in very high quantities, it is often recommended to produce a prototype tool to enable verification of the product before final commitment. These tools are usually single cavity, and made from softer steels or aluminium and can be used to produce small runs (up to 5000 typically) of finished parts. There have even been recent advancements in 3D printed tooling which can save thousands of pounds and cut weeks from the development schedule. Sated Design have experience of helping companies prove and deliver high-stakes tooling and can help your company make the leap with confidence.

Product Design Prototype – deadline looming

As well as a large catalogue of external suppliers for all manner of prototyping services, Sated Design has an in-house prototyping capability, enabling our expert model-makers to produce high-quality prototypes with fast turnarounds. Our facilities include:

• 4-axis CNC milling machine
• 3D printer
• Model-making workshop with extensive tools and materials
• Low-melt alloy casting
• Foam modelling
• Basic PCB manufacturing
• High quality, short lead time silicone parts. A wide range of colours, hardnesses and other effects are available, from solid colours to flesh-like appearances. We can offer a range of options to produce silicone parts to suit your project and budget.

If you have a new adult product idea or an existing product you want to develop for this fast moving market, we are the people to help you get there and succeed. Give us a call on 01626 774881 for a free of charge, confidential initial consultation.