But there’s one question you probably can’t answer:
It’s one of the first questions we’re asked at Mouse Design, particularly by people who have never developed a product before.
The answer is that there isn’t a standard price. Not because we’re avoiding the question, but because every product requires a different amount of design, development and prototyping.
The good news?
In reality, making the prototype may be the easy part. It’s working out how the product should function, what materials to use and how it can eventually be manufactured that requires experience. Consider the difference between a simple plastic accessory and a waterproof electronic product containing circuit boards, seals and moving parts. Both might look straightforward in a drawing, but the development work involved is very different. At Mouse Design, we’re not just interested in making something that looks right. We want to make sure it works, solves a genuine problem and has a realistic route to manufacture.
And that’s great. AI can be an incredibly useful tool for communicating ideas, particularly if you’re not confident sketching or explaining what you have in mind.
But there’s an important distinction:
An image might show a beautifully finished product, but it doesn’t necessarily consider material thicknesses, internal components, structural strength, assembly methods or manufacturing processes. Sometimes the appearance is physically unrealistic or would be prohibitively expensive to manufacture. Even if you’ve refined an AI image until it looks exactly how you imagined, there’s still considerable work required before it can become a physical product.
We need to translate the visual idea into something that can actually function, be assembled and ultimately manufactured. This isn’t about unnecessarily adding work. It’s about making sure we’re developing the right product rather than spending money prototyping something that doesn’t work.
Does it have moving parts, electronics or multiple components? More complexity generally means more development work.
Plastic, metal, fabric and electronic products all require different approaches. Choosing the right materials early can also influence production costs.
Do you need a simple model to demonstrate your idea, something to test its function, or a fully working prototype that looks and behaves like the finished product?
A sketch or AI-generated image needs design development before prototyping. An existing CAD model may be further along, although we’d still need to establish whether it’s suitable for manufacture.
These are the questions we explore before putting together a proposal.
We understand that committing to product development can feel daunting, particularly when you’ve never done it before. That’s why we work in manageable stages, allowing you to review progress and make decisions before committing to further work.
We begin by understanding what your product needs to achieve, who will use it and what problem it solves. If you’ve brought us an AI image, this is where we start turning that visual reference into a realistic concept. We explore possible mechanisms, materials, construction methods and design approaches. The outcome is a clearer understanding of the product and a direction for development.
This is where the technical design happens. We develop the product using 3D CAD, engineering knowledge and manufacturing experience, resolving the details that aren’t visible in a sketch or AI render. Depending on the product, this might include mechanical design, component selection, material specifications and assembly methods. This stage establishes enough of the design to make a meaningful prototype.
Once the design has been developed, we can start producing physical prototypes. Our in-house workshop allows us to develop and test products using 3D printing, fabrication and other prototyping techniques.
But not every prototype needs to be a beautifully finished product. Sometimes a simple test model is all that’s needed to prove a mechanism, check dimensions or evaluate comfort. The key question is: what do we need to learn from this prototype?
Very few products are perfect the first time. Testing might reveal problems with durability, ergonomics, assembly or manufacturing costs. We use what we’ve learned to refine the design, which may mean returning to CAD, changing materials or producing another prototype. Product development is rarely a straight line, and that’s completely normal.
Have an idea but aren’t sure where to begin? Talk to our design team and we’ll help you identify the right first step.
The client wanted to replace a traditional metal power supply with something more engaging for secondary school students, but they had a strict development budget. Rather than simply designing a new enclosure, we considered how the product could be manufactured efficiently from the outset. By developing a common injection-moulded component for the front and rear of the enclosure, we significantly reduced development costs. We also integrated the handle and feet into the mouldings and used off-the-shelf electronic components wherever possible. These decisions helped reduce complexity, development time and manufacturing costs while still creating a distinctive, functional product. It’s a great example of why investing in good design early can actually save money further down the line.
The cheapest route to a prototype isn’t always the most cost-effective route to a finished product.
You can explore more examples in our product design portfolio.
It’s to make sure you’re spending money on the right things, at the right time. At Mouse Design, we might recommend starting with a focused design stage rather than jumping straight into a fully functioning prototype. Our initial design stages can start from £500, depending on the scope of work. This covers design work, not the cost of producing a prototype, which is assessed separately. We also consider ways to simplify construction, use off-the-shelf components and select appropriate manufacturing methods. Importantly, we’re thinking about the eventual manufacturing cost from the beginning. There’s little point developing a fantastic prototype if the final product is going to be too expensive to produce or sell.
Our staged approach means you can review the outcome of each stage, understand the next investment and decide how to proceed.
You don’t necessarily need every stage, and you can commission us for just one part of the process.
A simple product may require relatively little design development, while a fully functioning electronic or mechanical product can require considerably more. It’s important to understand that the cost of designing a product and the cost of physically making a prototype are two different things. Rather than guessing at the total cost, we’d recommend starting with a conversation.
We can help establish what work is needed, propose an appropriate first stage and give you a clearer understanding of the development journey ahead.
Costs depend on the complexity of the product, the amount of design work required and the type of prototype needed. At Mouse Design, we break projects into stages so you can understand and manage your investment as development progresses.
An AI image can communicate the appearance of a product, but it doesn’t provide the engineering, materials or manufacturing information needed to make it. At Mouse Design, we always include a design stage before prototyping from an AI image.
No. We regularly work with clients who have nothing more than an idea, sketch or AI image. We can help develop the concept, create the necessary CAD models and build physical prototypes.
Yes. Our projects are divided into manageable stages, and you can commission us for individual elements of the process. You don’t need to commit to taking the product all the way through to manufacture.
Our initial design stages can start from £500, but this doesn’t include the cost of building a prototype. It’s unlikely that a new product could be fully designed and prototyped for this amount unless it’s exceptionally simple. The total investment depends on the work required and the complexity of the product.
Yes. We support clients from concept through to manufacture, including prototype development, design for manufacture, supplier sourcing and production support.
At Mouse Design, we’ll help you understand what’s involved, work out the sensible next step and break the project into manageable stages. You don’t need to know how to design or manufacture your product. That’s what we’re here for.
Let’s talk about your idea and work out how to make it real.
