What is TriMech Design Solutions? Learn about the product development experts who bring ideas to life

In 2024, TriMech Group acquired MAKO Design + Invent to expand design and engineering services for clients. Based in Canada and the U.S., MAKO’s talented team of industrial designers and mechanical and electrical engineers specializes in end-to-end product development services. They joined TriMech’s existing complement of designers and engineers and now operate as TriMech Design Solutions.

We talked to Wade Harmidy, Product Development Manager, about the launch of TriMech Design Solutions and what it means for clients.

Wade Harmidy, SSBB, PMP

What do we need to know about the capabilities of the Design Solutions team?

The people on this team know how to turn your idea into reality. Our expertise is rooted in superior design and engineering skills, and capabilities extend to services like reverse engineering, simulation and analysis, and prototyping using all methods and materials.

These are the foundational pieces, but I also have to mention that in product design, creativity and artistry matter. To make a standout product, in the way a client envisions, you have to blend functionality and aesthetics. I’m proud to say that our people collaborate to do that beautifully.

As we design products that work, keeping manufacturability, tooling requirements, and cost-effectiveness in mind, we also care about impact. How do you feel when you see it or hold it or use it? It’s a balance we all take very seriously.

Who do you serve?

We serve anyone who needs help designing a market-ready product. You could be an inventor with a concept, a napkin sketch, and a dream, or an established manufacturer planning a new product line to add to your portfolio.

We also refresh existing products. We recently redesigned a product that had an outdated and unattractive electronics housing. We kept the original overall style but did a complete redesign to upgrade the housing.

And speaking of electronics, we definitely want people to know that we design electrical components – including PCBs – and firmware for a wide range of products.

You advertise end-to-end product development services. How do you guide clients before and after the actual design phase?

In the early stages, we take clients through planning and strategy. Your goal becomes our goal. One of the most exciting parts for us is initial ideation, concept development, generation sketching – the raw, less refined work that leads to the first visualizations of the end product.

In the later stages of the process, after design and prototyping, we’re still with you. We can connect you with patent professionals to ensure intellectual property is safeguarded. We can do really nice renderings, product animations, CGI, or virtual reality, bringing digital things to life. We’ll source material options. And we’ll use our network of trusted partners to find a suitable low-volume manufacturer.

Once you have a quality product in hand, we want you to reach your full potential in the marketplace. We can assist with distribution, marketing – we offer full support to help you thrive as a successful startup.

Let’s talk more about how you support a client through this journey, because the product development lifecycle isn’t always a straight line. Iteration – and the odd setback – is inherently part of the process.

That’s right. Typically, we’re guiding clients through a process that is very personal to them. This is always true for our inventor clients who trust us with their dream of making a groundbreaking and profitable product.

Our clients are always doing something that hasn’t been done before. This requires a lot of confidence, dedication, and perseverance. In doing this work every day, we understand that the first design isn’t the final design, so we can help clients say positive and see any setbacks as opportunities to learn and improve.

Product design

Every product we touch has one thing in common – an end goal of mass production. How the materials attach to each other, draft angles, injector pin locations…these are in our minds the entire time but are not usually part of the client’s experience. Maybe they envisioned having five components and we can design it to have three, making it simpler, lighter, and less costly to make. But maybe they have to make a small concession on a visual element to make that happen.

Every stage, every detail, every millimeter is important. Any issue that comes up during the development process is a chance to reassess, look for the cause, and find solutions.

Everyone appreciates the complexity of what we’re doing. Together with clients, we trust the process and work as a team. Our Design Solutions experts have many decades of combined experience, designing a thousand different kinds of products, and they are absolute wizards when it comes to problem solving.

There’s a strong theme emerging around communication and collaboration with the client. You must build really strong relationships.

Absolutely. Client feedback is critical at every stage of development. We want to make sure we’re exceeding expectations as we move through the process.

We work closely with clients and become as invested in their products as they are. Sometimes we work with people for many years because they just keep having great ideas. Ultimately, we measure our success by their success.