Propulsion is a
full-spectrum design studio
We design the future for our clients.
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Form is our language, and function our framework. We weave stories through products and experiences using material, affordance, usability, ergonomics, and narrative as our tools. Through a rigorous creative process of research, ideation, iteration, and refinement, we transform napkin sketches into experiences that delight and inspire. We design with passion, instilling products with intelligence and personality.
ENGINEERING
The power to execute cannot not be undervalued. We keep our vision lofty with creative daring, and our implementation grounded with solid engineering know-how. It takes experience to balance both, and the demands of reality often seek to undermine design ambition. We leverage our expertise in engineering to preserve original intent while creating highly robust and manufacturable results.
BRANDING
If products are the heart of a company, brand is most certainly the soul. Whether building new brands or reinvigorating existing ones, we empower ideas to excel by creating expressive brands with compelling attraction that inspire impassioned and engaged communities. Our intimate understanding of the product and the audience uniquely enables us to forge relationships that resonate.
VISUAL DESIGN
Highly effective visual communication feels like magic but doesn’t happen by accident. Systems analysis, storyboarding, and 2d prototyping frame the foundation for intuitive interfaces that are naturally effortless and seem to disappear. From wireframe to pixel-perfect, we create interactions with depth that traverse the gap between physical and digital to form harmonious experiences between product and UI.
DESIGN STRATEGY
Great design is more than alluring aesthetics – it’s born from innovative ideas, nurtured by insightful leadership, and grown to excel in the context of environment. We provide strategic guidance informed by research, forecasting, and an evolved understanding of human behavior to bring clarity to business, brand, and product development decisions.
Expertise
We’re a lean and dedicated team of designers and thinkers with an expansive set of skills. Our size allows us to remain highly efficient and focused; our deep experience makes us versatile and effective. We also frequently collaborate with experts in adjacent fields as needed to deliver comprehensive leading-edge results. Here are some of our in-house areas of focus.
Strategy
- Design Thinking
- Market Research
- User Research
- Persona Development
- Competitive Analysis
- Design Strategy
- Brand Positioning
- Naming
- Trend Analysis
- Ergonomic Studies
- Problem Discovery
- Creative Insight
Execution
- Design Sketching
- Ideation
- Concept Development
- Product Design
- 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
- Prototype Development
- Brand Identity
- Packaging Design
- Website Design
- Experience Design
- Visual and UI Development
- Digital/Physical Integration
Follow Through
- Project Management
- Mechanical Engineering
- Materials Selection
- Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
- Request for Quote Process (RFQ)
- Sourcing
- Manufacturing Support
- Article Inspection
- Quality Control (On-Site, or Remote As Needed)
- Crowd-Funding Management
- Product Presentation (Tradeshows, etc.)
- Product Launch Strategy
Our clients
Our Process
Design thinking methodologies frame our creative process, which has generated hundreds of successful products garnering over 80 professional awards. We enjoy working with clients regardless of their stage in the development process, though design is at its most powerful when applied systemically and from the outset. As a fundamentally versatile way of thinking, our design process transcends the differences between product categories, and fosters rapid expertise by bringing multi-disciplinary talents to the table.
Define
We work collaboratively with clients big and small to define the challenges and conditions unique to each opportunity. An important first step, defining goals broadly establishes the significance we hope to create with the designed product or experience.
Discover
A holistic approach to discovery and analysis yields a wellspring of information and insights from which to draw creative connections. A key aspect of discovery is learning what customers need by asking the big questions and inviting the unexpected answers.
Meaning
An intelligently developed understanding of what makes us human – loves, passions, flaws, motivations, capacities, and habits – interprets discoveries into ideas worth exploring. We apply principles of design to the most exciting ideas, creating powerful potential.
Ideate
Through a process of 2D and 3D ideation, we mold informed intuitions into concrete concepts, creating tangible and substantive expressions of conceptual ideas. Our creative output generates a range of interpretations of an idea, each with their own merits.
Refine
Output generated through ideation is validated by the meaningful discoveries made through research, and prototypes put the creative solution to work in the real world. Testing, iterating, and refining add the final polish that elevates the concept into an amazing product or experience.