Criador Labs

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Manager of Urban Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Urban Company is a leading home services platform that connects customers with trusted professionals for a wide range of services, including cleaning, repairs, beauty, and maintenance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Criador Labs to accomplish?

• Industrial Design
• Mechanical Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Criador Labs?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Criador Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location

How many teammates from Criador Labs were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project involved creating both industrial design and mechanical design for the enclosure of the Co-Pilot device. The goal was to develop a functional, user-friendly, and durable enclosure that aligns with the product's purpose and environment of use.

Summary of Key Deliverables
1. Industrial Design

• Conceptualization and Aesthetics: Developed multiple design concepts focusing on ergonomics, visual appeal, and user-friendliness.
• Material Selection: Recommended suitable materials that ensure durability, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with environmental conditions.
• Prototyping Support: Provided renderings and CAD models to facilitate early-stage prototypes for validation of form and usability 

2. Mechanical Design

• Structural Design: Engineered the enclosure for optimal strength, ensuring it could house all internal components securely.
• Thermal and Ventilation Considerations: Incorporated features for proper ventilation and thermal management to maintain device performance.
• Assembly Mechanisms: Designed intuitive and robust assembly mechanisms for ease of manufacturing and maintenance.
• Shock and Vibration Resistance: Ensured compliance with durability standards to withstand field conditions, including shock and vibrations.
• Water and Dust Resistance: Integrated sealing features to meet IP ratings suitable for the operating environment.

3. Integration with Internal Components

• Designed internal mounting points for PCBs, connectors, and other components to ensure optimal alignment and ease of assembly.
• Accommodated wire routing and access points for external interfaces, sensors, and power connections.

4. Testing and Validation

• Supported testing of prototypes to assess structural integrity, ergonomics, and environmental compliance.
• Incorporated feedback from field testing to refine the design further.

5. Documentation

• Delivered detailed 3D models, 2D engineering drawings, and BOM (Bill of Materials) for manufacturing.
• Provided a comprehensive design dossier for future reference and scalability.

This comprehensive scope ensured the Co-Pilot device enclosure met functional, aesthetic, and operational requirements while maintaining a focus on manufacturability and cost-efficiency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The success of the project can be demonstrated through the following measurable outcomes:

1.Improved Design Efficiency

• Finalized the enclosure design within the planned timeline, ensuring no delays in production schedules.

2. Enhanced Durability and Reliability

• Passed drop and vibration tests, confirming structural integrity and robustness for real-world use.

3. Optimized Manufacturing Feasibility

• Simplified the assembly process, reducing assembly time, thereby increasing production scalability.

4. User-Friendly Design

• Positive feedback from initial field tests,  rating the design as intuitive and easy to handle.

5.Seamless Component Integration

• Achieved a 100% fit accuracy for internal components, minimizing assembly errors and improving device reliability.
• Designed internal layouts that improved cable management, reducing assembly complexities 

6.Scalability and Documentation

• Delivered a complete set of 3D models, engineering drawings, and a BOM, enabling seamless transition to mass production.
• Ensured design scalability for future iterations or variations of the device.

These outcomes highlight the project's success in meeting functional, operational, and aesthetic requirements while maintaining cost-efficiency and manufacturability.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The project was managed efficiently, with all deliverables completed on time and within scope. The team demonstrated excellent responsiveness, addressing our requirements promptly and incorporating feedback seamlessly into the design process.

What was your primary form of communication with Criador Labs?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out most about the company was its ability to seamlessly blend creativity with functionality in its designs. Their proactive approach, attention to detail, and commitment to delivering user-centric solutions were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Criador Labs could have done differently?

While Criador Labs delivered excellent results, an area for improvement could be enhancing communication frequency during key design phases. More regular updates might have further streamlined the alignment of expectations and reduced minor adjustments in later stages.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work with Ogilvy India in the capacity of a Management Supervisor within the Creative Tech & Innovations dept. I provide modern tech-oriented marketing solutions for brands and help with end to end execution of projects/campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Criador Labs, and what were your goals?

Criador Labs were hired for product innovation: product design and delivery for a marquee campaign in 2022 for Coca-Cola India. They designed and manufactured a Bluetooth-enabled lock for the Locked Coke campaign. Additionally, they supported us by creating the digital consumer experience, i.e. the microsite for ordering and unlocking the Locked Coke.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Through an RFP process post multiple discussions regarding feasibility of the planned product innovation.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Design, manufacturing and delivery of robust Locked Coke units for a marketing campaign. Delivery of a single page application as a microsite to process user registrations & orders and for unlocking the Locked Coke.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked closely with Abhishek, who was a part of think tank as well as our single POC for the project deliverables. We also worked closely with Jagadish, for the the microsite development part of the requirement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The campaign was very well received among our target audience and all available quantities of the Locked Coke were ordered by the end consumers.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Open, Communicative and Prompt. Tools are Email and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were impressed with the commitment they showcased by treating our requirements as more than just a regular job, providing it the dedication and extra effort it needed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a medical device company. We’re creating devices and a software platform for managing a medical condition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Criador Labs?

We needed a hardware design firm to help us engineer a medical device that would be cellular-connected like an IoT device for patients to use at home.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Criador Labs provides us with the hardware design for our medical device. We gave them guidelines and high-level requirements, which they fleshed out to make more technical and detailed. The requirement process has been a collaboration between our companies, where they operate in a consulting manner in some situations and handle the execution in other scenarios.

The team looked at preexisting technology in the market and came up with a version based on their own design. From there, they produced a proof of concept that we tested. Once the proof of concept was successful, we engaged them to build a true prototype with all of our own technology. Meanwhile, they’ve consulted with us on FDA requirements for medical devices. 

They’ve helped us with industrial design for the prototype regarding the form factor, feel, and look of the device. Criador Labs has also done all the electrical engineering and hardware and firmware engineering. They’ve also helped us with some mechanical engineering and risk management. Additionally, they provided us with some visualization mock-ups of the device to use in our pitch deck. Criador Labs has delivered the first prototype, and we’re currently about to go into clinical trials to test it.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with about 10 different people, including the co-founder, a lead hardware and firmware engineer, an industrial designer, a project manager, and several electrical, mechanical, and software engineers. 

How did you come to work with Criador Labs?

We found them through a platform where we posted our project. Our team reviewed various companies that put in a bid, including Criador Labs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’ve had successful readings from our medical device, which meets industry standards and performs as it should. Criador Labs producing a device measurable against the gold standard in the amount of time they have is an enormous feat. The team is very thoughtful; they think through our business needs and ensure that what they’re building matches our industry and the market.

How did Criador Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been very pleased with their project management. They can work collaboratively in a way that matches our work culture. While sometimes international collaboration can be challenging in matching up work styles, Criador Labs has done a great job adapting to how we work. Moreover, they ask good questions and hold us accountable as well. They provide feedback and ask us to perform the items they need from us to be successful. We use Google Meet for communication, and we collaborate via SharePoint. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The people on Criador Labs' team are incredibly smart and thoughtful. Finding people with great engineering chops that simultaneously think about business strategy and high-level communication is rare. While usually, if a vendor has one of those skill sets, they’re not so great in the other, Criador Labs has all of the above. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their project management could be a little more detailed. However, I’m happy with their project management, so there’s not much to say in terms of areas of improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If it’s an international contract, don’t be concerned about being able to work effectively with Criador Labs; they manage offshore relationships very well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Aventure Sync Private Limited, a smart, wireless charger that connects with Alexa and Google Home. It’s still in mass production at the moment and will be launched in May or June.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Criador Labs?

I’m a newbie and needed help with software development and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Criador Labs was responsible for designing and developing our wireless charger. It’s a smart wireless charger and had to be IoT-enabled. It’s a one-of-a-kind thing. First, they provided research services. Then, they developed the PCB as well as the programming behind that. They also provided me with what we call a 3D printed prototype within three months. I even made some changes later on after that and they accommodated those changes.

They also handled all the programming regarding cloud computing and everything on the AWS side. Their team even accommodated the commands and how it was going to respond to the whole user command, including all the voltage percentages and the regulations that need to be adhered to. The whole project was to design the whole thing from the PCB to the final working prototype.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four members of their team. There was a manager who handled the whole project as well as the mechanical designer, the electronics engineer, and a software developer.

How did you come to work with Criador Labs?

I found them on a freelancer site and they called me back. At that point, I was busy somewhere else and doing some other project. I told them I’d contact them later on.

After 2-3 months, they called us and I told them all about the project. We started off a few months after meeting them in Bangalore. They told me how they were going to do everything from the beginning. They were also reasonably priced.

I got a quotation from two other companies in Bangalore and they were going to charge me 2 or 3 times more. Criador Labs was handling the design in-house but the other companies were outsourcing the design. Criador Labs is also way more supportive, helpful, and communicative. They wanted to know what we wanted so they could give feedback in order to improve on that. I didn’t see that with the other two companies, so we chose Criador Labs.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about 20 Lakhs INR (approximately $30,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2018-March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Quality wasn’t always perfect but they were good. The LEDs weren’t up to the mark, but whenever I asked them to make corrections, they did. There were no major mistakes. They wanted to improve what their clients wanted.

Since this is a new thing, there were no PCB suppliers. They even tried to get it from other manufacturers but couldn’t get it quite right with the PCBs they had designed. They actually had to design the whole PCB to control the main PCB. They mentioned it to me and it took another two months. They did this on their own.

How did Criador Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was perfect. They were really helpful. We had quite a few challenges with deadlines, the deadline they gave me wasn’t plausible for them to finish on time. The whole project was supposed to get cleared within nine months but it got delayed a bit because I made some changes.

They had to do a few things again to accommodate those changes. It took 15-17 months to get completed, but it was worth the extra time they took. The final product was good. All the things I wanted in my project were there.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked working with them and I’d happily recommend them to anyone. The best thing about Criador Labs is that they are very friendly and helpful. I’m not very experienced in this whole thing, but they guided me the whole way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They do outsource a few things. If they could manage those things in-house, that would be perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Anyone can work with them. They’re very straightforward. They won’t guide you the wrong way. You won’t have any issues working with them even if you’re a beginner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a company that is primarily in the IT field. I work in the health sector, and my role as a self-employed contractor is to manage projects involving large software implementations in hospitals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Criador Labs?

I needed help with picking up the requirements of a product and following it up with preliminary analysis so I could move into the engineering and research work. I hired Criador Labs to help me culminate these tasks into the pre-manufacturing and copyrighting stage.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I approached Criador Labs with a concept and did the initial exchange of NDAs. I shared my ideas in terms of what I was looking for. The team gave me feedback on certain areas that might have been a waste of time. They would find similarities between my work and work they’ve done in the past and advise me what not to do to save me time and money. 

Prototypes are very straightforward, and they made sure we didn’t waste our investments, but the value Criador Labs brought to my company was doing different product development works. 

They took the streams of work away from the areas where we had to expand our knowledge and began doing their analysis and research. Their data analysis translated into a rudimentary prototype that we formalized after follow-ups, discussions, and further research and development. 

A lot of the initial work was run by analysis, mathematics, and engineering principles so the team mostly used CAD (computer-aided design) drawings to showcase what the end product would look like. We printed the actual product prototype before committing to the manufacturer that would develop it. 

What is the team composition?

I mostly spoke with Abishek (Co-Founder), my go-to person,  and he would manage his team and all the third-party vendors, from suppliers to other outsourcing companies. There were occasions when I would talk with the other team members to walk through some of the results that they had and issue change requests of what I wanted to put back in.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested between £60,000–£100,000 (approximately $82,000–$137,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working around January 2018 and had been together at least two years before the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the project. We were at a point where we were about to launch the product, but we had to put it on pause because the market was not there at the time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

What I required from Criador Labs was a formal report of what we were doing so that we could track requirements against delivery. They would give feedback at each stage of the development cycle. We would then go through their findings and adjust our deliverables to commence the next stage. We have regular contact each week, so each milestone was a big surprise. Informal conversations helped manage the expectations on both sides. 

However, for me, the most important part was that I had a degree of trust over the intellectual property, which is often my worry when engaging with a company we’ve never had dealings with. I was very comfortable sharing my ideas and concept with the Criador team. 

I also found them far more effective and cheaper than their British counterparts. There was value for my money because they provided me with a one-stop solution in engineering and research and prototyping, manufacturing, and even finding other possible suppliers. We have more specialized segments in the West, so it requires more legwork finding the different components. At the same time, I was able to go to Criador Labs and get everything done in one place, which made my life a lot easier.

How did Criador Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

All in all, it was a good partnership. They take instructions and criticisms well. I’m based in London, and they’re based in Bangalore, so there are time and physical differences. We dealt with everything remotely, which is, ironically, how much of the world is working now.  We’ve had to rely on conversations over the phone and through Zoom or Skype. A lot of it depended on reliance and trust.

I didn’t require any project management tool. I developed a management style myself, so all I needed was my ideas and deliverables reported on. We tracked costs on an Excel spreadsheet. We’re a small enterprise, so we tended to be a bit more agile. I could’ve asked them to use a more robust methodology, like bigger companies, but that might have bumped up the cost.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Besides being able to trust them with intellectual property, I gravitated towards the skills that they brought to the table. I was looking to accomplish one product and brought in a second one because of it.

A lot of clients will come along and benefit from their library of knowledge. They have a balance between having integrity, enthusiasm, and the ability to do the development work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Hindsight is always great, though I can’t think of anything. There is a learning curve for both parties sometimes, but I can’t put a finger on one particular thing that I was disappointed with. Overall, I’m quite happy to recommend them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Most people will approach developers expecting them to be done in weeks or months, but you have to understand product development complexity. If you think something will take three months to complete, I would advise you to triple that time because it’s a complicated environment that you’re dealing with.

In my experience, while Criador Labs is amenable to help, you have to be realistic with your timeframe. Approaching them with unrealistic expectations and timeframes is setting them up to fail. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at a manufacturing company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

OEM

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Criador Labs to accomplish?

• Help one of our clients design a project for manufacturing used to cure vaginal diseases

SOLUTION

How did you find Criador Labs?

• Online Search

Why did you select Criador Labs over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Criador Labs were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Client wanted to create a project tha helps cure vaginal issues without medications. Client had an idea. Criador Labs took that idea and made it into a reality. Now the product will be ready to manufacture soon and will be introduced into the market. Without the help of Criador Labs, this would never have been possible.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We started with an idea. Criador has made it into a feasible project and is now sending the final prototypes to the client for approval.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Absolutely wonderful service. This project took a bit longer than expected because the initial idea was simply not working and so Criador Labs made everything possible. Hats off to the wonderful team at Criador Labs

What was your primary form of communication with Criador Labs?

• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Quick Results, Very Organized Easy to work with even though they are located on the other side of the world

Are there any areas for improvement or something Criador Labs could have done differently?

None that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Brandwill is a creative digital marketing problem-solving agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Criador Labs?

We hired Criador Labs for multiple services, product design, embedded development, UI/UX design, packaging design, mobile app development, prototyping, and manufacturing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

They provided a team of professionals who offered end-to-end solutions in one place, meeting all our requirements.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

To build an RFID reader solution that can read up to 100 cards simultaneously for the game purposes.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Abishek Co-founder Poorna Project Manager Ashwini Designer Mahish Electronics Developer Suraj Mechanical Engineer Geethika Mobile App Developer Vivek Manufacturing Expert

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Fully functioning prototypes have been received successfully and the technology was 100% accurate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was a very smooth process and the communication was very easy and professionally done.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their team of experts and high professionalism in delivering their tasks.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

We were satisfied with all their services and everything was done professionally and on time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Criador Labs, and what were your goals?

Design and develop a new product - Hardware and a mobile app. Translate my idea into a physical product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Interviewed the founder of the company.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Design, hard ware development, Logo design, UI design and development.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I was working with a dedicated project manager and the team consisted of hardware , electronics and software development capabilities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

They provided me the prototype.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Excel based tracker accessible through google drive. They did well.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Integrated capabilities of electronics, software, hardware and design services.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Yes. Anticipating customer needs that client did not mention yet.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Good for integrated development. Consider further optimization of prototype into the project plan.