Nyker

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder of Duten, a company specialised in washroom accessories and taps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We designed a flush plate that could be used on different brands and models of toilets and supplied to the customer in the matching finish as the other toilet accessories.

SOLUTION

How did you select Nyker and what were the deciding factors?

We hired Nyker as we had heard about them through another company. They came up with a very straigh forward offer that was easy to understand and gave a clear outline of how the whole project would proceed.

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

We had an initial meeting over zoom where they explained the whole process and how the different stages would unfold. The mission was simple as it needed to be a flush plate that could adapt onto different models and brands of toilets.

As the developement was underway we got regular updates but this didnt consume much of our time which we found essential as we still had the daily operations of the company to run. Samples were also provided in the later part of the project for us to test which was vital to validating the final concept.

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

We worked with three members of the team over the course of the project but Dave keeps a close eye on the procedings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After launching the product, we have had an increase in specified projects and also it is an extra add-on to supply to projects.

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

We had weekly updates by email which enabled us to see exactly where the project was up to.

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

The most impressive thing about Nyker is the solution they came up with for our product. Not only did it answer our need but the production cost of the product will finally be a lot less than we expected.

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

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of Ordinatra Minima, a company that designs, develops, and manufactures electronics products. We work in the domain of smartphones, connected devices, and such products. We do everything in-house, from design to manufacturing, and we also do consultancy on projects for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nyker?

We needed a case or enclosure design for an upcoming hardware product. Since we don’t have in-house design capabilities for plastics and injection molding, we hired Nyker.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nyker designed the plastic enclosures for our product. We provided the team with a brief, and they provided concepts, designs, and prototypes, ultimately leading to manufacturing. Our product is a circuit board, and we came to them with most of the hardware already designed. 

We worked collaboratively on the electronics and plastics side, and Nyker drove the design aspect of the project. They provided me with a few concepts, and I chose one of them. Then, they took that through the production steps required. As of last week, Nyker has delivered the second sample of the plastics. We’re currently in the final stages of manufacturing, and they’ve been leading the process in China as well. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve interacted with three people from Nyker; Dave (Director & Founder) is my main contact on the production side of things, and I’ve also worked with one of their product designers and one other person.

How did you come to work with Nyker?

We found them through a referral, and I initially inquired about their services. One thing that stuck out was that Nyker is a turnkey agency; they can deal with everything from concept generation to prototyping. When I visited their office, I was impressed with their prototyping capabilities in-house. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about £4,000 (approximately $5,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although this is a new product still in the introduction stages, we’re already seeing a lot of interest even with the renders and the preliminary photos. The design Nyker created is very striking and doesn’t look like other products in the market today.

Moreover, I’m very happy with their process. Just this morning, I sent Nyker another brief for a new project because I have another project coming up, and I’m interested in exploring their services further.

How did Nyker perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve fallen within the budget we agreed to. They have a very robust process of writing design reports and making sure that the proposal matches the deliverables. Overall, I’ve been very happy with their project management. 

We meet via Microsoft Teams, and we have a channel set up for discussion within the platform. I also get regular PDF reports via email.

Additionally, the fact that I can rely on them to run the manufacturing process is a bonus. Since I’m not an industrial engineer, I don’t necessarily know all the terminology Nyker does, so I appreciate them running the process instead of leaving it to me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by Nyker’s creativity and ability to iterate quickly on prototypes. In their first concept documents, they provided us with so many different options that I didn’t even think were possible. 

When I visited their office, I was very impressed with their prototyping tools; they have everything from a high-quality 3D printer to mechanical tools and CMC. I generally don’t see this with other design houses which outsource these aspects. The fact that they have these tools in-house means that their interaction cycles are very quick because they don’t have to send the files somewhere else to be modified.

Additionally, Dave has very relevant experience designing electro-mechanic products that involve plastic around circuit boards. Nyker truly is a turnkey operation; from concept to prototyping to manufacturing with design in the middle, they’ve exceeded my expectations. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think they need to improve anything; they’ve provided us with deliverables that have matched and exceeded our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listening to their framework and following its advice will help with similar projects. Nyker presents a very nice framework for how to work with them, and letting them drive the process has helped us a lot.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Product Manager at Arrow Group

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Nyker?

We had no in house CAD expertise and needed support with designing a new and innovative product that was truly unique in its field

SOLUTION

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

Dave Walker worked with us before starting his own company. We were impressed with the quality of work.

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

The product was a gas lift monitor arm which needed to resolve the critical issues faced by gas/spring monitor arms which is that they either droop/sag under load or become very difficult to adjust.

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

Whole team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were many innovations which make this product a market leader. It's quick to assemble, well priced in a competitive market, stable, easy to adjust, and we were able to patent a lot of features in the design which were completely new.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent

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

Brilliant at overcoming any problem you throw at them.

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

Sometimes design can be overcomplicated but this is normal for the design process.