Design Prosody

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager for Burch Barrel, a small company that makes a wood-and-charcoal grill, smoker, and fire pit, all in one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Design Prosody?

We needed help with mechanical design work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Design Prosody has been our main mechanical design resource. The biggest project we’ve worked on with them was the Burch Barrel itself, but they’ve also helped us create some accessories for it.

To create the Burch Barrel, Design Prosody supported us in mechanical design, product development, and factory management. In other words, they helped us conceptualize the initial idea, design the product, create a prototype, and assist the manufacturer in its mass production.

Initially, we provided them with a design brief, including concepts and general constraints. Then, we had multiple iterations on the concept and design. After our approval, we moved into prototyping and mass production; it was a multi-staged project.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three people from Design Prosody, from whom Drew (Director of Operations & Manufacturing) is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Design Prosody?

Our owner was connected to Design Prosody through an investor.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest testament of Design Prosody’s impact on our business is the product itself. Thanks to their great work, we’ve won a number of design awards. Additionally, the customer reviews on our product are very good.

How did Design Prosody perform from a project management standpoint?

Design Prosody has performed very well. Our engagement is very smooth, and they work independently, with little direction from our side. We communicate via phone calls, and they also use MURAL, which is very helpful to see what they’re working on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Design Prosody excels at mechanical design and physical prototyping. They have a great in-house capability to create physical prototypes, which ultimately saves a lot of time and money throughout the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know; Design Prosody is great. If anything, it would be good if they improved their organization and file management.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Design Prosody is best suited for mechanical design projects. To make the most out of the engagement, come in with an open mind because they’re great at idea generation.