Tarlow Design

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I engaged in this project as an independent individual. My business is not related to it as it is a personal project, but I happen to be a patent lawyer.

What challenge were you trying to address with Tarlow Design?

I needed to find a company that could help me develop an idea into an actual working product that I could use for myself and commercialize later on, so I hired Tarlow Design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an idea for a small electronic device, about the size of a remote control, that I could use almost every day. For years, I’d been thinking about how this type of product doesn’t exist, so I decided to create it myself. I’m pretty good at understanding technology but I’m not an engineer, so I got Tarlow Design to actually build the device and all its electronic components.

I wrote a broad design for the product since I already had ideas of how it should work. I discussed these with the team and they went on to develop an initial prototype. It had all the functions we needed but we changed a few aspects of the design for the second prototype. 

As we brainstormed, we realized that this type of device could be the basis of a family of products, so I’ve filed an application for a patent. We’re now in a stage where we’re transitioning from prototype to production, which is sort of manufacturing it for commercial purposes. I don’t have a lot of experience with commercializing products, but Tarlow Design is currently helping me with that.

What is the team composition?

I know of Ken (President) and Matteo (Electrical Engineer).

How did you come to work with Tarlow Design?

I looked around the internet and spoke to 4–5 different companies who could take on this project who all seemed very competent. I eventually decided to go with Tarlow Design because I felt most comfortable and confident with Ken. I can't say that there was a single factor that affected this decision; it was more of how I felt towards Tarlow Design.  Moreover, they had the ability to not just design and build my product, but also to take it to the next stage, which is commercialization. 

How much have you invested with them?

Thus far, I’ve spent about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began around June 2020 and is still ongoing.

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

The second prototype works very well after the changes we’ve made and we’re all pretty happy with it. The developments have me very excited. I’m hopeful that in the next 12 months, if everything goes well, this product could appear in stores, on shelves, or on Amazon. 

In six months’ time, I’d probably have more solid evidence of impact, but right now, I’m feeling very, very good about this project. It's going really well and it has given me the confidence to pursue, build, and commercialize other ideas that I have in mind, even though it is the first time I’ve done something like this. The entire project has changed my way of thinking and has made me very optimistic about the future of my device.

How did Tarlow Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We normally communicate by phone. I can call Ken directly and he’s always available and happy to speak with me. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked with other firms like theirs before but of all the agencies I’d initially spoken to, I think Tarlow Design is very experienced and competent. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any complaints; It’s all gone very well. I've been very happy with the experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a clear, fairly developed design for the device I wanted to build really helped in my case, so I think that’s very important if you want to have everybody on the same page. Defer to the team when it comes to building the electronics of your device because they have the experience and expertise.

If you're someone like me who doesn't have any experience in building a product, accepting the division of roles based on abilities will definitely make it a smooth process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner, operator, and sole employee in a promotional products company. I make new products and sell them through distribution channels.

What challenge were you trying to address with Tarlow Design?

They do patents, trademarks, prototypes, and design. I give them an idea, and they come back with a completed product that I’ll have made in China.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Primarily, Tarlow Design develops the product and makes a prototype. Then, they consult me about marketing. If I ask them to do production, they give the specs to me, or I deal directly with China. Basically, they’re involved with the whole product design from beginning to end, including whether they consider it a viable product.

Most of what we’ve done was before social media, so we advertised online mainly through email blasts. We also sold through different retail stores, primarily by catalogs.

About two years ago, we did my latest product together. We collaborated on it, so we have a joint patent. Tarlow Designs has filed many patents and trademarks that I haven’t used, but sometimes I hire outside lawyers. So far, I have five patents.

What is the team composition?

I only work with Ken (President).

How did you come to work with Tarlow Design?

We go back almost 20 years. I think someone referred me.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s somewhere between $5,000–$10,000. They don’t charge much.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together 20 years ago in the backbeats of 2001, and our relationship is ongoing.

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

According to the manufacturer, the sales of our initial product were over 500,000 units at $15 a unit. That’s our biggest accomplishment by far.

Additionally, everyone that sees the products wants to know who did them. I’ve referred Tarlow Design to many people.

How did Tarlow Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great. They finish what they start. Also, Ken is a nice person and easy to deal with. We communicate through phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Tarlow Design helps me with the trademarks and patents, but they basically charge a consulting fee. They don’t take money or ask for a retainer.

Moreover, Ken does everything that I ask him to do and gives me his opinion. He’s a great friend, even if I’ve only met him three times in 20 years.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Ken was a one-man show, and later on, he had somebody to help him. However, he needs to expand at least with 1–2 more people. Also, he should start charging more; his rates are just too low.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you have an idea and go to someone like Tarlow Design, you have to make sure that you can complete the product. Many people get started and get the prototype, but then they don’t want to spend the money and physically make it. They think it’s easy, and Ken lets you know it’s not that easy.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Development of medical products. I am self employedc and the CEO of a DBA

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

Development of medical products with the goal of licensing these products.

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

I looked for a model maker with experience with CAD and CAM that could do the development for a reasonable cost.

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

The projects required an initial design, contract within a reasonable cost, CAD drawings and electronic design, making a working prototype and writing a disclosure for writing a patent.

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

One person worked with me, Ken Tarlow. Ken is the CEO of Tarlow Design.

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

Previous projects were delivered within a reasonable time and at the expected cost. Four eye drop delivery systems are now in contract with an outstanding Patent Broker

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

We had communication at set milestones. Plans and ongoing designs were reviewed at that point.

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

I am impressed with the ability of Tarlow Design to come up with a design that solves the problem I was addressing.

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

Building a prototype is a step by step process requiring considering different and optimizing a prototype. The goal was to make a prototype that could be further developed by a manufacturing company and to do an engineering disclosure that would serve as the basis of a patent application.