How the Work Happens

I have spent twenty-five years learning that the cost of a prototype is not the materials or the machining time. It is the decision you make before you cut anything. That is the philosophy behind every project: sharpen the axe before you strike.

I use a framework called GRASP – Goal, Resource Assessment, Strategy, Plan – to align with clients before any material moves. It keeps the work honest, the budget predictable, and the outcome useful rather than merely finished.

1. Discovery and Alignment

We start with a single conversation about what you are actually trying to solve. Not the feature list. The problem. Who will use this, where, and under what constraints? I assess what is already known – existing designs, competitive products, prior attempts – and what must be learned. The output is a shared Goal and a realistic Resource Assessment: materials I have in hand, skills the project demands, and where we will need to bring in outside expertise.

This phase usually takes one to two conversations and results in a written brief. You will know whether we are a fit before either of us commits to the build.

2. Strategy and Concept

With the goal fixed and resources mapped, we define the Strategy: the specific combination of materials, fabrication methods, and geometric approach that gives you the highest-fidelity answer to your question for the least time and money.

This is where sketches, rough 3D prints, foam models, or material samples appear. The goal is not beauty. It is decision support. You need to hold something, test something, or show something to a stakeholder before the real prototype budget gets spent. We validate the concept here, or kill it, before it gets expensive.

3. Build and Plan

Strategy becomes Plan. I select the exact materials – carbon fiber and glass composites, titanium and aluminum, hardwoods and synthetics, technical textiles and webbing – and sequence the fabrication steps. I work in my own shop and with a network of local CNC, welding, and sewing partners, depending on what the prototype demands.

The build is documented throughout. You receive photos, measurements, and notes on what is working and what is not. There are no black-box phases where you wonder what is happening.

4. Iterate and Deliver

A prototype is not an answer. It is a question refined. We test, review, and decide whether the design needs one more pass or is ready to hand off to your production partner or manufacturer.

Deliverables are clean: the physical object, technical drawings or CAD files as agreed, a bill of materials with sourcing notes, and a brief report on what to adjust for the next revision. I design for the reality that someone else will have to build this at scale, so the prototype is never a dead end.

Engagement Structure

I work in flat-fee phases, not open-ended hourly billing. You know the cost before the work starts. A typical first phase runs between $1,500 and $3,000 depending on complexity and material. If you need a second phase to refine, that is scoped and quoted separately. No surprises.

If you have a project that needs a working prototype, start with an email. Tell me the problem, not the solution.