Due to the demands of our own in-house product development endeavors, we are no longer actively seeking consulting engagements. We continue to do all of the activities described, but primarily ONLY for our own products. We will accept consulting work from qualified customers who seek us out and are prepared to pay our our 50% (of the estimated full cost of the project) retainer prior to commencment of our work. Rates vary according to the work, but average at about $175/hour.
Musical instrument, furniture, adventure gear, rowing craft and unique niche products are our preferred consulting domains.
We are a Product Design, Design Research, Consumer Insights, UX (User Experience) and NPD (New Product Development) firm...Yes that includes Usability Evaluation, Survey Design & Analysis and Quantitative Data Analysis!
Putting it as simply and directly as possible, our primary business to date has been to help other companies like yours...
- To understand what your customers, consumers and/or users really care about
- To determine whether or not they care about what you are planning to sell them.
- To discover what it will take to bring your new product vision in line with your customers' and consumers' true needs and desires (and what are they willing to pay?)
- Design and test alternative embodiments of new products with real people before the development budget is wasted on a loser!
Basically, we do not participate in any of the common practices used to obtain free services (we have seen them all and can sniff them out in minutes...trust us on this)
- Free consulting...our billing clock starts after the first 30 minutes of discussion, regardless of the discussion channel (e.g. telephone, email, "informal" lunch chat, etc.)
- Participate in initial discussions with staff members who DO NOT have final budget authority for the potential project
- Participate in "bake-offs" or any other type of competitive proposal and bidding process
- Evaluation of projects that are already finished
- "Rubber stamp" your solution that you have already decided to pursue
Contact us NOW: don@DonRickertDesign.com
Want more details about our methods, process, and so forth? We've got your details RIGHT HERE!
