Our Typical Process
Every project is different and our process often reflects that. But there’s a typical process we usually follow, and it looks like this:
1
Determine requirements and goals
Let’s get on the same page. This is where we discuss with you the goals for your project along with timeframes, budget, must-haves and ideals.
Some of the things we’ll chat to you about include:
Design and manufacturing costs
Standards and regulations
Testing requirements
Production
Risks and potential difficulties
Product weight, dimensions and use case
Power systems
Firmware requirements
Getting a detailed picture of the problem we’re solving or the solution you’re looking for gives us a great starting point for great design.
2
Specifications
The devil is in the details! Using your requirements and goals, we’ll work out a detailed plan for your system’s design. The specifications will include electronic, software and mechanical details.
Sometimes we can’t identify risks or issues until we get to this stage, so we might have a chat again about difficulties that come up here. Usually these are trade-offs that we discuss with our clients, like size and weight, or sometimes there are difficulties sourcing parts. But we always work hard to find a solution that meets your needs.
We’ll also develop a testing plan at this stage, which will be based on meeting your requirements and used in later stages.
When we’ve the specifications of your project all ironed out, we’ll meet with you to go over them in detail, and then integrate any changes that are identified.
3
Design
This is our favourite part. This stage is where all the specifications come together in one cohesive design to meet your needs. It takes into account all the interactions between the hardware and software, as well as the external systems our design will interact with.
Once we have a draft design, we’ll run this past you and get your feedback. We’ll incorporate your feedback and review again, and end with a final design to move on to the next stage.
4
Build Prototype
This is where your work starts to really come to life. Depending on the nature of the work you have us doing, this stage can involve our engineering team sending away circuitboard designs for production, or building something in house.
5
Test
Testing is a vital part of electronic product design. Once we have your boards/products back in house, we’ll carry out rigorous tests based on the requirements and testing plan developed earlier in our process and report back to you.
6
Review, and Rework or Approve
Now is the time to review the prototype and decide whether to rework it or approve it.
When we’re dealing with revolutionary technology design, sometimes plans change as we work through the development process. Perhaps new information comes to light, the regulations of an industry change, or a client’s goals or needs change slightly.
So, there’s two options here: Move on to Step 7 for Approved, and then we move onto deployment/manufacturing or move back to Step 4 where we’ll rework the prototype to incorporate any new requirements.
7
Deploy / Manufacture on Scale
On to the final production step! This step isn’t always necessary (i.e. if the prototype we designed works for your purposes and is all you need). This is the stage where we integrate our final product into your larger system, or perhaps work with manufacturers to have several final units made.
Having worked in Silicon Valley and Christchurch, both hubs of manufacturing and electrical design in their respective parts of the world, we know how important quality manufacturing is. We can work with suppliers, project manage your manufacture, organise delivery and ensure that delivered products are tested and up to scratch.
8
Ongoing Support
Perhaps you need to update some firmware, or want help integrating our product into your existing tech. Whatever ongoing support you need, we are here to help.
And that’s it! If you have any questions about what the process would look like for your specific product or goal, or would like to work with us, get in touch!
Dream Big. Achieve More.
It all begins with an idea. Want to test your scientific theories in the harsh reality of space? Looking to efficiently power an unmanned plane? That’s where we step in. Asteria specliases in electrical, mechanical and aerospace engineering. Let’s work together to bring your idea to life.