Creating alignment across teams, time zones, and expertise

Technology has made global communication easier than ever, connecting people across the world. Good communication between engineers, contract manufacturers, industrial designers, and clients is a critical part of the product development process. However, navigating conversations that span time zones, cultural backgrounds, and different work experiences can be challenging. Technology connects us to people, but it’s our job to establish trust between teams and come together to create a worthwhile product.

We’ve identified three learnings from our recent projects that ensure clear and effective communication between the client, contract manufacturer, and Smart Design:

1. Establish early DFM practices
2. Visually support verbal communication
3. Adjust to vendor capabilities

01 Establish early DFM practices

You’ve probably heard the term “DFM,” or Design for Manufacturing. In simple terms, it’s the process of ensuring products we design can actually be affordably manufactured by factories.

So how do we design for manufacturing? Taking a look back at our recent Gatorade Crossover Tumbler project, the DFM process was not just one step; it was an ongoing exploration between Smart Design, the Gatorade team, and the contract manufacturer. Each stakeholder brought unique value and responsibility to every meeting, encouraging manufacturing conversations early and often. DFM should be embedded into early stages to balance manufacturing costs while maintaining the original design intent.

After we incorporated our research insights into the design, we began meeting with the manufacturer 1-2 times a week to review our initial CAD model. The 3D model of the Tumbler at this stage didn’t include the in-depth surfacing details and other meticulous features, but instead focused on things like part count, material intention, and tooling directions used to accurately represent each part in the assembly. After the general tooling strategy was agreed upon, we refined the functional features and smaller details to complete the assembly, which helped avoid time consuming or expensive feasibility issues later in the process.

02 Visually support verbal communication

Successful collaboration with contract manufacturers depends not only on what is said, but on how effectively ideas and capabilities are communicated. Project delays and misunderstandings— around expectations or requirements—can arise when interfacing virtually or working with language barriers if working internationally. In these cases, visual communication becomes an essential bridge, helping to convey intent where words fall short.

Visual tools such as diagrams, annotated drawings, and quick CAD representations can communicate ideas in a universally accessible way. PowerPoints, for example, are often shared between manufacturers and engineers to align on part production plans. These presentations combine visual and written callouts over screenshots of CAD to highlight critical features such as parting lines, mold structures, gate locations, draft angles, wall thicknesses, and surface finishes.

Below is a PowerPoint slide shared between Smart and the Gatorade Crossover Tumbler manufacturer. The main parting line split is highlighted in blue and the witness lines from other molding actions are in red. It’s important to note that this is not the simplest option for molding this part, but this particular direction was chosen to maintain a clean top surface that is comfortable to drink from.

This approach not only documents design revisions in a clear, traceable format but also minimizes the risk of misinterpretation. By integrating both words and visuals, communication becomes simpler and more precise, allowing the original design intent to be preserved throughout the manufacturing process.

03 Adjust to vendor capabilities

A large part of the communication that happens between our team and the factories is focused around what we think will be achievable and repeatable once we are producing a multitude of parts. Depending on the scale and capability of the factory, different constraints on the process may require design changes.

The contract manufacturer is the expert in their abilities for product realization. Sometimes, in focusing on speed to market and ease of manufacturing, their solution may differ from the client’s ideal product. At Smart Design, we can quickly collaborate with our own internal teams to propose ideas that are both manufacturable and intentionally designed for the end-user. Often, our role serves to challenge the manufacturer’s first solution to better align with the overall vision of the product.

At the start of the Tumbler design process, the factory proposed adding geometry to the lid’s top surface to simplify assembly. The Smart team, however, wanted to preserve a clean, uniform edge. We returned to ideation and developed a solution that moved part of the refill door, avoiding the need for added lid details. Inspired by spring pins used in watch bands, we designed a separate hinge component that compresses during assembly and prevents any marks from appearing on the lid’s surface. This fell within the manufacturer’s capabilities while still following the original design intent.

Applying proven communication practices across brands and industries

Efficiently communicating ideas is vitally important with the cross-collaboration that exists between remote teams. At Smart Design, these learnings have helped to foster collaboration and maintain a clear vision throughout projects. Beyond Gatorade, we have used these learnings time and time again on projects with OXO, Poursteady, and emerging technology startups to develop products, so that they can make it to market faster. During every step of the process, we aim to communicate effectively and empathetically, so that all parties can succeed throughout the product development process.