Indoor Hydroponic Growing System Design

Title: Industrial Designer / Product Development Engineer – Premium Indoor Hydroponic Furniture System Project Overview I am looking for an experienced Industrial Designer, Product Development Engineer, or Product Design Consultancy to help bring a new consumer product to life from concept through to manufacturing readiness. Experience in hydroponics and plant nutrients is highly recommended and preferred. The product is a premium indoor hydroponic growing system designed for modern homes, apartments, offices and small living spaces. The vision is to create a beautiful furniture-grade product that allows people to grow fresh herbs, leafy greens and selected vegetables indoors year-round. Unlike existing hydroponic products, this is intended to feel like a premium piece of furniture rather than a gardening appliance. Simplicity, manufacturability, aesthetics and user experience are all equally important. The product will likely utilise: • Folded sheet metal construction for the exterior • Vacuum formed food-safe internal growing trays • Integrated LED grow lighting • Hidden water reservoir and plumbing • Optional automatic nutrient dosing • Premium furniture-inspired design language • Simple assembly and scalable manufacturing What I Need I am looking for someone who can assist across industrial design, product engineering and manufacturing development. The ideal candidate should be comfortable taking a product from early concept through to prototype and production. Responsibilities 1. Product Architecture & Industrial Design • Refine and improve existing concepts • Develop overall product architecture • Improve aesthetics and user experience • Recommend materials and finishes • Create multiple design directions • Design for home environments and apartment living • Balance functionality with premium visual appeal 2. Mechanical Design & Engineering • Create full CAD assemblies • Design sheet metal components • Design folded assemblies • Create manufacturing-ready components • Develop fastening and assembly strategies • Design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) • Produce manufacturing drawings 3. Hydroponic System Development • Design growing shelf architecture • Design vacuum formed tray geometry • Optimise plant spacing and root zones • Design nutrient and water circulation system • Calculate flow rates and pump requirements • Determine ideal reservoir sizing • Design inlet and outlet systems • Design overflow protection • Optimise system efficiency and maintenance 4. Lighting Design • Recommend LED architecture • Recommend LED suppliers • Determine light placement and spacing • Calculate power requirements • Design thermal management strategy • Design integrated lighting system that looks premium in a home 5. Nutrient & Dosing System Development • Recommend nutrient delivery strategy • Recommend sensors where appropriate • Determine EC and pH management approach • Design automatic dosing system architecture • Recommend pumps and dosing equipment • Help develop a consumer-friendly solution 6. Manufacturing & Supply Chain Support I am also looking for assistance identifying and sourcing suitable manufacturers and suppliers. Examples include: • Vacuum forming suppliers • Sheet metal manufacturers • LED manufacturers • Electronics suppliers • Reservoir and plumbing suppliers • Injection moulding suppliers (if required) • Prototype manufacturers The ideal person has experience working with overseas and/or Australian manufacturers and can assist with supplier selection and communication. Deliverables By the end of the project I would like to receive: • Product architecture recommendations • CAD models • 3D assemblies • Manufacturing drawings • Exploded assembly drawings • Bill of Materials (BOM) • Component specifications • Supplier recommendations • Manufacturing recommendations • Prototype build package • Production cost estimates • Assembly strategy • Design for manufacture recommendations Preferred Experience Highly desirable experience includes: • Consumer products • Home appliances • Furniture products • Hydroponics • Irrigation systems • Smart products • LED lighting products • Sheet metal design • Plastic product design • Vacuum forming • Injection moulding • Product sourcing • Prototype development Software Preferred software includes: • SolidWorks • Fusion 360 • Inventor • Rhino • KeyShot • Similar professional CAD software When Applying Please include: • Portfolio of relevant work • Examples of products brought to market • Examples of sheet metal products • Examples of plastic product development • Hydroponic or irrigation experience (if any) • Manufacturing experience • Estimated availability • Typical project process This is intended to become a real commercial product and I am looking for a long-term development partner rather than someone who only provides concept sketches. The ideal outcome is a product that is beautiful, manufacturable, scalable and ready for prototyping and eventual production.