Hire the Best New Product Innovation Freelancers in California

My name is Michael Laudi and I’m an award-winning industrial designer, creative strategist, and story developer with a decade of experience turning ideas into products, brands, and pitch-ready stories. I’ve led the design and development of products across toys, soft goods, electronics, and wearable gear, working hands-on with factories and vendors around the globe—from concept sketch to production-ready. My design background feeds directly into how I develop film, TV, and branded content, crafting treatments, pitch decks, and script strategies that help creators and founders sell their vision. I’ve worked with major consumer brands and creative studios, contributing to both physical product launches and narrative IP development. As a consultant, I help clients clarify their big ideas, visually and verbally, and shape them into compelling packages for investors, producers, or platforms. Whether you're building a company or pitching a film, I approach each project with full commitment, creativity, and care. Clear communication and deep collaboration are at the core of my process. Here are my areas of expertise: - Pitch Decks & Treatments (Film, Series, Branded Content, Startups) - Story & Script Development (Features, Shorts, Episodic, Concept Strategy) - Creative & Brand Development (Naming, Identity, Positioning, Tone) - Industrial Design (Toys, Wearables, Soft Goods, Electronics) - Product Storytelling (Bringing physical products to life through narrative) - 3D Concepting & Visualization (SolidWorks, Rhino, Gravity Sketch, KeyShot) - Presentation Design (Investor Decks, Moodboards, Brand Vision) - Copywriting (Narratives, Taglines, Concept Copy) - Crowdfunding Support (Decks, Scripts, Video Concepts) I’m available for remote or in-person work and have collaborated with teams across North America, Asia, and Europe. I offer flat-fee pricing with clear milestones—typically 50% upfront and 50% on delivery. Rush and on-demand creative services are also available. Let’s bring your idea(s) to life.

Senior Industrial Designer | Product Development Expert | Concept to Manufacturing I am a Senior Industrial Designer with 15+ years of experience developing consumer products from early concept through mass production. I help startups, entrepreneurs, and established brands turn ideas into manufacturable, market-ready products by combining industrial design, engineering awareness, and real-world manufacturing knowledge. My focus is not just creating attractive concepts — it is developing products that can actually be produced, scaled, and sold. Over the past decade, I have worked on a wide range of consumer products including consumer electronics, home & kitchen products, oral care, medical devices, lifestyle accessories, and kids’ products. My work has supported products sold through major retailers and global brands including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Newell Brands, Perrigo, Gibson Homewares, Microsoft, Nokia, and Disney. I specialize in guiding products through the entire development pipeline — from initial concept and design language to production-ready CAD and factory collaboration. My process focuses on three key outcomes: • User-centered design that stands out in the market • Engineering-aware development that reduces costly redesigns • Manufacturing-ready CAD optimized for tooling and production I regularly collaborate with engineering teams, sourcing specialists, and manufacturers to ensure a smooth transition from design to manufacturing. My experience with materials, tooling, and production methods allows me to design products that are both beautiful and practical to manufacture. Core Services • Industrial Design & Product Strategy • Concept Ideation & Design Exploration • Sketching & AI-Assisted Concept Development • 3D CAD Development (Production-Ready) • Product Architecture & Internal Layout • CMF (Color, Materials, Finishes) • Prototyping & Supplier Collaboration • Design for Manufacturing (DFM) • Manufacturing & Production Guidance Typical Clients I Work With • Hardware startups preparing for production • Entrepreneurs launching new consumer products • Companies expanding their product lines • Teams that need production-ready CAD and manufacturing support I am known for being detail-oriented, proactive, and highly collaborative, with a strong focus on moving projects forward efficiently and avoiding costly development mistakes. Whether you need help refining an idea, developing production-ready CAD, or bringing a complete product to market, I would be happy to support your project. I look forward to learning about your product and helping bring it to life.

I have invented multiple hardware products before and I will work with you to make your new product on a purely work-for-hire (I keep no IP rights) basis. I will help you with electrical engineering, PCB design, Mechanical design, design for manufacturing or anything else you need. I can mature a design form a basic sketch or refine a prototype to a manufacturable product. If you can dream it i can help you make it!

My Outlook: Every product design project begins with a jumble of vague puzzle pieces. The pieces… market analysis, competitive analysis, price points, innovation, differentiation, aesthetics, concinnity, function, ergonomics, materials, manufacturing processes, tooling, assembly, packaging, shipping, users, manufacturers, costs, and the client. A myriad of considerations assemble into a design that makes your product unique, pertinent, targeted within its market, and profitable… a tangible object of desire and promise... a crisp image that makes sense. Every product wants to be something… to be desired and to realize its potential. I strive to stimulate that desire and optimize that potential… to solve the puzzle. My clients' success ensures my own and realizing that desire and potential benefits us both. My Experience: I use my degree in industrial design as a product designer/developer covering a wide variety of products. I have 20+ years of 3D modeling and product development experience. I have the resources to do it all... from concept to point of purchase and everything in-between. My Feedback, received and given: “Steve did great work helping us detail our product for manufacturing. He took the time to really understand the project and its intricacies instead of diving head first and by the end of this job, had an intimate understanding of all the details. He is talented and was willing to research new methods to help meet our stringent product constraints. We went through several discussions and he was excellent at being responsive and keeping things on track. He produced high quality solidworks assemblies and files. Overall he went above and beyond what was expected of him. Highly recommended contractor, A+++” —robocular “Antoine is an outstanding client to work with. He's quite knowledgeable and organized with clearly established goals coupled with exceptional communication skills. This project had some challenging constraints outside typical manufacturing and product design and development norms, but we worked through these challenges while staying within the target budget for the product. This project was more than I had bargained for, but I relished the challenge and Antoine appreciated the effort I put into it, which made this job particularly satisfying. I hope to work with Robocular again in the future.” —Io-Design “Working with Steve was a pleasure, not only do I think he’s an all-around good guy, but his approach to our project was great. He was able to take our idea and bring all his experience in making it better. Our initial idea was transformed into a product that ended up being cheaper to produce and nicer, while being more practical. We were able to overcome the hurdle we encounter and find solution that made it work! Also, he often came back with a different idea of doing things that were very practical. I Highly recommend him. ” — yvesl “Yvesi came to me with the need for a design for a grain dispenser for feeding livestock. As is often the case, he showed me a design from another designer he had hired that didn't meet the product requirements. This design was too large and could not be sold at a profit due to inappropriate and impractical manufacturing processes. Through close collaboration, we came up with a design that is half the size, more aesthetically pleasing and user friendly, and is simple to assemble and install. Also, it will be sold at a projected price point that is 10% lower than the competition at a projected 90% profit margin while enjoying relatively low capital expenditures. It was a pleasure working with yvesi on this project and I'm looking forward to working with him again in the future.” —Io-Design “Io-Design was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. He provided designs that were exactly what we were looking for and he took into account the manufacturing. I would recommend him to anyone. ” — Westone “As mentioned in the job description, Blake works for a company that represents the ultimate, uncompromising audio experience – revolutionary sound; unrivaled comfort and fit; with superior, innovative design in the earphone market. While they are well known among audiophiles and professionals who rely on uncompromising audio, they are less so in the consumer market. This project was part of an effort to update their earphones look, feel, and user experience to the level of their best in class earphone technology... the challenge being that their existing monitors/earbuds were to remain unchanged. Through close collaboration, we came up with a design that practices concinnity with the existing monitors, introduces innovative solutions, targets the consumer market, and enhances brand recognition. Superior design was the point of this project and together we have achieved that goal. Blake is a pleasure to work with and I'm looking forward to the next project.” —Io-Design

Hi, I’m Sara Davison, a seasoned Product Development Manager with over 18 years of experience in the outdoor industry, including 8 transformative years at Patagonia where I led development for Fly-Fishing, Workwear, and Technical Surf. I specialize in bringing performance-driven, purpose-built products to life — from the spark of an idea to market launch. My background spans a diverse range of categories including technical outerwear, ski gear, taped garments, waders, surf equipment, workwear, boots, and travel packs. Whether you're building a new product line or refining an existing one, I bring strategic vision, operational rigor, and a passion for sustainability to every phase of the process. I’ve worked with both established brands and emerging startups, offering everything from product ideation and line planning to technical construction consulting, fit, costing, and documentation. I’m especially passionate about working with innovative materials, sustainable sourcing strategies, and helping brands reduce environmental impact without sacrificing performance or design integrity. As a consultant, I offer: -Strategic support for assortment and business planning -Full-cycle product development management (from tech packs, protos and fit reviews to field-testing and grading) -Materials and trims sourcing — both domestic and international -Factory liaison services, including vendor onboarding and production oversight -Access to a trusted expert network — design, development, pattern-making, and manufacturing specialists My toolkit includes Adobe Illustrator, Excel, PLM systems, and a deep working knowledge of global manufacturing landscapes. From big-picture strategy to hands-on development, I’m here to help you bring your next technical product to life — with innovation, craftsmanship, and a deep commitment to sustainability. Let’s build something extraordinary, together. Reach out — I’d love to learn more about your project and how I can support your goals.

I helped grow recurring revenue for a nonprofit training organization from approximately $1,500 to $10,000 per month while building the operational systems needed to support that growth. For more than a decade, I have helped innovators turn complex ideas into practical products, processes and systems. My background spans mechanical engineering, product development, market research, software development and business automation. I approach automation the same way I approach an engineering problem: understand the requirements, identify the bottleneck, build the smallest useful solution, test it and improve it based on real results. My work has included: • Evaluating thousands of market and licensing opportunities through automated research workflows • Producing and submitting more than 80 product sell sheets to major consumer brands within one week • Developing technical documentation supporting intellectual-property filings, product pitches and licensing discussions • Building enrollment, payment, contact-management and event systems for a nonprofit organization • Creating structured software workflows for complicated healthcare intake and authorization processes • Teaching product development and design methods to mechanical-engineering students at Cal Poly I can help with: • Business-process and workflow automation • Custom internal tools, dashboards and web applications • Market and competitive-research systems • Lead generation and CRM pipeline automation • AI-assisted documentation, reporting and content workflows • Airtable, N8n, Make automation and Google Workspace integrations • Python, Django, PostgreSQL and React development • Product-development and engineering workflow systems My engineering background is particularly valuable when a project involves physical products, manufacturing, technical data or a process that is too specialized for a generic automation template. I do not begin by proposing a massive software platform. I start by identifying the most expensive or repetitive part of the workflow and building the smallest useful system that improves it. Send me a description of the process, bottleneck or project you are working through, and I will help determine the most practical first step.