Product design agency
From idea to market-ready product. Design, engineering and hardware development under one roof.
Superellipse Product Lab is a Belgian product design agency for companies that want to develop, improve or launch a physical product. We combine industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics and digital interfaces in one multidisciplinary team. From the first sketch to a production-ready design, with our own prototyping workshop in Mechelen.
How many of our products have you already used?
Over the past 30 years we have developed hundreds of products. Without knowing it, you come into contact with our work every day. Curious how often?
What does a product design agency do?
A product design agency turns a product idea into a physical product that can be made and sold. That sounds simple. But it takes a mix of disciplines that rarely come together in one place: industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics, digital design and production support.
A good product design agency combines creative thinking with technical knowledge. It designs not only what looks good, but what works for the user, what is feasible to produce and what is profitable at scale.
Superellipse Product Lab does exactly that. We work as one team, not as separate links in a chain. What our designers come up with, our engineers check on the technical side right away. That way no iterations are lost in the handover.
Which companies work with Superellipse Product Lab?
We work for a wide range of clients. What they have in common: a concrete product they want to develop, improve or launch.
Startups and scale-ups that want to bring a first hardware product to market. SMEs that want to extend their product portfolio or renew an outdated product. Large companies that need extra design or engineering capacity for a while. R&D teams that want to validate an innovative concept before they invest internally. Companies in healthcare, mobility, industry, food and consumer goods that need a partner with sector-specific knowledge.
We work for Belgian companies as well as for international clients looking for a Belgian product development partner.
From day one, Superellipse's prototyping facilities made all the difference in the development of Moonbird. From the first models to the first series of functional devices for user tests.
Michael Broes
Founder, Moonbird
When do you need a product design agency?
You need a product design agency when you do not have the capacity or expertise in house to work out a product idea technically. That applies to starters with a first concept, but also to established companies that want to extend their product portfolio or renew an existing product.
These are the situations in which companies call us in:
You have a product idea but no designer or engineer in house. You want to improve an existing product in terms of ease of use, durability or production cost. Your R&D team needs extra capacity for a while. You want to develop a hardware product with a digital component, but design and technology are still separate worlds for you. You need to get to market fast and have no time for a long internal hiring process.
In all these cases, a product design agency is the fastest and most cost-effective choice. You bring in knowledge and capacity right away, without the fixed cost of an internal team.
47 pages full of inspiration
"Reinventing for Success" is a magazine with real-world examples from companies like yours. It contains 11 inspiring stories of companies that redesigned their existing product to stay ahead of the competition.
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Industrial design, product design or product development: what is the difference?
These terms are often used interchangeably. In practice there is a nuance.
Industrial design is about the shape, function and ease of use of a product. The industrial designer thinks about how the product looks, how it feels in the hand, how the user interacts with it and what emotion it evokes.
Product design is the broader term that also covers material choice, ergonomics, production method and engineering. A product designer thinks not only about aesthetics but also about manufacturability.
Product development describes the whole journey: from the first idea to a production-ready design, including prototyping, validation, certification and supplier selection.
At Superellipse Product Lab we offer all three. We start with industrial design as the foundation, add engineering and hardware development, and guide the project through to production.
What does a product design agency like Superellipse do?
Industrial design
Form, ergonomics, CMF (colour, material, finish) and user experience. We turn a briefing or a rough idea into a well-considered design that fits the brand identity and the expectations of the end user.
Mechanical engineering
3D CAD design, dimensional analysis, material selection, Design for Manufacturing. Our engineers make sure that what the designers come up with can also be made, is affordable in series and is reliable in use.
Hardware development and electronics
For connected devices, smart products and medical equipment we design and assemble circuit boards, integrate sensors and develop embedded software. Hardware and software come together in one team, so the final product works seamlessly.
Digital design and HMI
Screens, control interfaces and touchpoints. We design the digital layer of your product: intuitive, consistent and tuned to the context of the end user.
Prototyping
In our own prototyping workshop we quickly build working models to validate design choices. 3D printing (FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF), CNC milling, vacuum casting, electronics assembly and hand finishing. Iterate fast without depending on external partners.
Production preparation and industrialisation
We do not stop at the design. We also guide the move to production: supplier selection, tooling choice, DFM (Design for Manufacturing), quality assurance and pilot production.
Responsible design
Sustainability is part of every design decision. Materials, lifespan, repairability, circular end of life. We design products that last longer and leave less behind.
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How does product development work at Superellipse?
Step 1: Understanding the question
We always start with a thorough analysis of the question behind the question. What do you want to achieve? For whom? In what context does the end user use the product? What constraints are there (budget, timing, regulations)? Sometimes we question the initial question. That is not obstruction. It is the fastest route to the right solution.
Step 2: Concept and direction
We work out several concept directions: sketches, renders, quick-and-dirty models. We show, discuss and choose together. Making choices early costs less than correcting course late.
Step 3: Detailing and engineering
The chosen concept is worked out in detail. Design and engineering run simultaneously, not sequentially. Material choice, production technique, hardware integration and interface design run in parallel.
Step 4: Prototyping and validation
We build a working prototype in our own workshop. We test, we measure, we adjust. Pre-compliance testing for safety, durability and water resistance is done in house before we go to an accredited lab. That way we avoid surprises during official certification.
Step 5: Making it production-ready
The final design is made production-ready. Technical documentation, DFM analysis, supplier introduction. We deliver a design that can go to the factory.
Superellipse is a very good partner with a structured approach to realize all crazy ideas.
Jan Adriaens
Schuilenburg - Perfect Moose
More than a product design agency
Most product design agencies design. Some also do engineering. Few do both, guide the step to production and can add strategy when the project calls for it.
Superellipse does all of that. Not as separate services you have to combine yourself, but as one integrated team.
Think first, then design
We dare to ask the question behind the question. Is this the right product for the right audience? Does the business model add up? Does it fit the existing portfolio? Sometimes the answer to those questions is the most valuable thing we deliver.
Cross-disciplinary strength
Industrial designers, mechanical engineers, electronics engineers, digital designers and strategists work together in one team. The cross-pollination between those disciplines produces better products than any single discipline on its own.
From product design to service design, brand design or strategy
Sometimes a product also calls for a tailored service experience, a brand of its own or a strategic repositioning. Superellipse has that expertise in house too, through our Experience Studio and Strategy Hub. No need to bring in a second agency. One partner for the whole picture.
Our own prototyping workshop
We build prototypes in house. Fast iteration, no external dependency, short feedback loops. What is thought up today can be tangible tomorrow.
ISO 13485 certified
For medical devices and healthtech products we work in line with ISO 13485. From design to production, with the documentation that certification requires.
More than 30 years of combined experience
Superellipse came out of the merger of Studio Dott and Achilles Design, two established names in the Belgian design and innovation sector. That combined experience shows in a proven track record across sectors: healthcare, mobility, industry, food, consumer goods and more.
Ready to make your idea tangible?
Tell us about your project. Together we look at which approach fits your timeline and budget, and how we can help.
How does working with Superellipse work?
We adapt the way we work to the client's situation.
Full project
From briefing to production-ready design. We take on the entire product development process, from concept phase to supplier introduction. One point of contact for the whole project.
Specific phase
You already have a concept or a design, but you need help with the engineering, the prototyping or the production preparation. We step in at the point where you are.
Extra capacity
Your R&D team needs extra hands or expertise for a while. We then work as an extension of your internal team, on site or from our workshop.
Every project starts with an introductory meeting. We listen, ask questions and explain what is realistic. No quote before we understand what you need.
Really liked the hands-on approach based on iterative design, test, learn and implement. Rather than theory-focused, this is refreshing and aligned with your expectations.
Jerome Labie
Coca-Cola Services
Superellipse is a great collaboration partner for design and engineering work. We have worked together with them on multiple projects where they were responsible for device design and prototyping work for medical related products. Their engineers are highly skilled not only on CAD prototyping but also on everything from fluid mechanics to signal processing and medical insights. There are also good resources for UX and consumer design related areas and evaluation of manufacturability of prototypes. It has always been a pleasure working with Superellipse both with their friendly and can-do attitude and their proactive working style and we would definitely like to continue working with them.
Adam Bohr
CEO and Co-Founder of Sonohaler
Still have questions about product development?
Book a free call with Tim, Team Lead Product Design and Engineering
Frequently asked questions about product design and product development
The cost varies a lot and depends on the complexity of the product, the number of disciplines involved, the number of iterations and the scope of the project. A simple consumer product is fundamentally different from a medical device with CE marking. We always work with a clear quote per phase, so you know where you stand at every point. Book a call and we will give you an honest estimate.
A full project from first concept to production-ready design usually takes six to eighteen months, depending on the complexity. A simpler product can go faster. A medical device with certification requirements takes longer. We work with clear milestones per phase so you know where the project stands at every stage.
Industrial design is about form, function and user experience. Product engineering is about the technical side: how do you make it manufacturable, reliable and scalable? At Superellipse both disciplines work together in one team from the start. That prevents a beautiful design from turning out to be technically unfeasible.
Yes. We have an in-house team for electronics, PCB design and embedded software. For connected devices, medical equipment and industrial equipment we develop the physical housing as well as the electronic core and the interface that goes with it. Hardware and software come together in one team.
Yes. We regularly work with startups that have a product idea but no design yet. We then start from a sketch, a description or a reference product and work the idea out step by step. The earlier you come to us, the more impact we can have on the direction of the product.
Then we step in at the point where you are. We can review an existing design for manufacturability, take over the engineering, build a prototype or handle the production preparation. You do not have to start from scratch to work with us.
Yes. Superellipse is ISO 13485 certified. We develop medical devices and healthtech products in line with the requirements for CE marking. That includes risk analysis, validation protocols, technical files and the necessary test documentation.
We prefer to work with a clear scope per phase and a price to match. That gives you certainty and gives us the room to deliver quality work. For projects where the scope cannot be fully defined yet, we work with a transparent estimate and regular check-ins.
On request we sign an NDA before the first conversation. Your intellectual property stays yours. We only mention projects in our portfolio if we have explicit permission to do so.
We work across sectors: healthcare and medtech, mobility, industry and professional equipment, consumer goods, entertainment, construction, sport, food and retail. That cross-sector experience is an advantage: insights from one sector inspire innovations in another.
Ready to innovate?
Reach out today and let us help you propel your business with bold human-centric design