Creating a concept for a new product or design is easy. There are always personal needs and desires to be addressed through the creation of a new product. Or, perhaps a similar product already exists but needs to be improved upon. Through product formulation your new concept or innovation can be perfected. However, the process of formulating a new product can be a bit tricky. That’s why it’s so important to work with professional product design and formulation companies. Â A good product development company will follow these 6 steps of product formulation that are guaranteed to ensure success.
1. Consultation
What kind of product are you looking to make? In order to ensure successful product formulation, you’ll need to know exactly what you are hoping to achieve. With an initial consultation with a team of certified professional chemists, you can begin planning specific details of your product. Consider what kinds of ingredients you want in your product. Do you want to develop a product that is more eco-friendly than your competitors? What similar products exist that need to be improved upon and why? Make a list of everything you hope to address with your new product and bring it with you to your first consultation meeting. Be sure to ask plenty of questions and be open to new ideas presented by your chemist, product manufacturer, and researchers.
2. Research
Research is perhaps the most important part of product formulation. Some of the most common areas for product formulation include paints and coatings, cosmetics and personal care, adhesives and sealants, supplements and vitamins, and fertilizers and pesticides. While these categories may seem to vary greatly from one another they still have many common components that need to be carefully considered during the research process. For example, you will need to consider which chemicals to use in your product formulation stage. Before you get to work on mixing chemicals, research the chemicals you plan to use to make sure they don’t cause a negative reaction when mixed together. Consider the impact they will have on the environment — are they safe to use? If you are creating a new makeup product or health and beauty item, try to test the chemicals to ensure that they do not cause an allergic reaction when they come into contact with skin. Make sure to record all of your findings.
3. Formulation
After conducting your first round of thorough research you can begin the formulation process. Ph.D chemists will attempt to create a product that most closely matches your product vision. They will do this by utilizing the thermodynamics of mixing, phase equilibria, solutions, surface chemistry, colloids, emulsions, and suspensions. They will design several different prototypes using a different set of unique ingredients in order to help choose the best possible product.
4. Testing
Once the product formulation is complete chemists will conduct thorough testing of all prototypes. They will test products to ensure that they comply with all regulatory standards including being FDA, DEA, and cGMP compliant. They will also observe the products to ensure they do not cause negative reactions that could be harmful to consumers. Only after passing several rounds of thorough testing will the product be made available for review.
5. Feedback
The first sets of prototypes will be released to a very small group of individuals including the owner. Chemists will observe the feedback they receive from both the product owner and the market at large. They will note down positive remarks as well as areas that need improvement. Once all feedback from the initial round of prototypes is received product development companies will go back to work on modifications.
6. Modifications
Modifications are made based on feedback received. This may include ingredient changes, changes in the quantity of ingredients, and more to help ensure that the best possible product is created. Sometimes the changes can be as simple as a change in texture or scent while other times it may be a more dramatic change such as creating a whole new prototype with all new ingredients. Whatever the case, a good product formulation company will work diligently creating and testing numerous prototypes until they design one that satisfies consumers at large and is proven to be safe and of high-quality.
The 6 steps of product formulation will be repeated numerous times before your product is complete. While it may seem discouraging at first it is important to remember that product formulation is a complex process. The more you test and create prototypes the closer you will be to creating the product of your dreams.
