Priority Designs
Priority Designs is an employee-owned, Columbus-based product development consultancy integrating research, brand, design, engineering, and prototyping for enterprise clients in healthcare, commercial/industrial, and consumer verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Priority Designs does
Priority Designs is an employee-owned product development consultancy headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1989. The firm integrates eight service lines under one roof: user research, brand strategy, industrial design, UX/UI design, soft goods design, product sound design, mechanical and electrical/software engineering, and in-house prototyping (including 3D printing, CNC machining, and 3D scanning/reverse engineering). It serves enterprise clients across three primary verticals — Healthcare (medical devices, diagnostics, wearables, hospital systems), Commercial & Industrial (manufacturing equipment, safety products, optics, industrial controls), and Consumer (sports equipment, outdoor gear, garden tools, branded goods). Notable engagements span Nike Golf, Stanley Black & Decker, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Hollister, TIDI Products, Midmark, Werner, Sirchie, Cannondale, Burris Optics, Myriad Neuroscience (GeneSight), Nationwide Children's Hospital, and The Ohio State University Spine Research Institute.
The firm operates a B2B, project-based professional services model with no public pricing. Revenue is generated through consulting engagements and custom contracts, accessed via direct client outreach and a project inquiry form on the website; the company emphasizes direct access between clients and its design/engineering teams without sales-rep intermediaries. Notable technical differentiators include a fully analog circuit design (developed to avoid software-related FDA friction on a bone cement cure testing device), 3D scanning and reverse engineering for accurate CAD reconstruction, HP Nylon 3D printing for rapid prototyping, and ISO 13485-compliant medical device development executed alongside regulatory partner CMD MedTech.
Quantified client outcomes disclosed in source material include a 73% return rate (vs. 70% benchmark) and 35% faster return time for the Myriad Neuroscience GeneSight home collection kit, plus reduced user errors and increased positive feedback for the Conity Motion Kit wearable. Priority Designs is a privately held Ohio corporation with no disclosed external funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiary structure; ownership is described as employee-owned. Operations are based at 100 S Hamilton Road, Columbus, OH, and the firm employs 80+ specialists (firmographic range 51-100).
Priority Designs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Priority Designs
- Legal name
- Priority Designs Inc.
- Website
- https://prioritydesigns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Priority Designs is an employee-owned, Columbus-based product development consultancy integrating research, brand, design, engineering, and prototyping for enterprise clients in healthcare, commercial/industrial, and consumer verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Priority Designs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Product Development Consulting
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (541420), Engineering Services (541330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Packaging & Product Brand Design (BPAFAEAG)
Keywords
Where Priority Designs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Priority Designs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services Consulting: Project-based consulting engagements for product development services including research, brand strategy, design, engineering, and prototyping. Revenue generated through hourly consulting fees and project-based contracts with enterprise clients across healthcare, commercial/industrial, and consumer sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Priority Designs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Priority Designs is a product development consultancy that delivers integrated, full-lifecycle product development services to enterprise clients. Under one roof, the firm combines user research, brand strategy, industrial design, UX/UI design, soft goods design, product sound design, mechanical and electrical/software engineering, and in-house prototyping. Engagements are project-based and tailored per client, spanning healthcare/medical devices, commercial & industrial equipment, and consumer products.
Product overview
Priority Designs is a product development firm offering comprehensive, multidisciplinary design and engineering services. Their portfolio spans eight core service offerings: User Research Services, Brand Consulting, Product Design, UX/UI Design, Soft Goods Design, Product Sound Design, Product Engineering, and Prototype Development. These services work together as an integrated offering—research informs strategy, strategy guides brand and design, engineering brings designs to life, and prototyping validates before production. The company specializes across three industry verticals: Healthcare, Commercial & Industrial, and Consumer. Notable client projects include the Conity Motion Kit for OSU Spine Research Institute, the GeneSight Test Kit for Myriad Neuroscience, the MOGO M3 flavored mouthguard, and various Nike golf products. Priority Designs operates from Columbus, Ohio with a team of 80+ specialists and over 35 years of experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- User Research Services Comprehensive user research services including UX research, brand research, human factors and usability engineering for medical devices, and sound research to understand user perceptions and behaviors for enterprise clients.
- Brand Consulting Services Brand strategy and consulting services to help clients develop and refine their brand identity, positioning, and visual expression.
- Product Design Services Industrial design services covering the design and development of physical products across healthcare, commercial, industrial, and consumer sectors.
- UX/UI Design Services User experience and interface design services for both physical and digital products, including wireframes, user research, and interface development.
- Soft Goods Design Specialized design services for soft goods including textiles, wearables, medical harnesses, and other flexible material products.
- Product Sound Design Sound design services to create and evaluate sonic feedback, alerts, and branded sounds for products.
- Product Engineering Mechanical and electrical/software engineering services including embedded software development for bringing products from concept to production.
- Prototype Development In-house prototyping capabilities including 3D printing, CNC machining, casting, and short production runs to validate designs before mass manufacturing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Patient sample kit return rate jumped to 73%, beating industry standard benchmark of 70% for GeneSight home collection kit
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Priority Designs
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Priority Designs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Priority Designs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- CMD MedTechcoreRegulatory partner for FDA submission and compliance. CMD MedTech helped search for potential predicates for FDA submission, developed risk management documentation, and provided guidance through FDA regulatory process for medical device development projects including bone cement cure testing device and Conity Motion Kit.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Priority Designs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy offering integrated research, design, and engineering services for enterprise clients across healthcare, consumer, and industrial categories. Closest comparable in service breadth and vertical mix to Priority Designs.
- Frog Design: Product design and engineering consultancy (now part of Capgemini Invent) delivering integrated physical and digital product development for global brands. Direct overlap with PD's industrial design, mechanical engineering, and prototyping offering.
- Smart Design: Mid-size product design and innovation consultancy with integrated research, design, and engineering capabilities serving consumer and healthcare clients. Comparable scope and engagement model to Priority Designs.
- Whipsaw: Industrial design and engineering firm focused on consumer electronics and connected devices. Comparable integrated industrial-design-plus-engineering service model serving enterprise product development clients.
- Bresslergroup: Product development consultancy combining research, industrial design, mechanical/electrical engineering, and prototyping under one roof. Directly comparable in service mix and mid-market positioning to Priority Designs.
- Cooper Perkins: Integrated product development firm delivering industrial design, mechanical/electrical engineering, and user research for consumer, healthcare, and industrial clients. Closely comparable integrated offering and vertical mix.
- Ammunition Group: Product design and brand strategy firm developing physical products for consumer and technology clients. Comparable in combining design strategy with execution-level industrial design and engineering.
- NewDealDesign: San Francisco product design firm delivering concept, industrial design, mechanical engineering, and prototyping for medical, consumer, and tech clients. Comparable integrated studio model to Priority Designs.
Broad incumbents
- Lunar (McKinsey Design): Design and innovation consultancy now part of McKinsey, offering product design and adjacent strategy services across consumer and healthcare. Overlaps with PD on integrated product development but operates at broader strategic and scale levels.
- Designworks (BMW Group): BMW-owned design consultancy with industrial design, UX, and product development capabilities across transportation, consumer, and healthcare. Overlaps with PD on integrated product development but operates with broader portfolio and global footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Priority Designs social profiles
Digital presencePriority Designs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Priority Designs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Priority Designs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Priority Designs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Priority Designs
What does Priority Designs do?
Priority Designs is a product development consultancy that delivers integrated, full-lifecycle product development services to enterprise clients. Under one roof, the firm combines user research, brand strategy, industrial design, UX/UI design, soft goods design, product sound design, mechanical and electrical/software engineering, and in-house prototyping. Engagements are project-based and tailored per client, spanning healthcare/medical devices, commercial & industrial equipment, and consumer products.
Is Priority Designs a public or private company?
Priority Designs is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Priority Designs founded?
Priority Designs was founded in 1989. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Priority Designs based?
Priority Designs is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Priority Designs make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services Consulting.
Who are Priority Designs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IDEO, Frog Design, Smart Design, Whipsaw, Bresslergroup, Cooper Perkins, Ammunition Group and NewDealDesign. Broad incumbents are Lunar (McKinsey Design) and Designworks (BMW Group).
Does Priority Designs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Priority Designs.
What industry is Priority Designs in?
Priority Designs's product category is Product Development Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design, with a secondary code of BPAFAEAG, Packaging & Product Brand Design. Its NAICS code is 541420.