Design Department Incorporated
Design Department, Inc. (DDI) is a Wisconsin-based B2B product development firm founded in 2004 that provides engineering consulting, industrial design, CAD, FEA simulation, and rapid prototyping to enterprise clients in medical devices, consumer products, automotive/towing, and defense, using project-based multi-year engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersFranklin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Department Incorporated does
Design Department, Inc. (DDI) is a privately held, Wisconsin-based full-service product development firm founded in 2004 that provides engineering consulting, industrial design, CAD (Pro-Engineer, SolidWorks), FEA simulation, and in-house rapid prototyping (3D printing, CNC machining, quick-turn injection molding) to enterprise clients in medical devices, consumer products, automotive/towing, defense, and recreational goods. The firm operates on custom project-based pricing with multi-year engagements and emphasizes regulatory-aware design for manufacturing, weekly client sprints, and NDA-protected collaboration; it holds two US patents (Spherical Vacuum Canister; Lansinoh Collection Cup with integrated check valve) and counts Lansinoh and Curt Group among named enterprise customers. Its go-to-market is direct B2B engagement supported by referral networks and thought-leadership content (website, LinkedIn, YouTube, podcast). The team is small, founder-led by President Brian Leadingham (25+ years), GM Patrick Tetzlaff, and Associate Partner Alex Gruber, and transitioned from rented Racine space to an owned Franklin, Wisconsin facility with a state-of-the-art prototype shop in 2023. In 2026 DDI publicly positioned the Spherical Canister on Project Pitch It, signaling a potential shift from pure services toward IP licensing or product commercialization.
Design Department Incorporated firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Department Incorporated
- Legal name
- Design Department, Inc.
- Website
- https://designdept-inc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Design Department, Inc. (DDI) is a Wisconsin-based B2B product development firm founded in 2004 that provides engineering consulting, industrial design, CAD, FEA simulation, and rapid prototyping to enterprise clients in medical devices, consumer products, automotive/towing, and defense, using project-based multi-year engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Department Incorporated industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Product Development and Engineering Design Services
- NAICS
- Engineering Services (54133), Industrial Design Services (541420), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Design-for-Additive (DfAM) & Prototype Optimization (IMAAAFAC)
Keywords
Where Design Department Incorporated is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Franklin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Design Department Incorporated business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Development Services: Professional services revenue generated through engineering consulting, product conceptualization, CAD design services, prototyping, and regulatory strategy consultation for medical and consumer products
- Proprietary Product Licensing: Potential revenue from patented designs like the Spherical Vacuum Canister that could be licensed to manufacturers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Design Department Incorporated product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Department Incorporated (DDI) is a full-service product development firm that specializes in medical device innovation and high-end consumer product design. The firm provides end-to-end engineering services spanning conceptualization, computer-aided design (CAD), rapid prototyping, regulatory strategy consultation, and manufacturing-ready engineering solutions for medical and consumer product clients. DDI also develops and holds patents on select inventions it has brought to market through licensing partnerships.
Product overview
Design Department Inc. is a full-service product development firm specializing in medical device innovation and high-end consumer product design. Since 2004, they have offered a comprehensive suite of services including Medical Product Conceptualization and Development, Existing Medical Product Enhancement, Medical Device Prototyping, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Services, and Regulatory Strategy Consultation. Their approach combines technical engineering with creative industrial design to deliver ergonomically sound, manufacturing-ready products. The company's portfolio includes client products across healthcare (Lansinoh Wearable Breast Pump, Spherical Vacuum Canister, Irrigation Pump), automotive/towing (PowerRide Hitch, Rebellion XD Hitch, RnT & iON Motorcycles), and technology (RAH Winder). They utilize CAD software tools (Pro-Engineer and SolidWorks) and 3D printing for rapid prototyping.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medical Product Conceptualization and Development End-to-end service guiding medical device clients from initial concept generation through feasibility, design, prototyping, and manufacturing transfer for new medical products.
- Existing Medical Product Enhancement Engineering service that re-engineers, redesigns, and modernizes existing medical products to improve performance, usability, manufacturability, or regulatory compliance for medical device OEMs.
- Medical Device Prototyping Rapid prototyping service that produces functional and appearance prototypes using in-house 3D printing and CNC machining for medical device development programs.
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Services Detailed 3D CAD modeling, assembly design, and engineering drawing services using Pro-Engineer and SolidWorks for medical and consumer product clients.
- Regulatory Strategy Consultation Regulatory affairs advisory service that helps medical device clients plan FDA submission strategy, documentation, testing, and compliance requirements for new or modified medical devices.
- Consumer Product Development Full-lifecycle product development service for high-end consumer goods, encompassing industrial design, mechanical engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing support.
Companies that use Design Department Incorporated
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Design Department Incorporated technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Design Department Incorporated partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Project Pitch ItminorDDI presented the Spherical Canister innovation on Project Pitch It TV show, pitching to Moguls/investors for potential partnership or funding
- Curt GroupcoreLong-term collaboration on towing accessories product development including PowerRide 30K 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch and Rebellion XD Adjustable Cushion Hitch; DDI provides full product development services
- Johnson Financial GroupminorAssisted with office transition from downtown Racine to Franklin location; Barry Fries of Johnson Financial Group helped facilitate the move
- Mallery S.C.minorAdam Bardosy of Mallery S.C. assisted with the office move and transition logistics
- Johnson Redevelopment CorporationminorLogan Martin of Johnson Redevelopment Corporation provided hospitality and support during DDI's time in downtown Racine office location
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design Department Incorporated competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MindFlow Design: Medical device design consultancy providing industrial design, mechanical engineering, and prototyping for healthcare OEMs. Overlaps with DDI on medical-product focus and rapid prototyping capabilities.
- Insight Product Development: Medical device and consumer product development consultancy offering industrial design, mechanical engineering, and prototyping. Closely mirrors DDI's blend of clinical-grade engineering and consumer aesthetics.
- Ximedica: Medical device design, development, and manufacturing services firm with FDA regulatory expertise. Directly comparable to DDI's medical device vertical focus and end-to-end product realization model.
- StarFish Medical: Canadian medical device product development firm specializing in design, engineering, and regulatory services. Comparable on medical-device vertical, regulatory consulting, and full-lifecycle product development.
- Lunar Design: Industrial design and product development firm with strong consumer and healthcare practices. Comparable on integrated design + engineering + prototyping model and consumer-product client base.
- Smart Design: Product design and innovation consultancy serving consumer, medical, and industrial clients. Comparable on multi-vertical industrial design practice and concept-to-prototype delivery model.
- Bresslergroup: Philadelphia-based product design and development firm with deep medical device, consumer product, and industrial equipment practice. Highly comparable to DDI on service scope (concept-to-prototype), medical-device specialization, and project-based B2B engagement model.
- HS Design: Medical and scientific product design firm offering industrial design, human factors, and engineering services. Comparable niche focus on regulated medical product development.
- Renfrew Group: UK-based medical device design and product development consultancy. Comparable on medical-device specialization and full-spectrum product development services for regulated markets.
Broad incumbents
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with a broad portfolio across healthcare, consumer, and industrial sectors. Comparable at the category level (product design and engineering services for medical/consumer), but operates at materially larger scale and broader scope than DDI.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Department Incorporated social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Department Incorporated financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Department Incorporated leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Design Department Incorporated funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Department Incorporated 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 Design Department Incorporated
What does Design Department Incorporated do?
Design Department Incorporated (DDI) is a full-service product development firm that specializes in medical device innovation and high-end consumer product design. The firm provides end-to-end engineering services spanning conceptualization, computer-aided design (CAD), rapid prototyping, regulatory strategy consultation, and manufacturing-ready engineering solutions for medical and consumer product clients. DDI also develops and holds patents on select inventions it has brought to market through licensing partnerships.
Is Design Department Incorporated a public or private company?
Design Department Incorporated is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Design Department Incorporated founded?
Design Department Incorporated was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Design Department Incorporated based?
Design Department Incorporated is headquartered in Franklin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Department Incorporated make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Development Services are the primary driver. The others are proprietary Product Licensing.
Who are Design Department Incorporated's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MindFlow Design, Insight Product Development, Ximedica, StarFish Medical, Lunar Design, Smart Design, Bresslergroup, HS Design and Renfrew Group. IDEO is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Design Department Incorporated have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Department Incorporated.
What industry is Design Department Incorporated in?
Design Department Incorporated's product category is Product Development and Engineering Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAAFAC, Design-for-Additive (DfAM) & Prototype Optimization. Its NAICS code is 54133 and its SIC code is 8711.