Overview
Looking for a plastic product design company to help bring your new idea to life? D2M Product Design specialise in designing plastic products for mass production, combining aesthetics with functionality and cost-effective manufacturing.
We work with entrepreneurs, start-ups and established businesses who need expert guidance to turn a concept into something tangible, manufacturable and commercially viable. If you’ve never developed a custom plastic product before, the process can feel overwhelming, from understanding the right materials to navigating prototyping and tooling.
Our experienced plastic product designers make the journey smoother. We work side-by-side with you to refine your idea, reduce risk, control costs and ensure your design works in the real world.
What We Offer as a Plastic Product Design Company
When you partner with us, you gain more than a design service, you get a trusted development partner with proven success in plastic product development. Our services cover the complete journey from idea to production, but we can also step in at any stage to provide specialist expertise.
Our expertise includes:
- Concept Development – We help you define and refine your vision, focusing on creating a product that is both functional and manufacturable.
- 3D CAD & Plastic Injection Moulding Design – Precision-engineered CAD models that meet the specific requirements of injection moulding and other plastic manufacturing processes.
- Plastic Prototyping – Using SLA, SLS, or vacuum casting to create accurate, functional prototypes for testing and validation.
- Material Selection Guidance – Selecting the right resin for strength, flexibility, surface texture, and colour, based on how the product will be used.
- Tooling-Ready Design Packages – Ensuring your CAD files are fully prepared for manufacturing without requiring costly changes at the tooling stage.
- Manufacturing Support – Connecting you with trusted manufacturing partners and supporting you through first production runs.
For more information, see our prototyping services and manufacturing support.
Success Story
We’ve helped launch dozens of plastic products that are now sold worldwide, each with unique challenges and opportunities.
SeeMe Pro 360° Bike Light
- Challenge: Create a tough yet lightweight plastic casing to protect electronics from water, dust, and impacts while looking sleek enough for consumer retail.
- Design Approach: Engineered an impact-resistant polycarbonate housing with precision-sealed joints, balancing aesthetics with rugged durability.
- Outcome: Successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter, now in mass production and sold internationally.
Milk Monster
- Challenge: Develop a child-safe, easy-to-clean plastic enclosure for a baby bottle thermometer.
- Design Approach: Designed a two-part injection-moulded ABS shell, optimised for snap-fit assembly and safe handling.
- Outcome: Retail success in multiple countries, meeting strict child safety standards.
Core Lighting
- Challenge: Reduce weight and cost of portable event lighting housings without sacrificing strength.
- Design Approach: Created thin-wall ABS components with integrated handles and interlocking features.
- Outcome: Manufacturing costs reduced by 20% while improving product durability.
See more of our product design case studies.
Why Plastic Product Design Requires Expertise
Designing plastic products is more complex than it might first appear. While 3D printing has made prototyping more accessible, translating that prototype into a mass-produced part requires deep expertise in design for manufacture.
Key factors that make plastic product design unique include:
- Shrinkage & Warping – Plastics contract as they cool, which can distort the shape. Designs must account for this to ensure the final product meets specifications.
- Load-Bearing Limits – Different plastics have different tensile strengths and impact resistances. Choosing the wrong one can result in parts that fail during use.
- Draft Angles & Split Lines – These subtle but crucial design features allow parts to be ejected cleanly from moulds without damage.
- Surface Finish & Colour Matching – Getting consistent finishes and colours across production batches requires planning at the design stage.
- Tooling Cost Management – Injection moulds are expensive. Poor design decisions can drive tooling costs up significantly.
When you work with a specialist plastic product design company, you benefit from years of practical manufacturing knowledge, which means fewer surprises, fewer delays, and a better final product.
Our Plastic Product Design Process
Our proven 7-step process ensures that every plastic product we develop is practical, manufacturable, and market-ready.
- Discovery Workshop – Understand your product’s purpose, target market and commercial goals.
- Concept Sketching – Rapid idea exploration to visualise multiple options.
- CAD & Engineering – Precision 3D modelling to meet the requirements of your chosen manufacturing method.
- Prototyping – Producing realistic prototypes for testing functionality, ergonomics, and appearance.
- Testing & Refinement – Gathering feedback and making improvements before committing to tooling.
- Tooling Design – Preparing fully detailed CAD data that minimises production risks and costs.
- Production Support – Liaising with mould makers and manufacturers to ensure a smooth transition into production.
We can manage the entire process or work alongside your in-house team to deliver specific elements.
Why Choose Us?
Not all plastic product design companies are created equal. Many focus solely on the creative design side without fully understanding manufacturing realities.
We combine creativity with engineering rigour and practical manufacturing experience:
- Hands-On Manufacturing Knowledge – We’ve worked extensively with tooling engineers and plastic moulders.
- In-House Plastic Prototyping – Test and refine designs quickly before committing to tooling.
- Experience Across Markets – From consumer electronics to industrial tools, we understand varied application needs.
- Transparent Pricing – Fixed stages and clear costs from the outset.
- Flexible Collaboration – Whether you need a full-service partner or support at one stage, we can adapt to your needs.
Plastic Product Design Company FAQs
Who should I use to design a plastic product in the UK?
Choose a company with proven plastic engineering and prototyping capabilities, plus expertise in tooling for manufacture. They should guide you from concept to production.
How do I find a plastic product design company that can also help with manufacturing?
Look for a partner offering design for manufacture services and established supplier connections. This ensures your design is cost-effective and production-ready.
What does it cost to design a plastic product for manufacture?
Costs start at around £5,000 for simple parts and can exceed £20,000 for complex assemblies. The scope, level of engineering detail, and prototyping requirements all affect the price.
Can I hire someone to design a plastic enclosure or housing for my product?
Yes. Specialists can design enclosures optimised for strength, airflow, impact resistance, and aesthetics ensuring the product works and looks as intended.
What should I look for in a plastic product design company?
Look for plastic injection moulding design experience, in-house prototyping, tooling knowledge and case studies of successful product launches.
Conclusion
If you have an idea for a plastic product (whether it’s a single part or a complex assembly) D2M Product Design can help bring it to life. From the first sketch to the first production run, we’ll guide you every step of the way.
Get in Touch to Discover how we can help
You may also want to read our design for manufacture tips to understand how to make your product more cost-effective to produce.
