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home > Engineering Prototypes

Guy Marsden
ELECTRONIC PRODUCT
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
I specialize in building prototypes of electronic products for individual
inventors and small companies.

Portrait of Guy Marsden by Maret Hensick

Portrait by Maret Hensick - done on her iPad

If you are an inventor or company that has just found this page of my web site and you are looking for a prototype, I encourage you to read all the way through this page, and follow some of the links herein. Then if you want to request a prototype, you should download my pre-signed Non Disclosure Form (see below), sign it and return a copy to me before you tell me about your invention. Your idea is protected once we both have a copy with both our signatures on it. Of course if you already have a patent filed or granted there's no need for the form!

You may call me between 10:00am and 8:00pm Eastern US time, and I will be happy to discuss your idea with you at no charge for up to 15 minutes. Call toll free: 866 427-8832 or 207 443-8942.

It is an unfortunate fact that less than 1 in 100 of the prototypes I have built have made it to market as a product. It is entirely up to you to work tirelessly at marketing and licensing your design. All I can do is build the best possible prototype that will help you to represent and market your design the rest is up to you!

A good reason to have a prototype made is to demonstrate that your idea is viable and can actually work. In recent years I have been talking with many inventors that have ideas that simply can not be built. Often their ideas defy the laws of physics, or would be extremely expensive to make. Most non-technical people do not understand that it take millions of dollars and the resources of a major corporation to design a cell phone! In an initial consultation, I can help you determine what is practical and cost-effective.

I enjoy working with inventors and look forward to the possibility of working with you.

	DOWNLOAD AND PRINT MY NON DISCLOSURE FORM
	Images of some prototypes
	Testimonials
	Some questions to ask yourself before you hire me to build you a prototype

Views of my well equipped electronics lab and workshop.

MY BACKGROUND
Since 1985 I have specialized in designing custom electronics for hundreds of one of a kind products and prototypes.

Over the years I have engineered a broad range of products including: medical and industrial prototypes, aerospace models, toys, neon sign animators, novelty products, pet training devices, research equipment, special visual effects devices, and much more.

HOW I WORK
When I work with a client, I apply the Golden Rule and endeavor to build the prototype that I would want if I were the inventor or designer. I place a very high value on integrity, honesty and clear communication. I learned long ago that all business relationships are personal relationships. My working approach is holistic - the more I know about you and your project, the more I can contribute to a successful design. As I work on a project I provide detailed progress reports via email (see examples here), including clear images of the prototype during construction.

I am very concerned with the user interface and look and feel of electronic prototypes that I build. I work to ensure that the functions are simple and intuitive with buttons and displays ergonomically placed for easy access.

After I learn about your design, I may be able to offer improvements or changes that you may not have thought of that enhance the value of your design, in this case I request that you add my name to your patent. This simply gives me credit for improvements to your design and does not convey any obligation to share the potential profits from your design.

BUILDING PROTOTYPES
While my specialty is working prototypes, I can design for limited production in some cases. I do not have the experience to design for off shore, high volume manufacturing. However some of my prototypes have been taken to off shore manufacturers and turned into products. In general however the economies of scale and the types of tooling used in volume manufacturing are beyond my abilities to represent in a prototype.

In my workshop I can fabricate simple basic enclosures from scratch using acrylic and aluminum or from modified off the shelf components. I bring my art background to the construction of working models by applying a high aesthetic to the prototype's look and feel.

RATES and ESTIMATES
Once I have a clear idea of what you want, I provide a detailed estimate and require a 50% deposit before beginning work, and payment in full before shipping. An estimate is just that and not a fixed bid due to the nature of the design work it is not always possible to anticipate the full costs in advance. Design changes will add to the final cost. Please review this section of my page before contacting me, it should answer some basic questions. Prototypes can take a few hours to several months and cost from a few hundred to several thousand dollars and up. With over 25 years of experience with electronic design, I work very rapidly. Most of my clients pay me with PayPal which allows them to use their credit card, or direct debit to their account. I do not invest in my client's projects and won't consider deferred payment or a share of the potential profits. I complete most projects in a few weeks on up to several months for complex jobs.

I'M AN INVENTOR TOO!
I am a working inventor and I sell some of my products via my web sites:
Magnetic Levitation Kit
Differential Temperature Controllers for solar heating systems

I process several orders for these products every week, often shipping them internationally due to the wide reach of the web. As a "get rich slow scheme" these inventions have generated a consistent income. Web marketing is an excellent strategy for selling a niche market product that you can make in your own home or workshop. Below are a couple of articles that I wrote about the businesses, how I got started.

"Get rich slow, plod your way to prosperity", Inventor's Digest, April 2011
"Less Can Be More", Inventor's Digest, Oct.-Dec. 2004

Some images of prototypes that I have built over the years:





Below are 2 prototypes and the stories behind how I built them
Pill timer Here's an article I wrote about developing this product: "Great Timing (Uh...almost)" January/February 2003 Inventor's Digest	Safety Pilot My client set up to make his product at home, and eventually quit after it did not take off as he hoped.

Some Testimonials

"...your work was exemplary and it really sells the concept."
Tyler Walz, Inventor, New York

"I really am pleased with our dialogue, you seem to understand what I am talking about when I write or ask a question (although maybe I am not sure myself), and you are patient in explaining it to me."
Stephen Dawson, Inventor, Washington

"I wanted to say that so far your prototyping services have been prompt, your prices excellent, and the service superb. You have really expanded our capabilities."
Caleob King, Harshaw Research, Kansas

"I am very impressed about the final product prototype. It look more better and beyond my expectation. I saw your fine touch and hard work which make me more attached to continue dealing with you."
Abdullah alRasheed, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Saudi Arabia

"Both Lauren and I want to commend you on the quality of the work that you put into the prototype. We were impressed with the appearance as well as the ease by which we could utilize the various aspects inherent in the prototype. In addition, we appreciate the effort that you put forth to complete the prototype as quickly as you were able to."
Gayle Stroh and Lauren Rosen, Astro-2000 Inc., Michigan

"I think you've done an excellent job in understanding the project and in bringing it to life. I can't tell you what a pleasure it has been working with you - it is soooooo refreshing to do business with an honest person."
Diane R., Inventor, Ohio

"The mechanism you built is really excellent and I must send you my congratulations for having grasped the whole idea so lightningly fast, and for putting it together with such expertise."
Gerard Sunnen, M.D. President, Ozonics International, LLC, New York

"(The prototype) is cosmetically beyond my dreams. When we go to manufacture it, we will not change a thing. Just tell them to build it like it is. Prototypes never look like this. Excellent job."
John Fantuzzo, IRC Surplus, Texas

"I am a physicist who had a dangerous, and ugly working prototype that I wanted to step up to the next level. I contacted Guy because I liked the philosophy he presented on his website and could not have been happier with my decision.
My project involved something that Guy had little experience with, but Guy immediately immersed himself in my project and quickly became an expert. He is an excellent communicator and we had many discussions about what our goals were, and what the best way to achieve those goals would be. He sent progress reports with images and videos and was very transparent with his billing transactions. I love the product he created for me and will contact him in the future for all of my prototyping needs. Two thumbs up.
Scott H. Physics PhD Candidate, Yale University

"Thank you so much for the excellent job you did with our prototype. Your design exceeded our expectations. I was most personally impressed by:
    ● The way that you were able to take our rough concept, improve it and convert it into a fully – functional prototype.
    ● Your ability to meet a very tight deadline, without having to compromise on quality.
    ● Your frequent progress reports, drawings and photographs.
We really appreciated your flexibility in accommodating our out–of–hours telephone conference calls and Skype discussions. I have no hesitation in recommending you to others."
Dr. Mark E. Milburn,Gen. manager, Implemented Solutions, LLC, Las Vegas

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE
YOU ASK ME TO BUILD YOU A PROTOTYPE:

• Do I need a prototype in order to file a patent?
The USPTO has not required a working prototype for over a hundred years! However the value of a working prototype is that it validates the concept and is an essential tool for marketing presentations. It also gives you the peace of mind that you do in fact have a viable working device.

• What are the claims of your patent or idea?
What makes your idea unique and different from all others. This will help you formulate you patent, and marketing strategy.

• Have you done a patent search?
This is the quickest way to find out if your idea has been patented already. You can do a basic search by yourself, or hire a patent attorney to do this for you. Choosing appropriate search terms is the key to accurate patent searches! Try using Google Patent Search, or Free patents online:

I also encourage you to search the web for similar products. Several of my prospective clients have been disappointed to discover that their idea was already on the market. Google has a Product Search feature that you can use to see if a similar product to yours is already on the market.

• Is your idea protected?
If you do not have a patent or one pending, you must sign a non-disclosure agreement before sharing your idea with ANYONE, including me!

• Do you have a non-disclosure agreement?
This document protects your disclosed information. Click here to get my standard 2 page form in pdf format. It is pre signed by me so you can print this form fill it in and sign it then fax, email, or mail it to me. The agreement becomes legally binding once both parties have signed it and have copies in hand. A number of variations of these forms are also available at office supply stores.

• Why file a patent?
Patents are only as good as your ability to defend them. A Patent can cost from $600 (for a simple design patent) to well over $10,000 (simple utility patent), and can take several years to be granted. I would only recommend pursuing a patent if your idea has a very broad market appeal or potential profits of at least $30,000 in the first year.

You need to be realistic about the value and expense of filing a patent! Say your patent costs you $15,000 and you sell 10,000 units in your first year. If you amortize the cost of the patent over the product run, that means that for each product you sell, it cost you $1.50 to file the patent. With an inexpensive product, that can make a huge difference. In the toy industry for instance, every component is made as cheaply as possible, and shaving one cent off the price of a part can reap an extra $10,000 profit on a run of one million toys. If you licensed the design, you will only get a very small percentage of the profit, which may never pay for the cost of the patent if the product fails in the marketplace.

Once you have a patent there is no guarantee that you will profit from it, marketing your idea is entirely up to you! This is where most inventors drop the ball. Less than 1% of patents filed by individuals get to market.

If a company infringes your patent (produces a product without your permission) it will cost you a lot of money in legal fees to defend your patent. Again there is no guarantee that you will win the suit and get a settlement - even after years of legal battles! Read the story of Gordon Gould who invented the laser and his 30 year legal battle to prove that he was the first to invent it.

Even if you obtain a patent and manage to manufacture your product, if it is not marketed properly you could be stuck with a garage or warehouse full of product. Typically inventors are not good at marketing and often the best option is to license your product to a manufacturer who will pay you royalties on each unit sold.

• Contacting a patent attorney

I can recommend Stevan Lieberman of Greenberg & Lieberman LLC. This Washington based company works with individual inventors and takes pride in their competitive rates and good customer relations.

• What are you looking for from the Prototype?
In electronic prototypes there are basically 2 types:
Works like: Performs the functions but does not necessarily look like the final product.
Looks like: Has the appearance of the final product, but may not operate or have full functionality. My goal as an engineer with an arts degree is to try and balance the two.

• Do you need a high quality plastic model?
There are many companies that can create a CAD model of your design and then "print" it in 3D, creating a working plastic model. I have worked with Jim Richardson and can recommend him highly. He and I collaborate on projects requiring plastic parts, and he can also advise you on how to set up production and handle marketing.

• Will the prototype be used to gain funding or sell the idea to a manufacturer?
If so, a very good quality model will be required that most accurately represents the desired form and function of the manufactured item (see above).

• Will the prototype be used to test market the idea?
I can build up to 100 working models for product testing and market research.

• Will the working prototype be a manufacturable design?
Not necessarily. Off shore manufacturing fabricators use different electronic components than those available to me as a prototype engineer. I specialize in one of a kind working models, not necessarily a production worthy design.

• Marketing your idea
Marketing is the single biggest hurdle that inventors encounter. You may wish to contact a company that can help you market your product to manufacturers. I can recommend America Invents. They have a good track record of bringing products to market. As with all invention Marketing companies, be very careful to read and review their contract and hold them to every detail. While America Invents is legitimate, there are many very unscrupulous companies out there that will charge a lot of money and deliver little or nothing.

If your invention fits a small niche market and is simple and easy enough for you to build yourself, you can set up to make it in your garage or basement and make a little money on the side while you keep your day job. I have helped several independent inventors set up a home workshop to produce their inventions at home. I suggest tools and techniques and provide training in soldering and fabrication techniques. I also provide a detailed Bill Of Materials so my clients can source all the parts themselves.

I wrote an article for Inventor's Digest about a product I sell by mail order from my web site that has generated over $10,000 in annual sales since 2003. In 2006 I introduced another product targeting the solar heating industry that is also doing over $9,000 in annual sales. Neither product is patented - nor are they patentable, but that has not stopped me from making money.

• Don't be seduced by potential profits
I have worked with literally hundreds of inventors, and to my knowledge not one of them has become wealthy from his invention, and only a tiny percentage have even gotten their design to market. Some of them have made a nice profit, but often after many years of hard work. It is also important to weigh the costs of patenting against the potential revenue. It can take years and a great deal of money to obtain a patent. It can be many more years after a product goes to market before you recover the design and patenting fees.

• Help and advice
This process can be very daunting! I recommend you check out Jack Lander "the Inventor Mentor" who offers affordable professional advice to inventors for a very reasonable fee. His web page has many clear answers to questions about the patent process. He also sells 2 books that he wrote on marketing and financing your ideas.

• Education
To further your education and awareness of the field of invention I highly recommend subscribing to Inventor's Digest Magazine.

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