One of the most common questions I get from entrepreneurs is how I actually created my skincare product line. It’s inspired me to honor the complexity of the experience and share this valuable experience with fellow entrepreneurs. The first stage of creating in any industry must be product design. The following five steps can take you from hopeful to actual product designer.

Step 1: Ideation And Training

I started concocting potions in my kitchen in 2007 after suffering MRSA infections caused by eczema. It was around the time that I was tinkering with essential oils in my kitchen that I realized that I needed to go to aesthetics school if I had any hope of solving my skin issues and those of people like me.

If, like me, you’re hoping to break into an industry you don’t have formal education in, start by signing up for classes to educate yourself, learn the trade and gain a sense of the white space in the market.

Another benefit of formal training is networking. Even if you already have the knowledge, it could be worth taking a class to meet contacts in the industry. Once you’ve formed these connections, you can leverage them by running your product ideas past an expert you trust.

Step 2: Finding A Product Designer Or Lab

I met many industry leaders during aesthetics school. That’s how I found my very first lab: I really liked their formulations, and I developed a relationship with their executives. When it came time to formulate, I had someone I trusted. I went through a similar process with the design of my tools. When searching for a product designer, I leveraged my network. I tapped an entrepreneur friend to get his insight on product design, and he had a go-to guy who became a valued partner.

You may notice a theme to my story: mining my network. I can’t stress enough the value of referrals. If you don’t have a network you can trust for referrals, begin by joining trade organizations or LinkedIn groups. People are more willing to connect you than you might think.

If you don’t want to go to training school and don’t feel comfortable reaching out for referrals on LinkedIn, consider joining a co-working space for entrepreneurs in your field. Once you get to know the people you’re working beside every day, you can ask them for contacts.

Step 3: Designing The Product

When I first started developing my Dermaplaning Tool with my product designer, it was important that he see a similar tool in action. He came into my studio to watch me perform a dermaplaning treatment on a client before creating his first design.

Once he had the design, he sent me renderings for review. After a few rounds of feedback, we moved onto a 3D printout of the device. You can’t test a 3D printout, but it gives you a sense of the handfeel of your product. It helps you see whether you need to make design changes before manufacturing samples, which are expensive.

Whether you’re designing a tool or a topical, this iteration process with your designer or lab is an important step. Create a spec list of product features before you begin. That way, you have a list of target goals you can measure the designs against as they come in. Again, leverage your network, and tap people you trust in the design phase. They may be able to provide very valuable constructive feedback.

Step 4: Finding A Factory

Finding a factory you trust is perhaps the most important step in all of this. Again, I connected with my skincare lab in aesthetics school. Then, my product designer recommended a factory he trusted for custom-made tools. Referrals, referrals, referrals.

The process of vetting a factory is a topic for a future article, but it’s worth mentioning that when it comes to products that don’t require customization, you can find great manufacturers of basic tools on Alibaba. Once you find products you’re interested in there, take a look at the manufacturer’s ratings, and request samples. You may put out a lot of requests and get only a handful of timely and professional responses. Once you receive samples, test them for quality, and request pricing and any modifications you need.

Step 5: Prototyping And Testing

Once you have your design, you can start prototyping with your factory.

It’s expensive to prototype things because custom products require the tooling of machinery. While the cost will depend on the product you’re making, you should expect an amount in the tens of thousands of dollars and a timeline of at least four to six months.

Prototyping goes something like this: The factory provides a prototype, which both you and your product designer will test. I tested my prototypes on my own skin to get the full sense of how the product functioned. Test your product more than once before providing feedback to the factory. How does it feel in your hand? Does it need to be heavier or lighter? Are the results as expected? Is it easy to use? The more comprehensive your notes, the more the factory will be able to improve, hopefully cutting down on your iterations.

Once you finish prototyping, the factory will tool the machines and execute a sample run to make sure the tooling was to spec. Once you sign off on that, you can go into production.

The product design phase can be one of the most exciting processes of launching your brand. Curious what to do next? This up-close look at starting a consumer products business will continue with the manufacturing step in the next article.