Pillar Product Design /  blog draft
June 8, 2026 In blog By Conor Murnane

Questions a Product Development Firm Should Ask

Hiring a product development firm can be a great step, but it is not always the first step. Sometimes a company is ready to move directly into industrial design, engineering, prototyping, or manufacturing support. Other times, the product idea still needs more definition before a development team can usefully get involved. The difference usually comes down to whether the right questions have been answered before the project starts. When I speak with a potential client, I am not only trying to understand the product idea. I am trying to understand what decision the client needs to make next. A product development project should

March 31, 2026 In blog By Conor Murnane

A Past Project We Still Love: Celebration Stadium’s Birthday Grandstand

Over the years, we’ve had the chance to work on a wide range of products, and some stand out because they turn a familiar experience into something memorable. One of those projects was the Birthday Grandstand for Celebration Stadium, a modular candle holder created to make milestone birthday celebrations feel more dramatic, organized, and photo-worthy. Instead of placing dozens of candles directly into the cake, the Grandstand creates a dedicated display for birthday candles around the cake. The result is a cleaner presentation, less mess, and a more memorable moment for the guest of honor. We always enjoy projects like this that combine

March 16, 2026 In blog By Conor Murnane

Do the Hard Work Upfront

One of the biggest mistakes we see with new product ideas is that founders come to us with a solution already fully formed in their minds. While well-intentioned, this can set the project up for failure. We can design the best widget in the world, but if it does not solve the problem (or the problem is not worth solving), it doesn’t matter. This can cause otherwise positive engagements to end on a sour note. The client loves the product that was designed and prototyped, but it flops in the market, or it doesn’t truly solve the problem, and they’re left

July 13, 2022 In blog By Bob Carrasca

Pillar Product Design Past Projects with Rhino Camera Gear

Pillar Product Design spent a number of years working with Rhino Camera Gear on a number of unique and innovative products. This one was one of the products that we spent co-developing with Kyle at Rhino Camera Gear that we were super proud of. The amount of engineering, ergonomics and design refinement for this complex assembly of custom engineered components was energy and efforts well spent. When this product was rolled out to market it was a game changer.