2. MDI OVERVIEW
Montgomery Design International is an industrial design consultancy based in suburban Chicago.
Established in 1983, MDI offers professional Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Ergonomics, CAID,
Modeling, and Prototyping services, to clients in the U.S. and throughout Europe and Asia.
MDI has been prolific in the design of heavy equipment, but we maintain a well-rounded balance with
products such as communication, computer, and medical equipment; as well as appliances, tools,
and other consumer products.
We incorporate professional CAID technology in our work, utilizing Alias Studio Tools and Pro/E
software, as well as TurboCad, SurfCam, and Adobe products. MDI has been at the leading edge of
computer-aided industrial design since its inception.
We maintain long-term industrial design relationships with several clients, regularly providing
graphic and packaging design as well. Some of our notable work includes the design of CaseIH’s
complete product line and New Holland’s new line of “cats eye” tractors, as well as Amana’s
highly successful laundry products and the first “french door” refrigerators. We also conceived
the Rockwell “Plugger”, the world’s first handheld GPS unit, for the U.S. Army. Over the years, we
have also worked on projects with Agco, Lovol, Caterpillar, and Endeavor tractor.
Even with our extensive background and expertise, we are a young thinking firm able to offer our
clients highly creative and functional design concepts. Most importantly, we have the knowledge
and experience to carry these ideas through to production manufacturing.
MDI has received recognition for its design work through multiple awards including IDSA’s coveted
"IDEA" Gold Award, and international “Good Design” awards for three consecutive years, and this
years IDA International Gold Award. Additionally, our work has been published in Industrial Vehicle
Technology magazine and many other periodicals, and our designers have been awarded numerous
patents for their creative design solutions.
3. MDI DESIGN PROCESS
MDI has developed its proprietary design process over nearly 25 years of continuous operation in
product design and development. At the outset, our goal was to offer a range of services on an
international basis, and this process has served us well in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The MDI Design Process mirrors our phased project proposals, allowing us to better manage the
overall work and accountability, while providing the client with a detailed project guideline.
Below is an example of our full design and development process. We tailor it for every project as
necessary, as their scopes tend to vary greatly.
1. RESEARCH
a. Review of client knowledge base.
b. Independent review of competitive and related products.
c. Review of any available analyses of the industry or competitive products.
d. Structured surveys targeted to specific market segments or products.
Deliverables: Design Brief outlining product specification and general direction of design effort.
2. PRELIMINARY CONCEPT
a. Kick-Off - MDI / client brainstorming session, including real-time sketching.
b. Ideation – Refinement of the brainstormed concepts and any related concepts into more
detailed black and white sketches with callouts and detailed features.
c. Working Model – development of a rough 3D model that will establish a preliminary
volume and form, allowing early ergonomic study and evaluation.
Deliverables: Black & white concept sketches and / or rough 3D model. Formal presentation.
3. DETAILED DESIGN
a. Concept Renderings - Detailed color renderings of a selected range of concepts.
b. Human Factors Engineering – Application of ergonomic data available from various
sources, and generation of unique user interface based on researched conclusions.
c. Graphics – Application of brand identity, safety and instructional graphics, user interface.
d. CAID Styling Model – Creation of data file detailing proposed “A” surface design in 3D
digital form / Alias software.
e. Physical Styling Model – Creation of hard model containing all surfaces, finishes, colors,
graphics and unique functional details as may be required. Suitable for customer reviews.
Deliverables: Digital color renderings, ergonomic layouts and conclusions, graphic layouts,
CAID 3D model, full sized 3D appearance model. Formal presentations.
4. 4. PROTOTYPE
a. CAD Model – 3D geometry containing all features, draft, “B” side details in Pro/E.
b. Prototype Model – Creation of selected components or molds for multiple components
using MDI’s in-house CNC machining capability. Suitable for field test. Surfcam software.
c. Assembly – Working independently or with client’s development staff, MDI will assemble
the unique components generated in this phase to create a working prototype.
Deliverables: Complete 3D geometry, pre production components, functional prototype model.
5. PRODUCTION FOLLOW-UP
a. Final Engineering – Working either with clients engineering staff or our certified Pro/E
engineering partners, MDI will assist in creating the final engineering data files necessary
to produce parts capable of being tooled and manufactured in production quantities.
b. Vendor Sourcing and Follow-up – MDI will work with client in sourcing, selecting, and
overseeing vendor activities to ensure the highest quality results.
Deliverables: Production engineering CAD models, high quality manufactured product.
Copyright, Montgomery Design International, Inc. 2015
