Best Consumer Product Design Consulting Services in Australia

‍Australia Consumer Product Design Consultants

Australia’s product design landscape is thriving — where innovation, craftsmanship, and rigorous user research come together to shape products that are not only functional but also commercially successful. From concept development to market launch, Australian design consultancies are proving their ability to deliver solutions that resonate with users and compete globally.

In this guide, we feature 10 standout consumer product design consultancies operating across Australia. Each has been selected based on verifiable research-driven methods, client-reviewed outcomes, and strong contributions to the local design ecosystem.

Methodology: How We Chose These Australia-based Consumer Product Design Consulting Services

We applied three clear selection criteria to ensure every featured company meets our authenticity standards:

• Research-driven – Verified public results, documented frameworks, and real case studies showing measurable impact.
  
  
• Client-reviewed – Credible testimonials and track records demonstrating ROI or performance improvements.
  
  
• Location-based – Founded and operating in Australia, with proven involvement in the local design ecosystem.
  

🌟 Australian Consumer Product Design Consultants - Provider Spotlights

4Design

‍What they do: Full-service industrial design for consumer products — from prototyping to market launch. Known for consumer electronics and lifestyle goods.
Who they work with: Consumer electronics brands, lifestyle companies, and emerging DTC product startups.
Operating model: Collaborative partnerships with embedded client engagement; structured stage-gate design process.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Empirical user testing at every design stage.
  
  
• Cross-disciplinary integration of engineering, ergonomics, and design.
  
  
• Reduced prototyping cycles by 30% for a wearable fitness brand.
  

Lee Liston, Director / Designer and Owner of 4Design

Lee is an industrial designer with 15+ years in electronics and consumer lifestyle products. His leadership style prioritizes manufacturability without sacrificing design integrity, helping clients achieve faster time-to-market and notable cost reductions in packaging.

Bortz Product Design

‍What they do: Specialises in high-precision industrial and consumer product design, with an emphasis on manufacturability and aesthetic appeal.
Who they work with: Manufacturers, industrial brands, and niche consumer product companies.

Operating model: Lean, iteration-driven workflow, integrating CAD modeling with rapid prototyping.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Advanced CAD-driven prototyping for faster design validation.
  
  
• Proven manufacturability assessments early in the design cycle.
  
  
• Strong history of balancing form and function in final products.
  

Gary Bortz, Director of Bortz Product Design

Gary is known for his technical precision and deep understanding of manufacturing constraints. With decades of experience, he delivers designs that are practical, beautiful, and production-ready.

Charlwood Design

‍What they do: Product innovation and industrial design for commercial and consumer goods.
Who they work with: Corporate clients, start-ups, and government contracts.
Operating model: Human-centred design with a focus on inclusive usability and brand alignment.

💡 Why they stand out:

• User-first approach that prioritises accessibility.
  
  
• Comprehensive design research before ideation.
  
  
• Award-winning designs recognised in Australian and global competitions.
  

Paul Charlwood, CEO of Charlwood Design

Paul brings over 25 years of design leadership, with notable projects in both B2B and B2C markets. He is respected for fostering creative teams that produce commercially successful, human-centred designs.

Cobalt Design

‍What they do: Industrial design for outdoor, durable goods — with advanced field testing and ergonomic focus.
Who they work with: Outdoor brands, adventure equipment makers, and rugged lifestyle startups.
Operating model: Combines in-lab prototyping with real-world testing to validate performance.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Real-world testing as a design essential.
  
  
• Ergonomic frameworks tailored to user comfort.
  
  
• Durability standards exceeding competitor benchmarks.
  

Jack Magree, Principal of Cobalt Design

Jack is a product designer specialising in outdoor goods, blending industrial aesthetics with tested durability. His designs consistently outperform rivals in independent product teardown studies.

Steve Martinuzzo, Co-Founder and Director at Cobalt

Steve complements the team’s design capabilities with strategic oversight, ensuring Cobalt’s products deliver both market competitiveness and reliability.

Convert Studios

‍What they do: Hybrid design studio combining physical product development with UX/UI integration, specialising in smart devices.
Who they work with: IoT brands, home automation companies, and hardware-software startups.
Operating model: Parallel hardware–software design to align product form with digital experience.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Seamless integration of app UX and product design.
  
  
• In-house usability testing in real-world settings.
  
  
• Increased adoption rates by 40% for a smart lock client.
  

Adam Weaver, Founder of Convert Studios

Adam combines industrial and UX design expertise to create products that feel intuitive in both physical and digital realms. His leadership has driven measurable engagement improvements in connected devices.

D3 Design

‍What they do: Sustainable product design focusing on eco-friendly packaging and materials.
Who they work with: DTC brands, packaging innovators, and environmentally conscious companies.
Operating model: Lifecycle analysis and sustainable sourcing embedded in design.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Integrated sustainability assessments.
  
  
• Co-design workshops with clients.
  
  
• Reduced material waste by 18% for a packaging brand.

Clive Solari, Director of D3Design

Clive brings strategic oversight and decades of design experience to D3 Design. With a background in industrial design and a keen focus on operational execution, he has helped scale the consultancy’s sustainable practices into commercially viable solutions for clients across diverse sectors.

Katapult Design

‍What they do: Innovation-driven industrial design for household appliances and smart home products.
Who they work with: Appliance brands, hospitality startups, and tech-enabled homeware companies.
Operating model: Research-driven design sprints that merge consumer insights with functional prototypes.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Human-centric anthropometric modelling.
  
  
• Rapid design-to-market sprints.
  
  
• Market successes with high early sales volumes.
  

Nathan Pollock, Founder and CEO of Katapult Design

Nathan combines design strategy with human data insights, delivering products that resonate with consumers and retailers alike. His leadership ensures every project is both market-ready and user-friendly.

MPV Design

‍What they do: Full-cycle design for health-tech and wellness consumer devices.
Who they work with: Medical device startups, wellness brands, and health-focused DTC companies.
Operating model: Regulatory-aligned design with usability and compliance built in.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Regulatory compliance from early design stages.
  
  
• Focus on safety and error-proof use.
  
  
• Accelerated regulatory approvals for client products.
  

Marc Philipp Veenendaal, Owner - Senior Designer of MPV Design

Marc is a specialist in regulated product design, helping clients navigate compliance without delaying launches. His work has supported faster market entry for multiple health-tech devices.

Studio Periscope

‍What they do: Boutique design studio specialising in lifestyle and home products with a strong aesthetic identity.
Who they work with: Independent brands, boutique manufacturers, and design-driven ventures.
Operating model: Small-team, hands-on collaboration with clients from ideation to delivery.

💡 Why they stand out:

• Strong visual storytelling through product form.
  
  
• Bespoke prototyping for niche market needs.
  
  
• Close client collaboration for highly customised results.
  
  

Lisa Oaten, Director / Industrial Designer of Studio Periscope

Lisa’s design style fuses artistry with practical usability. Known for bringing a brand’s story to life in product form, she ensures each piece feels distinctive and market-ready.

Australia’s Consumer Product Design Edge: From Idea to Market Success

Australia’s leading consumer product design consultancies are redefining how ideas move from concept to market. These firms specialise in diverse sectors—ranging from consumer electronics and lifestyle goods to health-tech, smart home devices, outdoor gear, and sustainable packaging—delivering designs that balance aesthetics, function, manufacturability, and compliance. Their strengths include integrating user insights, advanced prototyping, ergonomic frameworks, and sustainability principles, resulting in faster validation cycles, cost reductions, and market-ready products. Many employ research-driven, collaborative workflows that keep clients involved at every stage, ensuring products resonate with end users while meeting commercial goals. The breadth and depth of expertise across Australia’s design landscape make it a vital hub for brands seeking competitive, innovative, and user-aligned product solutions.

At Digital Reference, radical authenticity is the foundation of meaningful brand evolution, ensuring every decision aligns with the true essence of purpose and market relevance. Its importance lies in creating strategies and outputs that maintain integrity, foster trust, and translate directly into lasting competitive advantage.

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Australia’s product design leaders are proving that precision, creativity, and market intelligence can coexist seamlessly in every project. By blending advanced prototyping, targeted research, and strong commercial foresight, they create products that earn loyalty and outperform competitors. For brands looking to navigate this high-value space with clarity and purpose, guidance is essential. That’s where they find a trusted ally in Digital Reference.‍