Best Consumer Product Design Consulting Services in the USA

‍United States Consumer Product Design Consultants

At Digital Reference, we pride ourselves on radical authenticity and precision. This curated showcase spotlights outstanding U.S.-based Consumer Product Design Consulting Services agencies selected through rigorous research, client validation, and deep local roots. This isn't a ranking; it's a neutral, trust-first collection of consultancies with proven creative and strategic impact.

Methodology: How We Chose These U.S.-Based Consumer Product Design Consultancies

We selected firms based on three pillars:

🔍 Research-driven: Public case studies, design frameworks, and demonstrable outcomes.

👏 Client-reviewed: Verified testimonials, measurable ROI, and authentic feedback.

🎨 Location-based: Founded and operated in the U.S., with deep local understanding.

🌟 US Consumer Product Design Consultants - Provider Spotlights

Karten Design

‍What they do:
Karten Design blends industrial design with user-centered product innovation to create functional, elegant consumer goods.

Who they work with:
Consumer electronics, DTC brands, and tech-enabled hardware.

Operating Model:
A cross-disciplinary, iterative process that emphasizes prototyping and real-world usability.

💡 Why they stand out:

• ✨ Rich legacy of industrial design mastery
  
  
• 🚀 Proven ability to shepherd products from idea to production
  
  
• 🔄 Human-centered, iterative testing methodology

Stuart Karten, Founder of Kartner Design

Stuart brings decades of industrial design leadership and a hands-on, user-first approach. He’s known for guiding iconic products from sketch to shelf with unmatched clarity and functional elegance.

ELEVEN

‍What they do:
ELEVEN offers strategic product design, branding, and engineering—melding creativity with technical insight.

Who they work with:
Consumer electronics, lifestyle, and DTC innovators.

Operating Model:
A boutique studio that co-creates, aligning product vision with consumer expectations.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 🎯 Strategy coupled with design execution
  
  
• 📈 Client success focused on accelerating product-market fit
  
  
• 📐 Strong prototyping and manufacturability alignment

Benjamin Beck, Founder of Eleven

Benjamin leads with strategic clarity combining brand vision, manufacturing insight, and design thinking. His approach grounds product innovation in market viability.

Nosh Studio

‍What they do:
Nosh Studio creates consumer products marked by tactile creativity and inventive materials.

Who they work with:
Emerging lifestyle and DTC brands.

Operating Model:
Co-creative and experimental, with a strong eye toward user interaction.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 🤝 Co-design with users and founders
  
  
• 🧪 Material innovation that elevates product experience
  
  
• 🌱 Sustainability-oriented design

Tim Tan, Founder and Designer of Nosh Studio

Tim brings an experimental mindset blended with empathetic design leadership. He’s recognized for crafting products that feel alive and grounded in real user needs.

Spitfire Industry

‍What they do:
Spitfire Industry elevates consumer product design with refined aesthetics and emotional resonance.

Who they work with:
Premium lifestyle and high-end consumer tech brands.

Operating Model:
Emotion-driven design that connects deeply with users.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 🎨 Product as emotional storytelling
  
  
• 🏆 Frequently recognized with design awards
  
  
• 🔒 Signature, high-craft style

Isis Shiffer IDSA, Founder of Spitfire Industry

Isis combines award-winning design with emotional insight, using design to tell stories that resonate deeply with discerning consumers.

Sundberg-Ferar

What they do:
Founded in 1934, Sundberg-Ferar is one of the earliest U.S. industrial design consultancies. They specialize in product design, engineering, prototyping, packaging, and design research—emphasizing manufacturability, innovation strategy, and sustainability from concept to production.

Who they work with:
They partner with startups and global manufacturers across consumer goods, medical devices, mobility, electronics, and transportation interiors.

Why they stand out:

• 🔧 In-house prototyping and engineering ensure early testing and feasibility.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Multidisciplinary teams align user insights with technical execution.
• 🌱 Sustainability is built into their process, from material choices to design for disassembly.
  

David J. Byron, Principal & CEO of Sundberg-Ferar

David Byron leads Sundberg-Ferar with a focus on purposeful design and sustainability. He champions collaboration between designers, engineers, and researchers, while investing in advanced prototyping facilities to keep the firm at the forefront of industrial design.

‍Motiv Design

‍What they do:
Motiv Design delivers minimal, functional products with clarity and focus.

Who they work with:
Lifestyle brands prioritizing clean, expressive lines.

Operating Model:
Founder-led studio driven by refined practicality.

💡 Why they stand out:

• ✂ Mastery of minimalist form and function
  
  
• 🔍 Detail-rich, user-oriented refinement
  
  
• 🕰 A legacy of design consistency across product types

Bill Sterling, Principal and Owner of Motiv Design

Bill champions simplicity—not for its own sake, but for purpose. His designs endure through clarity and thoughtful execution.

Branch

‍What they do:
Branch merges product design with immersive branding and storytelling.

Who they work with:
Lifestyle and DTC brands aiming for emotional resonance.

Operating Model:
A hybrid creative-agency model where narrative and product meet.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 📖 Story-infused design
  
  
• 🎨 Branding and product in harmony
  
  
• 🔄 Cohesive experience from product to packaging

Josh Morenstein, Founder of Branch

Josh infuses brand narrative into every product detail, creating holistic experiences that speak to both heart and hand.

Box Clever

‍What they do:
Box Clever specializes in industrial design and engineering for modern consumer electronics and tech accessories.

Who they work with:
Emerging electronics and hardware brands.

Operating Model:
Agile execution with deep manufacturability and design fluency.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 🖥 Electronics prototyping expertise
  
  
• 🧩 Manufacturing-aware design
  
  
• 🤖 Engineering-oriented execution

Bret Recor, Founder and Creative Director of Box Clever

Bret brings technical precision to design, ensuring concepts are both innovative and buildable. His work is marked by streamlined execution.

Nonfiction

‍What they do:
Nonfiction blends storytelling and ethnographic insight into consumer product design.

Who they work with:
Lifestyle and culturally minded DTC brands.

Operating Model:
Human story–driven design that feels personal and grounded.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 📚 Cultural narrative in design
  
  
• 🔍 Empathy-led research
  
  
• 🧩 Deep client collaboration for meaningful products

Mardis Bagley, Partner and Creative Director of Nonfiction

Mardis designs with emotional intelligence, using human insight to inform form and function. Her work feels alive, relevant, and deeply human.

The USA’s Leaders in Consumer Product Innovation‍

The top consumer product design consultancies in the USA excel at blending aesthetics with functionality, delivering products that resonate with both market needs and user expectations. Each embraces a unique design philosophy from minimalism and material experimentation to story-driven experiences while maintaining a strong commitment to usability and manufacturability. Their processes are often iterative, deeply collaborative, and rooted in refining prototypes for real-world performance. This diversity of approaches enables them to serve a wide range of industries, including consumer electronics, lifestyle brands, and tech-enabled hardware. Collectively, they represent the pinnacle of creative strategy, engineering integration, and product storytelling in today’s competitive market.

At Digital Reference, radical authenticity shapes every insight, ensuring ideas are grounded in genuine vision and real-world relevance. It is the foundation that builds trust, fosters distinctive value, and keeps innovation aligned with true purpose. 

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