How Engineering & 3D Design Contests Give Companies a Competitive Edge

How New Product Design and Development Contests Can Powers Company Innovation

Having your own business can be a dog-eat-dog world. Competition is keen and fierce. Many businesses don’t make it because they can’t keep up with what others are doing, or they’re just not offering enough to keep customers coming back and spreading the word on their behalf.

So what is there to do? Apart from the obvious, such as providing excellent customer service and standing behind what you sell, a way to bump up sales is to offer something that people want but no one else has. You may have had ideas to revamp your existing product lines or new brand initiatives, but quickly shelved those projects because you didn’t know where to start or you didn’t think it was financially viable.

One rule that works reliably is that to make money, you have to spend money. Daunting as it may seem in the beginning, the results are well worth it when the initial investment has been earned back and you’re now in profit mode. One way to save money on the starting design of your new product is to hold an 3D CAD design contest.

Cad Crowd has been offering these contests for some time in areas like engineering, industrial design, new prototype design, CAD services and 3D modeling. Our contest page serves as testimonials for the success our clients have found through them. Hundreds of businesses, organizations, and individuals have tapped in to this method of creating designs because it’s cost efficient and streamlined. So how does it work? Engineerings and CAD designs from all over the world come to you with plans based on your exact requirements.

There’s no need to go through extensive searches for design companies, or wade through resumes or prospects because when you launch a design contest through Cad Crowd you have access to our extensive database of designers. Big projects or small all get the same treatment on the Cad Crowd platform. Let’s have a look at some contest ideas that produced favorable results.

Kitchen Waste Rack Contest – Won by Dario Lavallen

This contest owner wanted a plastic injection-molded kitchen waste rack, made without any metal parts. From 30 entries, designer Dario Lavallen had the winning submission.

Plastic bottle design contact – Won by Harjeet Sharma

This next contest was started by somebody who could’ve owned a holistic medicine or herbal therapy business, because the goal was to design a plastic bottle for herbal-infused alcoholic beverages. Designer Harjeet Sharma came up with this winning concept out of 67 entries.

A few more cool entries for this plastic bottle prototype/design contest:

Urethane Dumbbell Design Contest – Won by Mecanikad

Fitness is a lucrative and competitive industry, so it’s important to provide customers with the latest equipment. Getting a leg up on the competition in this industry means offering your patrons the newest equipment. This contest was held by someone looking for a new dumbbell line. The winning design, by Mecanikad, would definitely spike consumer interest. There were 102 other submissions to this contest, so picking the winner was undoubtedly challenging.

More new concept designs for this design challenge:

New Design Concept Contest – Won by Steven IN

Ideas are as original as the minds they come from and this one is a perfect example of this principle. The contest owner was looking for a functional design for a piece of self-tanning equipment that would be available to the public in many venues including golf courses, ski resorts, and water parks. One of the design requirements given by the contest holder was to have divisions inside the device to allow up to four people to use it at the same time, while each choosing their own level of tan. From 16 highly innovative entries, designer Steven INA won with his concept. Maybe it’s coming soon to a park near you.

Mosquito Trap Design & Revision Contest – Won by Steven INA

We’ve all heard about the quest for a better mousetrap, but how about an improved mosquito trap? Any hardware store should be proud to add this item to their shelves. Designer Steven INA hit the mark again with this prototype, beating out 54 other entries. Any mosquito wouldn’t stand a chance in Steven’s design, which incorporates a labyrinth system in case a pest avoids the lethal light. Evenings by the barbecue just got a whole lot better.

Low Cost Dental Chair Design Challenge – Won by Eira

Chances are a medical supply business hosted this contest for a low cost dental chair. Such equipment can be expensive, especially for a new dentist just starting their practice. The contest owner wanted to dispense with staples or snap fittings to hold the leather covering and designer Eira provided what was required. The other ten entries weren’t too shabby either.

The Client owns the IP for all paid entries submitted to design contests and often 5 prizes are awarded to the best CAD designers and engineers. So, for the price of one design you could get over 100 other designs, as seen in the dumbbell contest. A savvy businessperson would agree that’s a pretty good ROI.

It’s time to get your business out of a rut and shine above the competition. If you have an idea on how to take your business to the next level, learn more about how design contests work and get started on your project.

Put your idea into words or develop a sketch of what you envision and let Cad Crowd’s community of CAD designers from around the world provide concepts that match your specifications and requirements. As you are the contest owner, you decide which concept works best for you. Your new idea may soon be sitting on your shelves as enticing stock for your new and existing customers.