Mel Boldt and Associates

  • Iconic Product Design since 1952.

Turnkey Product Design from Concept to Market.

Hardware Design

Software Design

Packaging

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Mel Boldt and Associates

We Are Your Full Service Product Development Company.

 

At Mel Boldt and Associates, we run our projects as if we were your internal team. This holds true whether we are contracted directly for the sponsor brand or as a partner to an industrial design firm.

For each product, we determine the technical skill sets required and seek out the most cost effective, expeditious route to market. In many cases this will mean engaging a partner ODM [Original Design Manufacturer] to design and manufacture the product.

For truly unique products, we will tap our network of HW and SW developers to custom build a team with the experience needed for your new product.

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Since 1952, Mel Boldt and Associates has designed products that defined mid-century American growth and beyond. Watch this short video to learn more.

Our Approach

The Mel Boldt Method

 

Mel Boldt and Associates (MBA) bring ideas from napkin sketch to production in time, in spec and in budget, guaranteed.

The Mel Boldt Method has been forged over decades of successful product development. MBA combines a rigorous phased program management approach with the agility of sprint based, day to day development.

The gestalt of combined industrial design, electronics design and software design in this synergistic program management flow creates tangible value for clients throughout the project in the form of concept renderings, proof of concept software, prototype hardware, patentability reports, and prior art.  Ultimately, the Mel Boldt Method delivers a fully production ready product meeting the client timeline, needs and budget.

Your Pitch

Start
Pitch your product to the MBA product developers. We will explore the value proposition and marketability.
January 01, 2021
12 AM

Free Consultation

Step 1
If your project is selected, the MBA product development staff will offer a free consultation delivering tangible assets sure to add value to any investor update.



Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Project Plan
  • Timeline Estimates
  • Staffing Estimates
  • Manufacturing Options
  • Risk Mitigation Plan
  • Patent Exploration

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Proof of Concept

Step 2
Accelerate your idea from 0:1. MBA can develop a complete proof of concept that will help your company seek further investment, gauge customer interest and ultimately legitimize your product.

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Proof of Concept Software
  • Proof of Concept Hardware
  • Industrial Design Concept Sketches
  • User Interface Concept Wireframes
  • Preliminary Patent Report

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Design for Production

Step 3
Take giant leaps forward with functional hardware designed for manufacturing (DFM) or demonstrable software capable of production release or both. Use these assets to engage alpha customers and test the market.

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Manufacturing Selection
  • Visually Complete Samples/Prototypes
  • DFM Electronics Design
  • Demonstrable App design
  • Prototype hardware
  • Prior Art Research and Initial Filing

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Beta Release

Step 4
Dreams become reality with feature complete apps; or stable hardware housed in mechanically representative plastics or both. Use these assets to engage beta customers and build a marketing campaign

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Feature Complete Software and Apps
  • Functional and Tested Electronics
  • Plastics Representative of Mechanical Dimensions and Function
  • Manufacturing prototype run.
  • Packaging Design

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Production Launch

Finish
Release to production with MVP software or final, packaged hardware or both.

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Complete packaged product
  • MVP App release

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Your Pitch

Start
Pitch your product to the MBA product developers. We will explore the value proposition and marketability.
January 01, 2021
12 AM

Free Consultation

Step 1
If your project is selected, the MBA product development staff will offer a free consultation delivering tangible assets sure to add value to any investor update.



Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Project Plan
  • Timeline Estimates
  • Staffing Estimates
  • Manufacturing Options
  • Risk Mitigation Plan
  • Patent Exploration

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Proof of Concept

Step 2
Accelerate your idea from 0:1. MBA can develop a complete proof of concept that will help your company seek further investment, gauge customer interest and ultimately legitimize your product.

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Proof of Concept Software
  • Proof of Concept Hardware
  • Industrial Design Concept Sketches
  • User Interface Concept Wireframes
  • Preliminary Patent Report

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Design for Production

Step 3
Take giant leaps forward with functional hardware designed for manufacturing (DFM) or demonstrable software capable of production release or both. Use these assets to engage alpha customers and test the market.

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Manufacturing Selection
  • Visually Complete Samples/Prototypes
  • DFM Electronics Design
  • Demonstrable App design
  • Prototype hardware
  • Prior Art Research and Initial Filing

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Beta Release

Step 4
Dreams become reality with feature complete apps; or stable hardware housed in mechanically representative plastics or both. Use these assets to engage beta customers and build a marketing campaign

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Feature Complete Software and Apps
  • Functional and Tested Electronics
  • Plastics Representative of Mechanical Dimensions and Function
  • Manufacturing prototype run.
  • Packaging Design

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Production Launch

Finish
Release to production with MVP software or final, packaged hardware or both.

Tangible Value Assets Delivered:

  • Complete packaged product
  • MVP App release

January 01, 2021
12 AM

Case Study

Smarter Than Your Average Mirror

Nothing drives product development faster than a trade show deadline. In 2019 Mirror Image (MI), located in Los Angeles CA, needed to take a smart idea from whiteboard to proof of concept.

The idea was an Alexa driven smart mirror for the hospitality industry. Features included weather app with three day forecast; messaging between guest rooms and front desk; promo advertising for special events; and expanded service requests such as make up room, order a cab, send towels and more.

Read More

Is Your Team Low on Bandwidth?

Partner with Mel Boldt & Associates to bring projects across the finish line.

Mel Boldt & Associates can work with the sponsor design team or as a partner to an existing Industrial Design team. If necessary, we can recommend award winning ID teams to help you design awe inspiring products.

Contact Us

 Let’s Work Together

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Our Services

Primary Research

IP Development

Product Development

Software Development

Hardware Development

Markets We Serve

Consumer Goods

Consumer Electronics

IoT

Medical Devices

App Development

From the 1950's to the 1980's, almost every American home had a product that was designed by Mel Boldt and Associates.

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Our History

Our Founder

The Mel Boldt Legacy

Mel Boldt and Associates represents three generations of product design and development

1952 – 1989

In 1952 Mel Boldt founded Mel Boldt and Associates (MBA). Over the next 30+ years he and his associates created countless products for the greatest mid century modern electronics, furniture, fashion and home goods brands. These names included Bausch + Lomb, Movado, Amana, Zenith and Presto to name a few. The industrial design team was eventually absorbed into Zenith after his passing. Information about Mel Boldt and MBA work can be seen in The Henry Ford, the Art Institute Chicago and numerous design books. His contribution to Zenith is noted in the Zenith Book.

1989 – 2019

Over the next 30 years, the second and third generations of the Mel Boldt family quietly developed electronic products and systems as Product Managers across a variety of fields for a number of great companies. These included Rockwell, TDK, Fairchild, Belkin and Intelity. As the subsequent generations built expertise, they moved closer to the dream of continuing the family legacy.

Present Day

The modernized Mel Boldt and Associates now stretches beyond Industrial Design. MBA’s next generation brings top to bottom product expertise. Built on a combined generational experience of greater than 60 years, MBA is now capable of managing every aspect of the product development process from sketch to shelf, from semiconductors to software. There are very few firms that have both a deeper heritage and a wider scope of capabilities.

Contact Us

Name
Subscribe to Mel Boldt & Associates
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This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.