Innovation, Designed and Engineered
We can help get you there.
We are a world-class team of experts in all of the disciplines required for developing and commercializing technology, prototyping and bringing new products rapidly to market.
From concept exploration to manufacturing transfer, our team blends creative design, precise engineering, and sound business strategy to create breakout products.
We provide strategic, development, and consultative services to clients seeking innovative design solutions that are ready for the real world.
Technology is powering the future.
Novel products and devices are leveraging the power of technology, the cloud and AI to change our daily lives. Change is disrupting old industries and creating new ones. It is time to reimagine your product’s future state.
Diatomic Product Development is a Seattle-based product development firm providing world-class integrated industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics, firmware, and system verification services.
We turn ideas into products.
Industries We Serve
Our Capabilities
Product Development
Prototype Development
Industrial Design
Hardware Design
Electronics & PCB Design
Software & Firmware Design
Product Development
We believe that great products emerge when all disciplines work together from the start. This integrated approach reduces risk, compresses timelines, and results in products that are both elegant and engineered for real-world use.
Our end-to-end capabilities include:
- Product definition, feasibility, and system architecture
- Industrial design concept ideation and development
- Mechanical design and systems integration
- Electronics design, PCB development, and power systems
- Embedded firmware and connected IoT integration
- System-level testing, verification, and regulatory compliance
- Manufacturing transfer and supporting engineering
Prototype Development
Rapid, well-executed prototyping is essential to transforming concepts into reliable products. Our prototype development process emphasizes speed, technical rigor, and system-level validation. This enables teams to evaluate design decisions early, reduce technical and business risk, and accelerate progress toward production-ready solutions.
By combining our engineering expertise with a responsive team of manufacturing partners and test capabilities, we work with clients to build prototypes with varying degrees of maturity. And quickly assess product concepts and key technologies. Common prototype maturity ranges from simple form models and technology demonstrators to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and fully functional engineering verification prototypes.
Capabilities include:Â
- Rapid prototyping of mechanical, electronic, and integrated systems
- CNC machining, additive manufacturing, sheet metal, and soft tooling
- Electronics prototyping; PCBs, wiring harnesses, and embedded systems integration
- Integration of optics, fluidics, motion systems, and electro-mechanical assemblies
- Test fixture development and instrumentation for engineering test and validation
- Prototypes for thermal, electrical, mechanical, and user interaction testing
- Iterative prototype refinement based on testing and engineering evaluation
- Support for pilot builds, EVT/DVT prototype phases, and early manufacturing
Industrial Design
Design sits at the intersection of art, engineering, and human behavior, shaping how a product looks, feels, works, and is understood by the user. Our design team transforms concepts into physical experiences that connect people to technology. We specialize in form development, ergonomics, and user-centered design, creating products that are intuitive, visually distinctive, and ready for production refinement.
Core skills:Â
- Concept sketching and 3D form exploration
- CMF (color, material, finish) development
- UI development, wireframes and workflow
- Human factors and user interaction studies
- Form models, mockups, and prototypes
Hardware Design
Mechanical engineers translate ideas into physical and functional products. Our engineers turn industrial design and system concepts into manufacturable hardware. We specialize in integrated systems design, enclosures, complex mechanisms, precision parts and assemblies. Including structural, thermal, and ergonomic optimization for production-scale manufacturing.
Core skills:Â
- CAD design – SolidWorks and CREO
- Enclosures, mechanisms and fluidics systems
- Electronics packaging and integration
- Structural analysis and thermal management
- Drawings and tolerance analysis
- DFM/DFA and materials selection
- Functional prototypes – build and test
Electronics & PCB Design
Where ideas gain power and products gain purpose. Our electrical engineers design the circuitry and power systems that bring products to life, from low-power IoT devices to complex medical instruments. We ensure every board and subsystem is optimized for performance, safety, and manufacturability.
Core skills:
- Electronics architecture development
- Analog, digital, mixed high/low power design
- Processing and control systems (MCUs, SoCs, FPGAs)
- Power architecture (battery, charging, protection)
- Signal integrity, RF modules and wireless systems
- Schematic capture and design
- Component Placement & Routing
- Single, double, and multi-layer PCBs
- Rigid, Flex, and Rigid-Flex PCB
- EMC/EMI compliance, and verification testing
Software & Embedded FirmwareÂ
Software engineers create the digital logic, behaviors, and user interactions that bring a product to life. Our firmware team bridges hardware and functionality. We develop efficient, reliable embedded software that enables sensing, connectivity, and control. This is the intelligence behind modern products.
Core skills:
- Embedded firmware and bare metal
- Real-Time Operating SystemsÂ
- Sensors, actuators, displays and user interfaces
- Digital signal analysis and processing,
- Wireless integration (BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular)
- Power management and rechargeable systems
- Device drivers, peripherals and bootloaders
- Unit testing, verification and validation
We blend design, engineering, and business strategy to create breakout products.
Your Design Partner
We provide strategic, development, and consultative services to clients seeking innovative product design solutions.Â
We offer comprehensive systems solutions as well as individualized services ranging from product opportunity and strategy, to design and development, through manufacturing transfer and product launch.
Our team of experienced designers, engineers and project managers provide agile and responsive product development services, with years of experience helping clients meet their product and business goals.
Clients benefit from a convergence of design and engineering skill sets which fosters creativity, reduces time-to-market and delivers the most compelling product solution to the marketplace.
Our Approach
LISTEN AND LEARN
Our approach is simple: understand the user’s needs and create meaningful, purpose-driven products that connect technology with the user at both a functional and visceral level to achieve business success.
DELIVER AND DELIGHT
Our product development approach is based on years of working with clients just like you. We scale our approach to align with your technical and business goals.
& Strategy
In the first phase, we define the market opportunity and align business strategy with customer needs. By exploring the competitive landscape and clarifying the value proposition, we create a clear vision and roadmap for development.
Research
& Define
Next, we bring clarity to concepts and requirements while exploring key technologies. Preliminary designs are shaped, tested for feasibility, and refined into product definitions that set the foundation for successful development.
Architect
& Iterate
From there, we establish product architecture and test ideas through rapid prototyping. Each iteration helps evaluate risk, optimize design, and ensure manufacturability, bringing the concept closer to a viable, scalable product.
& Manufacture
Finally, we move into detailed design, building functional prototypes to confirm fit, function, and performance. Once verified, the design transfers to manufacturing, where early production begins and the product comes to life.
People we've had the honor to work with
Our Work
Automated Cell Therapy Manufacturing Platform
Child Monitoring Wearable
Electric Outboard Power Electronics
Visual Countdown Timer
Secure Restaurant Payment System
FACSseqâ„¢ Cell Sorter
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Diatomic’s product development approach different from other design firms?
Experience Matters
Diatomic combines system-level engineering leadership with structured, collaborative execution to bring complex products to market with clarity and confidence. We work closely with our clients’ teams, aligning goals, strategy, engineering, and execution.
Many firms focus primarily on industrial design or early-stage prototyping. Diatomic combines experienced specialists in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics, firmware, and systems integration. We work collaboratively across disciplines to design fully integrated systems, reducing downstream integration risk and minimizing costly redesign cycles.
From early strategy and prototyping through production release, we align technical architecture, regulatory considerations, manufacturability, and business objectives through disciplined collaboration and transparent decision-making.
We believe strong products emerge when engineering rigor and strategic partnership operate together. That means:
- Architectural Clarity– System-level thinking that reduces integration risk from the outset.
- Integrated Multidisciplinary Teams– Mechanical, electrical, firmware, and industrial design working as one.
- Production-Focused Execution– Designs engineered for reliability, scalability, and manufacturability.
- Structured Collaboration– Defined milestones, cross-functional working sessions, proactive risk communication and transparent communication.
- Shared Accountability– We align with your goals and take ownership of outcomes, not just deliverables.
The result is more than a prototype — it is a commercially viable, production-ready product platform delivered through a partnership built on technical depth, transparency, and trust.
How does Diatomic handle highly regulated industries such as medical or life sciences?
Diatomic has extensive experience developing products for regulated industries. We don’t treat compliance as an afterthought; it is embedded into the development process that we follow for these types of projects.
Our teams integrate design controls, verification planning, documentation, workflows, and traceability from concept through production to meet FDA, IEC, ISO, and other regulatory requirements.
Our deliverables integrate seamlessly with client Quality Management Systems, supporting Design History Files and regulatory filings.
How does Diatomic ensure that a product design will be manufacturable at scale?
Manufacturability is a core design consideration from project inception. As the design matures, we incorporate manufacturing features to support the anticipated production volumes (e.g. drafts). We develop detailed tolerance analysis, conduct DFM/DFA reviews, engage with suppliers and toolers early, prepare drawings and work instructions, and develop production transfer plans that reduce iterations and tooling risk, ultimately shortening lead times and improving yield.
Can Diatomic support projects that have significant embedded software and connectivity requirements?
Unlike many traditional design firms, embedded firmware and software development is a core capability within our team. In today’s connected world, hardware and software are inseparable. Treating these disciplines independently often leads to integration challenges, unclear ownership, and late-stage performance issues.
Our integrated engineering teams’ architect and develop hardware and software concurrently as a unified system. This approach reduces integration risk, accelerates development cycles, and delivers robust, reliable performance for IoT, embedded, connected, and real-time control applications.
What is Diatomic’s strategy for balancing innovation with schedule and budget discipline?
Our project managers work closely with your leadership and technical teams to define clear objectives, scope, milestones, and measurable success criteria – balancing innovation with schedule and budget discipline.
We use a structured, phase-based development model (Discover → Define → Design → Develop → Deliver) that promotes rapid learning through controlled design iteration and milestone-driven decision-making. Early feasibility prototypes and focused design cycles reduce technical uncertainty, de-risk investment decisions, and keep development aligned with commercial objectives.
Who owns the intellectual property created during a Diatomic engagement?
Clients retain full ownership of all intellectual property unless otherwise agreed. We work transparently with your legal and business teams to ensure IP assignments, licensing, and confidentiality align with your strategic goals.
How does Diatomic engage with in-house teams or external partners?
Our teams integrate seamlessly with your internal engineers, designers, and stakeholders, and we coordinate effectively with external manufacturers, contract labs, and certification bodies. We scale our project team to align with your team and overall project goals. Open communication and clear responsibility matrices are part of our core project management approach.
What level of documentation will I receive for regulatory submission or manufacturing transition?
You’ll receive complete engineering design documentation, including CAD files, electronics design files (schematic/layout/gerbers files), source code, binary/executable files, libraries, BOMs, assembly drawings, verification plans, test protocols, risk assessments, and traceable version histories designed to support regulatory filings, supplier handoffs, and future design iterations.
How does Diatomic mitigate technical risk on complex or unprecedented product challenges?
Anticipating and mitigating risk is a priority. Our project managers work with the development team to identify and manage risk during every phase of development. We believe that actively managing technical and project risk is central to successful product delivery.
Technical risk is addressed systematically through early feasibility studies and technology demonstration of higher risk elements and key subsystems. We conduct risk assessments and prepare mitigation strategies, build and test prototypes, conduct module-level testing, and develop staged verification strategies. We aim to decompose high-risk elements early and verify the approach and design before significant design commitment or tooling costs.
What types of companies and product challenges does Diatomic typically serve?
We partner with entrepreneurs, startups, mid-size innovators, and enterprise organizations developing complex hardware products — from medical devices, life sciences and scientific instruments to advanced consumer and industrial systems that require deep hardware and software engineering integration and commercialization support.
Which companies have chosen to work with Diatomic?
Our team has had the honor to partner with organizations ranging from venture-backed startups to global enterprises. Representative clients include Astronics, Dell, Ford, Gates Foundation, Hewlett-Packard, Pure Watercraft, Novo Nordisk, and Samsung, as well as a wide range of start-ups, research institutions and product teams operating under confidentiality.
How does Diatomic Product Development leverage AI tools?
Diatomic leverages AI tools to accelerate development cycles, improve communication, reduce ambiguity, and help our client partners make better decisions faster. Our multidisciplinary engineering team uses AI as a powerful co-pilot for activities ranging from product architecture and technology evaluation to firmware development, testing, and debugging support. Combined with deep engineering expertise and a structured product development process, AI enables faster execution, higher-quality deliverables, and more efficient commercialization of complex products.