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Product Futures: a path from discovery to development

Our front-end process - which we call Product Futures - is designed to help brands explore new product opportunities at the earliest stage. It’s a way to test-drive our mutual fit before committing to a full development partnership. It’s offered as a low-risk way to get introduced to the value we can bring to your business.

For some clients, this process serves as a focused strategic engagement.
For others, it becomes the beginning of a deeper collaboration, carrying selected concepts forward into product development and market.

The structure is intentionally designed to support both.

a three-phase relationship

From early exploration to meaningful product partnership. We offer three levels of engagement, with fee structures that correlate to the scope of each project. Full commercial terms available upon request.

  • A focused front-end engagement to identify and visualize promising product directions. We’ve structured this process so the first phase is a paid discovery engagement, and if we identify a strong direction, there’s a clean pathway into exclusivity and product partnership.

    This phase is designed to help clarify:

    • where the opportunity is

    • what categories or typologies are worth exploring

    • what design directions feel both fresh and aligned

    The result is a clear set of concept territories and visualized possibilities for internal discussion and evaluation.

  • For brands that wish to explore a selected direction further, an exclusive option period can be established.

    This creates space for:

    • internal review

    • feasibility assessment

    • strategic alignment

    • next-step planning

    It also creates a more intentional bridge between early exploration and longer-term collaboration.

  • When the right concept emerges, selected directions may continue into a deeper development relationship.

    Depending on the project, this can include:

    • concept refinement

    • product development collaboration

    • launch support

    • long-term licensing or royalty-based partnership

    In this way, our process is designed not only to generate ideas, but to help create a collaborative relationship with real long-term value.

a structured process: from insight to production

01

Research / Insights

Every project begins with understanding context.

This includes reviewing the client’s existing portfolio, identifying gaps, and examining the broader landscape of products, competitors, and adjacent categories. Cultural shifts, material directions, and patterns of use are also considered.

The goal is not simply to gather information, but to identify where meaningful opportunity exists. This phase establishes a clear foundation for what the project should address and why it matters.

02

Ideation

With a clear understanding of opportunity, the process expands.

A wide range of possibilities is explored through sketching, visual studies, and AI-augmented concept generation. This phase is intentionally open and generative, allowing for unexpected connections, new typologies, and formal experimentation.

The aim is to move beyond obvious solutions and develop a field of ideas that are both diverse and conceptually grounded.

03

Evaluation

From this expanded field, the work becomes more focused.

Concepts are reviewed and refined through a combination of design judgment and strategic alignment. Considerations include:

  • relevance to the client’s brand

  • clarity of concept

  • formal strength

  • potential for development and production

This phase is as much about editing as it is about designing. The goal is to identify the ideas that are not only interesting, but worth pursuing.

04

Development

Selected concepts are developed into more resolved product directions.

This may include refinement of form, proportion, and detail, as well as collaboration around materials, construction, and production considerations. The level of development varies depending on the project, from early concept articulation to more advanced stages of design.

The goal is to translate strong ideas into forms that can be realistically brought forward into production, without losing their original clarity and intent.

Past Project

The Theory Collection

A bold reimagining of transit furniture for Landscape Forms.

View Project

  • "In the process of design collaboration, editing and iteration, Scott Klinker and the Landscape Forms design team honed the focus for Theory, and a new guiding mission emerged—enhance the experience of public transit."

    Landscape Forms Blog