What do you need from me to get started?

We require a clear project brief including sketches, reference images, dimensions, and functional requirements. Please also specify your intended manufacturing method and target budget to ensure we engineer the product correctly from day one.

Is the cost of the physical prototype included in your packages?

No. Our fees cover the engineering design, 3D modeling, simulation, and technical documentation. We provide the manufacturing-ready files (DFM) you need to send to a prototyping facility or manufacturer.

What if I don't like the initial design?

This is why our workflow includes a dedicated "Concept & Ideation" phase. We present initial directions for your approval before beginning detailed engineering. This ensures the final output aligns perfectly with your vision.

Why should I choose you over a cheaper designer?

We are degreed engineers, not just 3D modelers. We ensure your product is physically viable, manufacturable, and mechanically sound. Investing in professional engineering now prevents expensive re-tooling errors during manufacturing.

Do you provide Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)?

Yes. We respect client confidentiality and are fully willing to sign an NDA before discussing your intellectual property or project details.

What file formats will I receive?

You will receive industry-standard 3D source files and 2D technical drawings ready for manufacturers.

Can you help me find a manufacturer?

While we do not handle manufacturing in-house, we provide comprehensive manufacturing support. We can recommend vetted partners and communicate with vendors to ensure your technical drawings are understood.

Do you only work with clients in Miami?

No. Sebar Design works remotely with startups and businesses across the United States. Our team is based in Miami, FL and Boston, MA, and all engineering deliverables (CAD files, technical drawings, and simulation reports) are delivered digitally, so location is never a barrier to working together.

What is a fractional product designer or engineer?

A fractional product designer or engineer provides senior-level mechanical engineering and industrial design expertise on an as-needed basis, without the cost of a full-time hire. It is the right fit for startups and small businesses that need to take a product from concept to a manufacturable, market-ready design without building an in-house engineering team.

Who is Sebar Design a good fit for?

Sebar Design is built for founders, startups, and small-to-medium businesses anywhere in the United States who need an experienced product designer or mechanical engineer to turn an idea into a manufacturable product, but are not ready to hire a full-time engineering team.

Sebar Design

Sebar Design is a fractional engineering consultant and industrial design studio based in the Miami Design District, Miami, FL. We serve as a fractional technical co-founder for startups and established businesses, bridging the gap between abstract product ideas and manufacturable, market-ready reality. We specialize in mechanical engineering, industrial design, CFD/FEA simulation, and precision prototyping.

Services

Technical Strategy & Fractional Leadership: Acting as your fractional technical co-founder: feasibility assessments, manufacturing roadmaps, and vendor sourcing for startups building physical products.
Mechanical Design & Engineering: Professional mechanical engineering including complex assembly design and structural optimization.
Industrial Design: User-centered industrial design focusing on ergonomics, aesthetics, and manufacturability.
Rapid Prototyping & CNC: Functional and aesthetic prototyping using SLA, FDM, and precision metal CNC machining.
FEA & CFD Simulation: Advanced structural and thermal simulation to validate designs before production.

Selected Work

The Sebar Monocoque (Automotive Design): A minimalist, performance-focused car body designed via CFD and validated through 3D printed prototypes.
The Electric Guitar (Product Design): A study in ergonomic form and acoustic sustain, redefining the connection between player and instrument.
The Heat Exchanger (Fluid & Thermodynamics): A 3D-printed copper heat exchanger using triply periodic minimal surface geometry to manage high thermal loads.
The Reverse Engineer (Furniture Design): A rapid reverse-engineering project delivering production-ready manufacturing files for a commercial furniture factory in a 72-hour sprint.

Studio

We operate through a structured process: Discovery & User Insight, Concept Development & Ideation, Prototyping & Iteration, and Finalization & Production Support, handing over 3D models, manufacturing drawings, and full production support at the end of every engagement.

Contact

Email: hello@sebardesign.com
Location: Miami Design District, Miami, FL 33137

Start With the Brief, Not the CAD

December 10, 2025

Every project that has gone sideways on us had the same thing in common. We started modeling before we knew what we were building.

It is tempting. A client sends a sketch, we get excited, and the CAD is open before the call is over. A week later we have a beautiful model of the wrong product. It fits a part the client never mentioned, uses a process they cannot afford, or solves a problem the end user does not actually have.

What we ask for now

Before any geometry gets made, we want five things on paper:

Sketches or reference images, even rough ones. A napkin drawing tells us more than a paragraph.
Critical dimensions. What has to fit in a hand, a pocket, a car, or around an existing part.
Functional requirements. What it has to do, how often, and in what conditions.
Intended manufacturing method. Injection molded, machined, printed, sewn. If you do not know yet, that is fine, but we need to talk about it.
Target budget, both for development and for unit cost at volume.

The last two are the ones people skip, and they are the ones that matter most. A part designed for injection molding looks different from the same part designed for CNC. A low target unit cost rules out a lot of ideas early, which is exactly when you want to rule them out.

Why it saves money

A brief feels like paperwork. It is actually the cheapest engineering you will ever buy. Changing a requirement on day one costs a conversation. Changing it after tooling is cut can cost thousands of dollars and weeks of schedule.

It also keeps both sides honest. When a client asks for a change halfway through, we can look at the brief together and decide if it is a new requirement or a clarification of an old one. That one habit has prevented more awkward conversations than anything else we do.

The takeaway

Slow down for an hour at the start. Write down what the product has to do, who uses it, how it gets made, and what it can cost. Then open the CAD. You will get to a finished product faster, not slower.