Brief and prototype

The Start of Development 

Brief and prototype

Product development starts with a brief; in our company this often is something like: “Is it possible to develop a vegan cupcake with 4-6 months shelf life” or “what is the maximum amount of fibre we can put in a cookie of biscuit, without compromising too much on taste and texture”. As a knowledge company we are more interested in either the technical solution (which might not be economical at that moment) or something for personal use (e.g. high fibre cookies you bring along to compensate for energy dense foods when traveling).

Briefs we receive from clients are more often: “we need to extend our shelf life to 3 months for this product”, “we want to create a private label alternative for this product of brand ‘X’”, “can we reduce sugar/ salt content by x% or more without affecting shelf life and keeping texture and taste (as much the same as possible)”, etc. Some specify ingredients, (intended use of) processes and equipment; others rely on input or suggestions from our experts. In the latter case, depending on the product and the intended production volume we can define already some, others require a slightly different approach and become clear in a secondary stage of development.

To make sure that we are on the same page as developers with our clients we intent to work to a prototype or proof of concept; not perfect but shows the intended brief is feasible or not and if not, what directions we require to adjust the brief. If all parties can agree on that we can continue with the true development stage

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