Frequently Asked Questions

Quotes are free. Send us a message or call (855) IDEAS-GO and describe your idea and where it stands — a napkin sketch is a perfectly good starting point. We'll tell you honestly what your project needs next and what it will take to get there.

Instead of hiring separate firms for engineering, branding, and manufacturing support, we take your concept through our seven-stage process — idea, research, business assessment, beta phase, market testing, build, and distribution — as far as you want to go. You can also engage us for any single service along the way.

Smaller jobs run on simple hourly service packs that cover mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, and brand marketing. Larger projects get a defined scope and development plan agreed before work begins.

No. Design work — CAD, PCB layout, branding — is done and reviewed digitally, so we work with inventors and businesses wherever they are. Being in the San Francisco Bay Area simply means we're close to a deep bench of fabricators and suppliers.

You do. Upon project completion the design data — drawings, CAD models, PCB files — is yours unless otherwise contractually agreed. We may reserve the right to display non-IP-related material for marketing purposes.

We take confidentiality seriously — our business depends on inventors trusting us with unprotected ideas. Tell us only what you're comfortable sharing in the first contact, and we'll gladly discuss confidentiality arrangements before you disclose the details. See also the Patents discussion on our About page for when formal protection makes sense.

Quality is our number one goal — we go the extra distance to see our work help your product succeed. And we can go much further than branding your product: just look at our other services.

• Logo Package A: 3 different logo designs with up to 5 revisions included
• Logo Package B: 3 different logo designs with up to 10 revisions included
• Brand Guidelines Package: a complete package covering your logo, color, and typography guides
• Stationery Design Package: letterhead, envelopes, notepads, and business cards

Yes — a brand is more than just a logo. Your brand is the main vehicle by which you communicate with your customers, encompassing every touch point from packaging to social media. Brand identity is the visual basis of your brand: it's how customers connect with — and emotionally attach to — your company and products.

Brand guidelines are a set of standards for consistent use of your logo and brand identity — the type, colors, and shapes used when presenting your product or company. Keeping it all in one coherent package maintains brand identity and sets your brand apart.

No. Typically the logo is the graphic and the tagline is a brief statement about the brand or product. Think of McDonald's golden arches (logo) versus "I'm lovin' it" (tagline).

Computer monitors display color in RGB while most printers print in CMYK, so what you see on screen can differ from print. Our brand guidelines packages account for both.

We can put your logo on business cards, magnets, notepads, and more.

Yes. Once you purchase your logo, you have the rights to use it just about any way you wish. For legal specifics, see our terms of service.

Yes. Your logo is a unique combination of icon, text, company name, spacing, and colors, so it is very likely you can trademark it for your industry.

We provide the embedded digital design and full printed circuit board (PCB) layout that typical electronic engineers provide — but Launching Ideas goes beyond that with a full turn-key solution for your product.

Yes! An embedded system is a basic computer system with a few dedicated tasks, electrical or mechanical. Many products benefit from embedded control — from playing music to controlling your car.

We currently use Altium Designer.

Yes — after the design is approved, all PCB data is yours unless otherwise contractually bound.

We use PIC micro-controllers. In production environments we've found PIC to be the most readily available chips around — no more being stuck due to sole sourcing or production under-runs.

Absolutely. Membrane switches are a simple way to add a user interface to an electrical system. We prefer creating a whole integrated product so brand guidelines are adhered to and the user experience is maximized.

Field Programmable Gate Arrays are very powerful devices for embedded systems; we currently do not offer FPGA design, though we intend to move our more complex embedded systems in that direction.

1. Our highest goal is to provide top quality design and see you succeed
2. We are strategic and act quickly
3. You have the same engineer from start to finish
4. No project is too small

Of course — cost is determined by the size and volume of the print.

You're never left wondering where things stand: we hold regular design reviews as the project develops, share models and drawings for your comments, and the same engineer who started your project is the one answering your emails. If you want to see or influence something mid-stream, just ask.

Yes. Upon project completion the data is yours. We may reserve some rights to display non-IP-related material for marketing purposes.

Our engineers want your input on designs — you see how the project develops and help ensure you get what you want.

Simple projects can go into manufacturing immediately upon agreement. More involved projects may require rapid prototypes for sanity checks and cosmetic or market evaluation. Regardless, if you want a prototype out of sequence, we can make one.

It depends. If intellectual property we rely on for future payment is involved, contractually you are not permitted. If we are strictly providing services and it is your IP, you can — but why risk it?

We do not recommend it — our manufacturers take a very dim view of this.