Prototype locally or with a Chinese factory?
Prototype locally when the main uncertainty is how the product should work and you need hands-on feedback. Use the intended Chinese factory when the main uncertainty is how it will be manufactured. A local concept followed by factory development can suit both needs. Coordinate the factory stage with Cambridge China Bridge.
Choose around the question the prototype must answer
Write down what you need to learn: user comfort, fit, mechanism performance, appearance or manufacturing feasibility. If you still need to watch users handle the product and change its basic layout, local development can make feedback easier. If the design is settled but material choice, assembly or tooling remains uncertain, involve the intended production factory.
You can also develop the concept locally while asking the factory to review manufacturing constraints before detailed design is fixed. Give both parties the same brief and identify who updates the drawings. Use how to write a product specification to define the brief rather than treating a physical model as the entire instruction.
Compare the complete revision cycle
Local development can shorten the feedback loop when you can visit, handle the model and discuss changes directly with the engineer. Factory development can shorten it when revisions depend on the factory's materials, equipment or assembly knowledge. Location alone does not establish speed: check engineering availability, subcontracting, material access and how feedback will be handled.
Ask each provider to describe the route from your comments to a revised sample, including engineering review, fabrication, dispatch and your evaluation. Agree which checks can use photographs or demonstrations and which need a physical sample. Keep consolidated revision instructions; stopping endless sample revisions covers revision control in more detail.
| Route | Useful when | Main question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Local prototype | You need direct user observation and frequent design discussion | Can the factory reproduce it using the intended process? |
| Intended production factory | Materials, tooling or assembly drive the design | Does its sample actually represent the proposed production route? |
| Local concept, then factory development | User needs and manufacturing feasibility both need work | Who translates the concept into a manufacturable design? |
Check manufacturing relevance before choosing
A local model may demonstrate shape or function using methods unsuitable for the intended production route. A factory sample may also use hand finishing or substitute materials. Ask either provider to identify these differences, explain why they were necessary and describe what will change in production. Treat appearance, functional performance and manufacturing relevance as separate review questions.
Ask the intended factory to review the local model and drawings before quoting production. Request proposed design changes with their reasons and effects on function, appearance and testing. For a factory-led route, establish which engineering and sample work happens there and which is subcontracted. The new product introduction guide covers later pilot and production release decisions.
Specify deliverables you can hand over
Request the physical sample, editable design files, exchange files, dimensioned drawings, BOM, material specifications and a record of tests and unresolved issues, as relevant to the product. Ask for file formats and release dates before commissioning work. For electronics, include the relevant circuit, firmware and programming information. A model or rendered image alone may leave another provider unable to continue development.
For UK-commissioned copyright work, do not assume payment transfers ownership: commissioning can leave you with a limited licence rather than ownership. Agree ownership, permitted use, modification and handover separately from delivery of the sample. Use factory files and development handover to prepare questions for factory work; obtain appropriate advice on the terms.
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Compare development quotations on the same scope
Send the same brief and deliverables list to each provider. Ask for separate descriptions of design work, sample fabrication, tooling, testing, delivery and handover. Identify included revisions, exclusions, buyer inputs and the approval needed for additional work. Compare the cost of reaching the same agreed outcome, including transfer and factory redesign where relevant.
Keep development charges distinct from the indicative production quotation. Ask whether any development charge is credited against a production order and what conditions apply. Identify assumptions about materials, process and order size, and when the production price will be reviewed. Choose the route after reviewing scope, engineering access and usable deliverables, then authorise only the agreed development work.
Frequently asked questions
Should I make a prototype before contacting Chinese factories?
Contact suitable factories early if manufacturing constraints could change the design. You can develop the concept locally while asking the intended factory to review materials, assembly and tooling.
Is local prototyping faster than using a Chinese factory?
It can be when hands-on feedback drives revisions. Factory development can be quicker when changes depend on its process knowledge. Compare engineering availability and the complete revision cycle.
Can a Chinese factory copy my UK prototype?
Ask it to assess the model and drawings, identify differences from its production process and propose changes. Agree what must remain unchanged and approve deviations before development continues.
What should a prototype development quote include?
Ask for the design scope, sample methods, included revisions, tooling, tests, delivery, file handover, exclusions and additional-work approval. Keep production pricing and any development credit conditions separate.