About the job
I designed a custom wireless gaming mouse myself, board and shell, and the current shell exists as clean watertight STLs that print and assemble. The attached images show this current prototype from several angles plus an annotated view of its internal frame. The prototype works, but it is the starting point, not the target: the redesign replaces its pattern with the design language below. I am now commissioning a designer to rebuild that shell as a proper parametric model and develop it into a refined openwork design, in clearly separated fixed-price phases with my review at every step. The electronics are mine and are NOT part of this job. A final paid fit phase happens later, once the board is final.
WHAT YOU WILL WORK WITH
The hired designer receives a complete package: five watertight STLs in one shared coordinate frame (top cover, chassis plate, main buttons, side buttons, wheel), a written design brief, direction notes with the design language, an annotated view of the internal frame with measured coordinates, and reference photos. Files are not attached publicly; they go to the designer I hire.
THE DESIGN LANGUAGE, in short (full notes ship with the files)
The governing principle is minimalism: as little shell material as possible, held to exactly two constraints, structural rigidity and beauty. Every member must earn its place by doing one of those jobs; anything that does neither gets deleted.
Concretely: the current shell set is about 27 g as printed...
read more
I designed a custom wireless gaming mouse myself, board and shell, and the current shell exists as clean watertight STLs that print and assemble. The attached images show this current prototype from several angles plus an annotated view of its internal frame. The prototype works, but it is the starting point, not the target: the redesign replaces its pattern with the design language below. I am now commissioning a designer to rebuild that shell as a proper parametric model and develop it into a refined openwork design, in clearly separated fixed-price phases with my review at every step. The electronics are mine and are NOT part of this job. A final paid fit phase happens later, once the board is final.
WHAT YOU WILL WORK WITH
The hired designer receives a complete package: five watertight STLs in one shared coordinate frame (top cover, chassis plate, main buttons, side buttons, wheel), a written design brief, direction notes with the design language, an annotated view of the internal frame with measured coordinates, and reference photos. Files are not attached publicly; they go to the designer I hire.
THE DESIGN LANGUAGE, in short (full notes ship with the files)
The governing principle is minimalism: as little shell material as possible, held to exactly two constraints, structural rigidity and beauty. Every member must earn its place by doing one of those jobs; anything that does neither gets deleted.
Concretely: the current shell set is about 27 g as printed; the redesign targets a shell set under 18 g in magnesium for a roughly 35 g complete build, with under 13 g as the stretch goal.
Engineered openwork. A rhythmic web that flows with the shell's curvature and grades tighter until it fades into solid, never a uniform punched grid. Completely solid under the fingertips and at the palm ridge; other contact zones, including the thumb side, may carry the pattern if every edge is rounded and it feels natural in the grip. Clean load paths, no pinch points, no sharp interior corners. No visible fasteners on top or sides, assembly from below. Matte surfaces, no logos, nothing decorative. The internals are partly visible through the openings and are treated as part of the look.
One thing is fixed: the outer ergonomic shape. The envelope is 62.0 x 121.4 x 37.4 mm and the hand-facing form in the provided files is validated and must be preserved. The pattern, structure and internals are yours to develop with me.
HOW WE WORK
I am a hands-on client. I review working CAD screenshots (no marketing renders needed), reply within a day or two with marked-up images, and I expect changes. Nothing is approved on trust: every phase has measurable acceptance checks that I verify on the actual files before releasing the milestone, and the printable phase gets physically printed and tested in real hands before refinement begins.
PHASES, each a fixed-price milestone funded one at a time through escrow
Phase 1, parametric rebuild + design pass. Rebuild the STLs as a clean parametric master (STEP + your native files) and develop one openwork direction with me from my direction notes, with weight estimates in magnesium and carbon. Includes up to three revision passes within the phase; further passes are quoted separately.
Accepted when: the model regenerates cleanly, the hand-facing surface matches the provided shape where solid, every interface position below still holds, and the weight estimates are reported against the targets in the brief. Lightweight is a design requirement here, not a preference.
Phase 2, printable test version. Per-part watertight STLs for SLS nylon, minimum 0.8 mm walls and 1.2 mm struts, print orientation notes, and an assembly STEP proving the parts nest without interference.
Accepted when: the files pass automated mesh checks (watertight, single body per part, minimum feature sizes, interface positions), part volumes and predicted masses are reported per material, and the print goes to real users. Includes up to two revision passes to reach printability. I order and pay for the SLS prints myself.
Phase 3, refinement + manufacturing files. Up to two refinement rounds from the print testing, then both material variants fully detailed, CNC magnesium and carbon composite, with dimensioned drawings that machine shops and composite shops can quote from directly.
Accepted when: the refined print passes the same automated checks as Phase 2, and the drawing set carries complete dimensions, tolerances, material and finish callouts and fastener specifications. The practical test: I send the drawings to machine and composite shops for quotes, and they can quote without asking for missing information.
Phase 4, final fit integration, later and separately paid. Once my electronics are final I supply the board STEP plus battery, switch, encoder and fastener dimensions, and we do one final round adjusting bosses, pockets and clearances so every purchased part drops into the shell. Accepted on a zero-interference digital assembly, then the physical print accepting the real parts.
FIXED INTERFACES the design must keep (coordinate frame: sensor centre = origin, +Y toward the nose, Z = 0 at the mousepad; full dimensional notes ship with the files)
Main switch plungers at (+/-13, 40), z 10.9, pressed through posts whose height is a named parameter. Side switch tips near x -23 at y 9 and y 21, z 5.8, as an engineered cap system. 18 mm wheel at (0, 26), axle z 10.4, with a far-side support. Sensor window x +/-11, y +/-10, fully open. USB-C tunnel 13 x 7 mm at the nose, port centre z 5. PCB standoffs with tops at z 2.4. Battery bay x +/-8, y -53 to -24, z 1.8 to 7. An internal frame ties the button anchors into the shell; measured coordinates and an annotated view are in the package. These interface positions are contractual for every phase: my electronics will be designed to this same table, which is what keeps the final fit phase a single round.
OWNERSHIP AND FILES
All work product and design rights transfer to me as each milestone is paid. Native CAD files (your working format) plus STEP are delivered at EVERY milestone, not held to the end of the job. The package I send and the work we produce are confidential to this engagement and may not be shared or reused. Portfolio use is welcome once the product is public, or 12 months after final payment, whichever comes first; before that, ask me for written approval.
WHO I AM LOOKING FOR
Parametric CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, Fusion 360 or NX), STEP deliverables, and real design-for-manufacture experience. Handheld or consumer product work is a strong plus. Please apply with: which phases you are quoting, a fixed price and timeline for each, the software you would use, and one example of a handheld product or an enclosure around electronics that you personally engineered.
PRICING
I am not setting a budget. Quote your own FIXED price for each phase; your numbers are part of how I choose between applicants. Payment is milestone escrow, one phase funded at a time, released on acceptance. Hourly applications will not be considered, and lump-sum quotes without a per-phase breakdown will not be considered either.
read less
I designed a custom wireless gaming mouse myself, board and shell, and the current shell exists as clean watertight STLs that print and assemble. The attached images show this current prototype from several angles plus an annotated view of its internal frame. The prototype works, but it is the starting point, not the target: the redesign replaces its pattern with the design language below. I am no...
read more
I designed a custom wireless gaming mouse myself, board and shell, and the current shell exists as clean watertight STLs that print and assemble. The attached images show this current prototype from several angles plus an annotated view of its internal frame. The prototype works, but it is the starting point, not the target: the redesign replaces its pattern with the design language below. I am now commissioning a designer to rebuild that shell as a proper parametric model and develop it into a refined openwork design, in clearly separated fixed-price phases with my review at every step. The electronics are mine and are NOT part of this job. A final paid fit phase happens later, once the board is final.
WHAT YOU WILL WORK WITH
The hired designer receives a complete package: five watertight STLs in one shared coordinate frame (top cover, chassis plate, main buttons, side buttons, wheel), a written design brief, direction notes with the design language, an annotated view of the internal frame with measured coordinates, and reference photos. Files are not attached publicly; they go to the designer I hire.
THE DESIGN LANGUAGE, in short (full notes ship with the files)
The governing principle is minimalism: as little shell material as possible, held to exactly two constraints, structural rigidity and beauty. Every member must earn its place by doing one of those jobs; anything that does neither gets deleted.
Concretely: the current shell set is about 27 g as printed; the redesign targets a shell set under 18 g in magnesium for a roughly 35 g complete build, with under 13 g as the stretch goal.
Engineered openwork. A rhythmic web that flows with the shell's curvature and grades tighter until it fades into solid, never a uniform punched grid. Completely solid under the fingertips and at the palm ridge; other contact zones, including the thumb side, may carry the pattern if every edge is rounded and it feels natural in the grip. Clean load paths, no pinch points, no sharp interior corners. No visible fasteners on top or sides, assembly from below. Matte surfaces, no logos, nothing decorative. The internals are partly visible through the openings and are treated as part of the look.
One thing is fixed: the outer ergonomic shape. The envelope is 62.0 x 121.4 x 37.4 mm and the hand-facing form in the provided files is validated and must be preserved. The pattern, structure and internals are yours to develop with me.
HOW WE WORK
I am a hands-on client. I review working CAD screenshots (no marketing renders needed), reply within a day or two with marked-up images, and I expect changes. Nothing is approved on trust: every phase has measurable acceptance checks that I verify on the actual files before releasing the milestone, and the printable phase gets physically printed and tested in real hands before refinement begins.
PHASES, each a fixed-price milestone funded one at a time through escrow
Phase 1, parametric rebuild + design pass. Rebuild the STLs as a clean parametric master (STEP + your native files) and develop one openwork direction with me from my direction notes, with weight estimates in magnesium and carbon. Includes up to three revision passes within the phase; further passes are quoted separately.
Accepted when: the model regenerates cleanly, the hand-facing surface matches the provided shape where solid, every interface position below still holds, and the weight estimates are reported against the targets in the brief. Lightweight is a design requirement here, not a preference.
Phase 2, printable test version. Per-part watertight STLs for SLS nylon, minimum 0.8 mm walls and 1.2 mm struts, print orientation notes, and an assembly STEP proving the parts nest without interference.
Accepted when: the files pass automated mesh checks (watertight, single body per part, minimum feature sizes, interface positions), part volumes and predicted masses are reported per material, and the print goes to real users. Includes up to two revision passes to reach printability. I order and pay for the SLS prints myself.
Phase 3, refinement + manufacturing files. Up to two refinement rounds from the print testing, then both material variants fully detailed, CNC magnesium and carbon composite, with dimensioned drawings that machine shops and composite shops can quote from directly.
Accepted when: the refined print passes the same automated checks as Phase 2, and the drawing set carries complete dimensions, tolerances, material and finish callouts and fastener specifications. The practical test: I send the drawings to machine and composite shops for quotes, and they can quote without asking for missing information.
Phase 4, final fit integration, later and separately paid. Once my electronics are final I supply the board STEP plus battery, switch, encoder and fastener dimensions, and we do one final round adjusting bosses, pockets and clearances so every purchased part drops into the shell. Accepted on a zero-interference digital assembly, then the physical print accepting the real parts.
FIXED INTERFACES the design must keep (coordinate frame: sensor centre = origin, +Y toward the nose, Z = 0 at the mousepad; full dimensional notes ship with the files)
Main switch plungers at (+/-13, 40), z 10.9, pressed through posts whose height is a named parameter. Side switch tips near x -23 at y 9 and y 21, z 5.8, as an engineered cap system. 18 mm wheel at (0, 26), axle z 10.4, with a far-side support. Sensor window x +/-11, y +/-10, fully open. USB-C tunnel 13 x 7 mm at the nose, port centre z 5. PCB standoffs with tops at z 2.4. Battery bay x +/-8, y -53 to -24, z 1.8 to 7. An internal frame ties the button anchors into the shell; measured coordinates and an annotated view are in the package. These interface positions are contractual for every phase: my electronics will be designed to this same table, which is what keeps the final fit phase a single round.
OWNERSHIP AND FILES
All work product and design rights transfer to me as each milestone is paid. Native CAD files (your working format) plus STEP are delivered at EVERY milestone, not held to the end of the job. The package I send and the work we produce are confidential to this engagement and may not be shared or reused. Portfolio use is welcome once the product is public, or 12 months after final payment, whichever comes first; before that, ask me for written approval.
WHO I AM LOOKING FOR
Parametric CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, Fusion 360 or NX), STEP deliverables, and real design-for-manufacture experience. Handheld or consumer product work is a strong plus. Please apply with: which phases you are quoting, a fixed price and timeline for each, the software you would use, and one example of a handheld product or an enclosure around electronics that you personally engineered.
PRICING
I am not setting a budget. Quote your own FIXED price for each phase; your numbers are part of how I choose between applicants. Payment is milestone escrow, one phase funded at a time, released on acceptance. Hourly applications will not be considered, and lump-sum quotes without a per-phase breakdown will not be considered either.
read less