Harry W.
Hardware Design Consultant
Tokyo,
Japan
Global rank:
18,206
/
144,982
Skill pts: 5
About
I’m a hardware design consultant helping early-stage physical products move into stable, repeatable production.
By early-stage, I mean products with some technical foundation already in place: a defined product direction, working prototype, MVP, pilot build, field-trial unit, or first production version.
I’m most useful when the next challenge is clarifying what the product must do, how it should behave, how it will be validated, and what needs to change before manufacture.
Many teams can build a prototype that works once. Fewer can prepare that product for manufacturability, reliability, supplier handover, and scale. That’s where I focus.
I support founders, startups, and engineering teams with:
• Product specification and requirements definition
• MVP development, prototyping, and validation
• Hardware system behaviour and design validation
• Cross-functional development with mechanical, electronics, firmware, software, and supplier teams
• Prototype-to-production transition
• Design for Manufacture (DFM)
• Manufacturing readiness reviews
• Supplier coordination and tooling review
• Reliability troubleshooting and failure analysis
• Production ramp preparation
I’ve developed products from concept through MVP, validation, production, and post-production support, including products that moved from early deployed units to thousands in the field and were improved through real-world reliability feedback.
If you need senior hardware/product development judgement before committing more development time, tooling spend, supplier decisions, or production effort, I can help reduce costly redesigns, reliability issues, supplier delays, and avoidable production mistakes.
... more »
« less
By early-stage, I mean products with some technical foundation already in place: a defined product direction, working prototype, MVP, pilot build, field-trial unit, or first production version.
I’m most useful when the next challenge is clarifying what the product must do, how it should behave, how it will be validated, and what needs to change before manufacture.
Many teams can build a prototype that works once. Fewer can prepare that product for manufacturability, reliability, supplier handover, and scale. That’s where I focus.
I support founders, startups, and engineering teams with:
• Product specification and requirements definition
• MVP development, prototyping, and validation
• Hardware system behaviour and design validation
• Cross-functional development with mechanical, electronics, firmware, software, and supplier teams
• Prototype-to-production transition
• Design for Manufacture (DFM)
• Manufacturing readiness reviews
• Supplier coordination and tooling review
• Reliability troubleshooting and failure analysis
• Production ramp preparation
I’ve developed products from concept through MVP, validation, production, and post-production support, including products that moved from early deployed units to thousands in the field and were improved through real-world reliability feedback.
If you need senior hardware/product development judgement before committing more development time, tooling spend, supplier decisions, or production effort, I can help reduce costly redesigns, reliability issues, supplier delays, and avoidable production mistakes.
Experience
-
Hardware Design Consultant
Independant · Freelance
Feb 2024 –
Present
2 yrs 6 mos
Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan
Most of my work sits between “the prototype works” and “we can manufacture and support this product with confidence.”
I work with hardware, product development, and design-led teams when a product needs to move from a working prototype into something stable, repeatable, and supportable.
That usually means working across mechanical design, suppliers, manufacturing constraints, reliability issues, product trials, and the practical decisions that appear once a product leaves the bench and starts meeting real users, factories, and field conditions. -
Consultant Design Manager
IKAWA · Full-time
Jan 2022 –
Feb 2024
2 yrs 1 mos
London, England, United Kingdom
Supported the development of two hardware platforms: one from concept through MVP development and user trials, and a second through development, validation, and transition into production.
⧫ Led hardware product development and design iteration
⧫ Developed MVP systems for user trials and product validation
⧫ Managed prototype development, testing, and validation activities
⧫ Supported manufacturing readiness, pilot builds, and production transition
⧫ Led field trial activities and user validation programmes
(previously Senior Product Design Engineer and Industrial Design Engineer) -
Head of Design
Loowatt · Full-time
Jul 2017 –
Dec 2021
4 yrs 5 mos
London, England, United Kingdom
Led the development, validation, manufacture, and international deployment of patented sanitation systems.
⧫ Led product development from concept through production deployment
⧫ Developed validation methods, testing programmes, and field trials
⧫ Investigated reliability issues and implemented corrective actions
⧫ Supported international product deployment across multiple markets
⧫ Translated technical challenges and development risks into clear recommendations for company leadership
(previously Lead Design Engineer and Design Engineer)
Education
- Brunel University BSc Product Design Engineering, Design, First Class Honours 2013 – 2017
Stats
0 followers, 0 following
Joined: July 17, 2026
Last seen: August 31, 2026
Area of Expertise
3D Printing Design
3D Modeling
Engineering Design
New Invention Development
Injection Molding and Casting
3D Design Services
CAD Drawing Services
Prototype Design Services
SolidWorks Design Services
3D Solid Modeling
SolidWorks Engineering Services
3D Models of Machine Parts
Design Engineering Services
Assembly Drawing Services
Assembly Modeling Services
Prototype Design Engineering
Mechanical Design Services
Mechanical CAD Design
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly
Design for Manufacturability (DFM Services)
Languages
English Native or bilingual proficiency
Location
Tokyo, Japan