FAQ

We get a lot of the same questions before a first meeting. Here are honest answers to the ones that matter most.

What does it cost?

What does it cost to work with Catino?

It depends on the scope and complexity of your project. We structure our work in phases, which means you can start with a defined first step without committing to a full project upfront. Get in touch and we can talk through what makes sense for your situation.

What's included in Extract+Explore?

Extract+Explore covers the first two phases of our 4E process. In Extract, we map the problem, user needs and project constraints through analysis and interviews. In Explore, we generate ideas, sketch and prototype, and develop concrete concept directions grounded in the insights from Extract. The deliverable is a decision basis with real ideas and directions that lets you move forward with confidence, or pause and evaluate without having committed to a full development project.

Can we start small before committing to a larger project?

Yes, that is exactly why we built Extract+Explore as a standalone offering. Many of our clients want to verify the direction and understand what a project actually involves before making a larger decision. Extract+Explore gives you that foundation, including concrete concept ideas grounded in the insights, without locking into a full development project from the start.

How we work

How long does Extract+Explore take?

Typically 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the product and how much user data and market research we need to develop. We always agree on a clear timeline at the start of the project.

What happens when Extract+Explore is finished?

You receive a structured decision basis with a problem definition, needs analysis and a set of explored concept directions. From there, you choose whether to continue with Evaluate and Evolve, covering concept refinement, engineering and production preparation, or to stop and use the material internally. We do not continue automatically without an active decision from you.

How involved do we need to be in the project?

We work closely with our clients, not just for them. Your knowledge of the product, the market and the business is essential for us to develop the right solution. In practice this means a few key meetings and ongoing feedback, not day-to-day operational involvement from your side.

Is our idea protected when we share it with you?

We treat all client information as confidential and are happy to sign an NDA before we discuss the details of your project. That is standard in how we work, and you never need to share more than you are comfortable with for us to assess whether we are the right partner for you.

How do we get started?

It starts with a conversation where we listen to what you want to achieve and share how we typically work. From that we put together a suggested scope and approach. Reach out directly and we will set up a meeting.

Is this right for us?

What kind of companies do you work with?

We work with companies that manufacture or sell their own physical products and understand that design and engineering need to work together for a product to actually reach the market. The people we typically work with are CEOs, product managers and heads of innovation who are driving real product development, not just strategy.

We have a vague idea, not a finished brief. Is that okay?

Yes, and it is often better that way. A vague idea means we can define the problem correctly from the start rather than efficiently solving the wrong one. The Extract phase is specifically designed to take you from ambiguity to a sharp, well-defined foundation. We do not need a finished specification to begin.

What sets Catino apart from a regular design agency?

We are not a pure design agency. We combine industrial design and engineering expertise under one roof, which means manufacturing, materials and construction are considered while we are still shaping the concepts. What we design can actually be built, and we do not need to recalculate the whole project once engineers get involved, because they have been involved from the start.

Do you only work on new products, or also on developing existing ones?

Both. We work just as often with companies that want to take an existing product a step further as with companies starting from scratch. The need to clarify the problem and explore directions is the same regardless of whether the product is new or already on the market.

Where are you based, and do you work with clients outside Stockholm?

We are based in Stockholm but work with clients across Sweden and the Nordics. Most of a project can run remotely, but we value in-person meetings at the stages where it makes a real difference, such as early concept reviews and prototype presentations.

Track record

What have you done before?

We have developed products that have won 14 international design awards, including the Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award. Our references include 1080 Motion, whose sprint product we helped develop and which contributed to the company doubling its revenue to 108 MSEK. We worked with Plejd during their early growth phase, from six to two hundred employees, and we were behind Mendi's crowdfunding campaign, which became the most backed in Swedish history in 2020 with 31 MSEK raised.

How do we know that what you design can actually be manufactured?

We account for manufacturing requirements from the earliest sketch phases. Engineers are involved from the Explore phase, not brought in at the end, which means materials, tolerances and production cost are factored in while the concepts are still being shaped. What we deliver is production documentation, not renderings. That is one of the clearest differences between us and a pure design agency.

Do you use external suppliers or do everything in-house?

The core of our process, design and engineering, we do in-house. On some projects we collaborate with specialists from a network we have built over many years, for instance for advanced electronics or specific material expertise. In those cases we remain your single point of contact and take full responsibility for holding the whole thing together.

What if we are not happy with the direction during the project?

We work iteratively with frequent check-ins, so you always know where things stand and can influence the direction as we go. If we see mid-project that a direction is not working, we would rather have that conversation early and adjust scope than deliver something we do not believe in. We are not selling hours, we are selling the right result.