You might already know that informal is a collective of 300+ top-notch hardware freelancers. Simply put, we love brilliant hardware products and ideas, and we thrive on helping bring them to life.
Introducing New Client & Community Resources

If you are receiving this newsletter, you likely know of informal from our collective of 300+ expert freelancers. We love bringing brilliant hardware products and businesses to life, and we're super passionate about the hardware community (see Hardware Meetup as an example!). That’s why we’ve been working on creating a library of readily available resources for hardware professionals like you to tap into. Here are just a few:

  • The informal Hardware Handbook is packed with a wide array of knowledge divided into 4 parts, each covering a major phase in your product development cycle: Foundations, Design, Manufacturing, and Go-to-Market Strategy.
  • Our latest resource is the CMF Database. This new tool features a growing number of products you can browse, click on, and view the CMF specs of, all for free. Plus, you can add or suggest products.
  • The informal design puck is a tool we created for understanding and manufacturing injection-molded parts. Want one? Let us know and we’ll send you one!
  • We teamed up with Hardware FYI to create the Mechanical Engineering Cheatsheet, a great resource to have at your fingertips when you need quick answers to the most common ME questions.
  • Be sure to also check out the Hardware Handbook category on our blog. There you'll find everything from advice about raising venture capital as a hardware startup to thought pieces about product design. We're always adding new pieces you won't find in the PDF edition of the Handbook!
  • If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area hardware community, chances are you’ve been to an event at Studio 45, the co-working space for hardware professionals available to informal members and clients. Now there is a sister location, Studio 55, in the SoMa district! Come take a tour and scope the assembly areas, prototyping equipment, and co-working and event spaces.
MEMBER FEATURE
Dan Holzer

Dan Holzer is a mechanical engineer and informal member with a unique interdisciplinary background in electro-mechanical engineering. Based in the fast-growing Boston hardware community, Dan has a diverse range of technical skills that he uses to help startups bring their technologies to life.

He's received a product innovation certification at MIT, built composite products for a company acquired by 3M, and led rapid prototyping & engineering design projects at Shell Techworks. We sat down with him last month to learn more about his career path, professional superpower, his advice to new product creators, and what keeps him amped about working in hardware.

Read more about Dan Holzer
CLIENT FEATURE
Boppo

As parents of two young children, Ben and Moline saw the value of kids interacting with tablets, but they wanted a device that could offer more playtime and less screen time. With input from other parents, they invented an interactive screenless tablet that they named boppo. Featuring 10 light-up buttons and a speaker, it can be used to play games like Simon Says, to learn colors and language, to enjoy as a jukebox or sound machine, and much more. With a growing library of over 30 activities and swappable faceplates, they’re just getting started. The possibilities are endless!

informal members have helped the boppo team build their supply chain and work with vendors. We've also provided go-to-market support ahead of their September crowdfunding launch on Kickstarter. This includes video, performance marketing, social and production graphics, and campaign management. We’re so excited for their launch next month!

Check Out Boppo
COMMUNITY & BLOG
UPCOMING EVENTS

Can't see this email? View in Your Browser

If you'd no longer like to receive emails, click here.

informal, LLC. 45 29th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110