Cannelloni, manicotti…Manicotti, cannelloni. Both delicious Italian cuisines, however two different dishes that are often confused for one another. While reading about one of my favorite Italian Chef’s, Chef Gabe, and his desire to make authentic pasta just like mamma, he spoke about not confusing cannelloni with manicotti.

Hmm. Why would one do that? Well, I will openly admit that I certainly do not know enough about the ins and outs of authentic Italian cuisine. And since my trip to the motherland of extruded flour and egg creations, I have discovered so much more than the typical pasta dishes found in the U.S. – so for the not classically trained Italian chef, confusing the many varieties of yummy cheese filled pasta is understandable.

I liken this confusion to the process of strategically branded product development. As a product development firm, we find ourselves continually clarifying the distinction between product design and product development. Where the two have very distinct differences in process, costs, and most importantly outcomes. To the unseasoned eye, both product design and product development could look like a cannelloni (figuratively speaking), however the ingredients are not the same. And if your project is not properly executed, you might have a recipe for disaster.

Product design, product development…Product development, product design. What’s the difference? The main difference between product design and product development is that research, design, prototyping, and manufacturing all fall under the services ATOM offers as a strategically branded product development firm. Where product design stops at the design phase. And don’t take this the wrong way, product design is still great, it’s an important part of our process – but you are ending up with an idea rather than a physical product ready to sell to consumers.

At ATOM our passion is getting a quality product on the store shelf and entering a market with confidence. With years of product development experience we make sure that if you want a cannelloni you aren’t going to end up with manicotti. We know the ins and outs of getting a product to market, and creating a roadmap specific to your product and brand goals is our bread and butter. If you’re looking to get a new product to market, ATOM will efficiently navigate you through the product development process. Your audience is hungry for that new idea, so let's get cooking!