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The man on the street is Manta's favorite critic.
"We always think about how people use a product," says. Manta Product Development president Betsy Goodrich. "We're always talking to users."
Users, that is, of baby strollers, remote broadcasting equipment, pharmaceuticals, fitness equipment, surgical devices, business card scanners, video inspection tools and a host of other hardware used by consumers, the medical profession, industry and the world of sports.
"It's a lot of hard work," says Goodrich, whose company competes fiercely with the Pacific Rim for engineering and design of products based on technology evolving so rapidly that "your product doesn't last five years."
And if a product can't compete on price, "design is critical," she says.
Take the ScooterBug. Manufacturers of baby strollers rented in theme parks, ScooterBug came to Manta. looking for help with faulty brakes, lack of storability and pricey manufacturing and repair costs. Mantra solved all of the problems, including adding the capability of locking both wheels...