GridPoint
Climate Tech Product Company
GridPoint, a climate-tech company specializing in energy management, helps enterprise clients like Panda Express and Chipotle optimize energy use in their buildings. Their smart thermostats and temperature sensors feed data into a dashboard, allowing businesses to reduce energy waste and save money.
As the company expanded, GridPoint wanted to develop a new commercial gateway hardware product and thermostat. But past experiences with custom circuit boards and contract manufacturers had led to mixed results.
“It gives me real confidence knowing SPARK is there. They make it easy for us to keep momentum, even when our team is pulled in other directions. They jump in quickly, understand exactly what needs to be done, and keep things moving forward. It’s been great having a partner we can rely on.”
— Greg Morehead
(VP of Hardware Engineering, GridPoint)
The Challenge
GridPoint’s previous approach, where manufacturers tried to piece together solutions based on rough sketches, had resulted in a product they weren’t fully proud of.
They needed a strong industrial and mechanical design process—one that would streamline manufacturing, improve product aesthetics, and establish a cohesive visual brand language for their hardware.
Our approach
SPARK took GridPoint through Definition and Concept phases all the way to a tool-ready design. This ensured the new design was not only functional and manufacturable, but also aligned with the company's long-term product vision.
Our process included:
Defining the product environment: Understanding the real-world environments this product would need to seamlessly fit into
Clarifying design intent: Making sure GridPoint’s goals were captured and translated into industrial design choices
Step-by-step guidance: Walking GridPoint through the design and manufacturing process, creating clear, standalone project briefs to align all stakeholders
The solution
SPARK helped GridPoint develop a design they could be truly proud of—one that met both functional and aesthetic standards while remaining optimized for manufacturing.
By guiding them through a structured, thoughtful design process, SPARK helped GridPoint:
Avoid the frustrating back-and-forth with manufacturers that had plagued past projects
Create a product that integrates better with their energy management ecosystem
Ensure a high-quality and recognizable final design that meets the expectations of enterprise clients
The impact
GridPoint is now deploying the new units in the field, starting with a few hundred per month
Instead of struggling with design uncertainties, they now have a streamlined, repeatable approach for future hardware development
The company has gained internal confidence in its product design process, ensuring better collaboration between engineering, design, and manufacturing moving forward
GridPoint is continues to tap SPARK for ongoing engineering and manufacturing expertise and support as they switch manufacturers
why it matters
This project highlights why industrial design and manufacturing strategy go hand in hand. By investing in the right design process upfront, GridPoint didn’t just get a better product—they created a smarter, more scalable foundation for the future of their full product line.
