Unleashing Imagination,

Crafting Innovation

We’re a small, hands-on product design, engineering, and branding studio in Cleveland, Ohio, and we love bringing big ideas to life.

Two people, a man and a woman, looking at a display of industrial design sketches on a wall

The Story Behind Our Name

“As a kid, I built helicopters, castles, and rocket ships out of cardboard, and I truly believed they could fly. That same spirit drives our work today. Cardboard Helicopter is a reminder that great design starts with imagination, and that even as adults, we can still dream big enough to take off."

- Tim Hayes
Co-Founder and Lead Designer

A young child sitting in a cardboard box, looking at three illustrated helicopters flying in the sky among clouds.

Our Services

Design sketches of a small electric golf cart from various angles with some color highlights and detailed annotations.

Concept Ideation & Industrial Design

A digital 3D model of a futuristic off-road vehicle with large tires, a sturdy frame, and a unique protective roof and seat design.

3D CAD, Engineering, Design-For-Manufacturing, Prototyping

A white bottle with a blue and white abstract wave design on the packaging, placed against a white and blue box with matching design, on a white background.

Branding & Packaging Design

All Services

Case Studies

A collection of Nerf sports toys, including balls, a basketball hoop, and foam projectiles.

Nerf Sports / Franklin Partnership

Over the past four years, we’ve created a wide range of sports toys for NERF and Franklin Sports, driving significant success and setting the stage for continued growth and innovation.

Golf cart with golf clubs and a knit hat on the handle at a golf course with hills and trees in the background.

Tempo Walk

An innovative and cutting-edge autonomous golf caddie. We guided this project from initial industrial design sketches to the final stages of 3D CAD and engineering, ensuring a seamless transition from concept to manufacturing.

Collection of pastel-colored kitchen or bathroom bottles with textured caps, set against a peach background with geometric shapes.

Lowcountry Littles

We designed the Palmetto Pouch from sketch to production for Lowcountry Littles, a company celebrating the low country lifestyle. This exciting new product, enhanced by our branding efforts, truly embodies the essence of the region and vibrantly brings it to life.

A white emergency medical device called a Stethoscovr for CPR training, with a label indicating to tap to go.

Stethoscover Medical Device

The Stethoscover is a pioneering solution designed to enhance stethoscope hygiene and patient safety. Its tap-n-go feature allows for easy, touchless application, significantly reducing cross-contamination and ensuring a cleaner, safer environment for patients.

A person in camouflage clothing and a Primos cap aiming a scoped rifle on a bipod in a wooded area.

Primos Hunting / Edge Hunting Tripod

Primos Hunting challenged us to design a bold, lightweight, and affordable shooting accessory. The result is the Edge Shooting Stick—a versatile, durable tripod with a 360-degree panning gun clamp and angle adjustment.

Baby skincare cleaning tool with sponge, brush, and comb in blue and white. Includes packaging showing usage instructions for lathering and a 3-step cradle cap system.

Fridababy / Flakefixer

Flake Fixer is a highly-rated, top-selling solution for cradle cap, affecting 70% of babies. This effective 3-step system—LATHER with sponge, LOOSEN with brush, and LIFT with comb—ensures a gentle, flake-free experience, providing the best care for your baby.

From Sketch To Shelf

We transform your ideas into market-ready products, guiding you from initial sketch to a manufacturable design equipped for store shelves.

Select Clients

Learn more
A collection of digital laser levels and leveling tools with green, yellow, and black designs, featuring LED lights and measurement markings.
Laser level with a black logo labeled 'Franklin Sensors' illuminated in green.
A collection of black and white logos of various brands, including Crayola, American Lawn Mower Co., Jokari, Raven Concealment Systems, OurPets, BoinHead, Nerf, Troy-Bilt, Galaxxy Kids, evolve Transporters, Duck, fridababy, PETSMART, Party Animal, Ki

Client Testimonials

  • Image of three Nerf sports balls, including a yellow soccer ball, a green football, and a gray and red basketball.

    "Cardboard Helicopter is my go-to resource for Industrial design and conceptual development. Their team far exceeds my expectations in all areas. I have been working with designers and engineers for over 20 years and I hold an Industrial Design degree myself. These guys are legit!"

    Seth Hochberg
    Director, Franklin Sports

  • A golf cart with a golf bag and clubs on top, parked on a grassy area near a golf course with hills, trees, a lake, and houses under a blue sky.

    "The folks from CH were great to work with. They combine a unique blend of creativity, artistic ability, and innovation. Their work helped us create an industry shocking design for our new Tempo Walk product which increased sales from the start. If you are looking for an eye-catching new look you can't go wrong with CH!"

    Timothy Doane CEO Lemmings/Tempo Walk

  • A robotic lawn mower on grass outdoor with a person nearby.

    "Cardboard Helicopter was awesome to work with. They were professional, results oriented and kept us informed throughout the project. The team was very responsive with next iterations. They delivered on time and within budget."

    Dave Mehrbrodt
    VP Business Development, American Lawn Mower Company

Stylized Instagram logo with gradient colors, featuring a camera outline with a circular lens and a smaller circle representing a flash or viewfinder.

@CardboardHelicopter Instagram

Thinking of a Christmas gift for a baseball or softball player you know ? How about a pair of these guys we designed in a stocking, or under the tree? #powerstap #franklin #batting #gloves
You’ve heard of elf on a shelf, but have you heard of…
We developed new Franklin Powerstrap Infinite Adult Batting Gloves. They just hit stores, and would make great stocker stuffers for a baseball or softball player in your family. You can even customize the colors on the website. Which is your favorite
Excited to see another Nerf product we designed hit the market, the Nerf Pivot Putt! A new challenging putting device that pivots and rotates to challenge the player. Our team Cardboard Helicopter Product Design had the pleasure of collaborating with
Doing some Nerf product portfolio and video work today! 🏀⛹️
#spottedlanternfly 🦶💥
IDSA’s Magical Bar Crawl: Tremont Join us for a night of **designers, magic, drinks, and good vibes! 🍹✨ 🗓 **When:** Saturday, August 23 🕖 **Time:** 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM 📍 **Where:** The Flying Monkey Pub, Cleveland, Ohio Get ready for

Get in Touch

Are you ready to embark on a design journey with us? Share your details and let the creative process begin. We look forward to collaborating with you!