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Design 2.0 is an approach to making hardware innovation move faster—not a product, formal standard, or literal replacement for Moore’s law. In Rick Merritt’s 2014 account, the idea combines accessible development boards, maker communities, hackathons, startup support, crowdfunding, and software-like iteration so more ideas can reach working prototypes and products.
What “Design 2.0” means
Moore’s law describes a long-running trend in semiconductor scaling. “A New Moore’s Law” is Merritt’s metaphor for a different ambition: making the process of turning an idea into hardware more accessible and faster. The article does not propose a new law of chip progress or establish a measured rate of improvement.
Instead, Design 2.0 names a culture and ecosystem. It favors trying ideas in working form, learning through iteration, and drawing on communities and outside support rather than relying only on lengthy, highly documented corporate design processes. Merritt summarized the invitation as: “Design 2.0 is clearly happening. Tell us where it’s taking you.” (EE Times, December 8, 2014)
How the approach can speed up hardware work
Start with accessible boards
Low-cost development hardware gives makers and software-oriented technologists a way to test an idea without beginning with a custom chip or production-ready device. Merritt specifically names Arduino and Raspberry Pi as examples of inexpensive boards used in maker-oriented work. They can help validate a concept, but a prototype board by itself does not solve later engineering, manufacturing, or reliability challenges. (EE Times, December 8, 2014)
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Use rapid iteration beyond software
Design 2.0 applies a software habit—building, testing, and revising in cycles—to physical systems. The examples in the article include Facebook’s Open Compute Project, which brought that approach to data-center hardware such as servers and switches, and Google X projects including smartglasses and driverless cars. These examples illustrate the ambition; they are not evidence that every hardware project can be developed at software speed. (EE Times, December 8, 2014)
Build a community and a support network
Hackathons and maker communities can bring people together to turn an idea into an initial demonstration. Accelerators and incubators may add mentorship, connections, or access to facilities, while crowdfunding can test whether prospective customers will support a proposed product. These routes address different needs, and none guarantees a viable design or a manufacturable product. (EE Times, December 8, 2014)
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What the reported chip examples do—and do not—show
Merritt contrasts a veteran microprocessor designer’s reported estimate that a good idea could take a decade to become a shipping system-on-chip with faster-moving chip efforts. He reports that Andreas Olofsson shipped multiple versions of his Epiphany chips in less than five years, with less than $5 million in funding. These are attributed examples from the 2014 article, not typical timelines, independently controlled comparisons, or current cost benchmarks. (EE Times, December 8, 2014)
The contrast makes the article’s point about experimentation and alternative paths, but it cannot establish that a particular process will shorten a project by a predictable amount. Chip design, product complexity, team experience, manufacturing access, and available capital all affect delivery time.
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Choosing a route from idea to product
The useful question is not simply which route is fastest. A quick prototype is valuable only if it helps answer a real technical or customer question and leaves a credible path toward repeatable production.
| Route | Best suited to | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Hackathon or maker community | Getting an early demonstration together and finding collaborators | Prototype speed and peer input; whether the team can continue after the event and access suitable boards, labs, or manufacturing expertise |
| Accelerator | A team seeking structured mentorship, a network, and help advancing a hardware startup | Program fit and terms, possible funding dilution, and whether support extends from prototype toward production |
| Incubator | A project that may benefit from longer-term support, facilities, or institutional connections | Access to relevant expertise and equipment, time commitments, and the route from development to repeatable manufacturing |
| Crowdfunding | Testing whether an audience will financially support a proposed product | Funding risk, the obligations created by accepting support, and whether the prototype can realistically be produced and delivered |
This comparison is a decision framework, not a standardized ranking: Merritt’s article names these pathways but supplies no comparable outcome scores. It also names Highway 1, Bolt, Lemnos Labs, and Dragon as hardware-focused accelerator or incubator examples; the 2014 article does not establish their current status, availability, or terms. (EE Times, December 8, 2014)
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What a hardware team should take from Design 2.0
- Use inexpensive development hardware to test assumptions early, before committing to a custom design where a board-based prototype can answer the question.
- Choose each iteration to reduce a specific uncertainty, such as whether a sensor works in context or whether a user understands the product.
- Seek outside help for the bottleneck you actually have: collaborators, mentorship, facilities, funding, or evidence of customer demand.
- Plan for the transition from a working demonstration to a repeatable, supportable product. A prototype is a learning milestone, not proof of production readiness.
The article’s broader argument is that hardware benefits when more people can participate and test ideas sooner. Its examples are historical illustrations of that outlook, not proof that Design 2.0 has replaced conventional engineering or created a new measurable law.
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