Consumer product design needs to be both practical and emotional to build the brand and earn customer loyalty. Like lots of great ideas for consumers, this one stemmed from a personal inconvenience that we’re sure most people can relate to.
Whilst sipping a Pina Colada on holiday, our client discovered he had difficulty viewing his mobile phone screen in direct sunlight.
He closely observed the people around him. He noticed that people shifted their body positions. Then as the intensity of the sun changed and made it too uncomfortable to maintain, it would cause unnecessary stress on the body as people moved about. He also watched people moving to a shaded area temporarily just to see their mobile’s screen. “There has to be a universal solution” he thought.
He wondered if iPad users experienced the same issue. Despite being under the same bright conditions as mobile phone users, the increased size of the device seemed to provide a sufficient barrier. He noticed that users could relax on their back and clearly read their screen. So in this case, size does seem to matter! He began exploring possible solutions discovering a lack of existing products. Those that were available either didn’t look good, impeded on phone operation or weren’t a reasonable cost. He saw a gap in the market and contacted Simple Design Works to explore his idea further.
We began creating multiple concepts through digital sketches. These sketches and mood boards enable a rapid number and exploration of ideas, and trigger preferences on how the product might look and perform. This concept development process was continually refined until our customer was completely happy with taking his vision forward to the next stage. Next, we had to test this product.
After creating a CAD for prototype, we 3D printed prototypes in-house. This time we focused on function. We began adjusting the design with user feedback whilst considering how to incorporate injection moulding friendly components. This product is going to be mass-produced and affordable, so needs to be cost efficient to produce.
Discussions on how to protect the product had ensued quite early on in the project and so we provided drawings to support the patent application. With a fully functioning prototype in hand, we produced multiple renders to show colour options and surface finishes to achieve the desirable look our customer sought. With strong visuals and a production file in place, it was certainly was an exciting moment to pass the CAD to the manufacturer.
The work didn’t stop there though.
The name Shadey Attachments was already established as a company so we worked together on building the brand (The Shadey) by exploring colour ranges and special editions.
We designed a number of different packaging options. These protect the product as well as distinguish it in the marketplace. To show how The Shadey might look in its packaging or in a real environment, we created photo-realistic renders. Now The Shadey is ready for the Great British public to buy.
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