Product design agency case study | Ohelo sustainable reusables
Cherry blossom Ohelo sustainable bottle and tumbler for consumers designed by Simple Design Works in West Midlands
Ohelo brand logo

Katy and Alex had their light bulb moment whilst travelling in a remote part of Canada.

Acutely aware of the awful effect single use plastic has on the world, they wanted to do something about it. A  business in reusables naturally aligned with their outlook and being urbanites, they wanted a product that was stylish too.

The idea never left them when they returned to the UK. On their travels, they needed a reusable bottle that performs but they found nothing that was stylish enough for daily city use!

With the majority of reusables still looking like camping products, their vision of a new norm for a leak proof, thermally insulated and sustainable bottle was born. Say hello to Ohelo.

Concept development sketches during product development of the new Ohelo bottle

Working as part of your design team

When Katy and Alex began looking for a product design company, they asked lots of questions at the discovery meeting. They simply wanted to get a feel of who they’d be working with as our product designers would be working as an extension of their team. Whilst right now their aim was to create stylish ‘green’ products, they also had ideas for technical features and to extend the range. What they needed was a product designer and engineer hybrid that understood aesthetics together with the principles of sustainable product design.

Realistic render showing the inside of the Ohelo bottle designed by product designers, Simple Design Works in the UK
Range of blue, white, pink and black sustainable Ohelo bottles designed by Simple Design Works product design agency

Turning ideas into reality

We worked with Ohelo right from the beginning providing conceptual design and product development services. They wanted a stylish design and are the first to admit that they’re perfectionists scrutinising every curve or hue of colour. Visualisation in the form of renders and prototypes meant that they didn’t have to make any compromises. We kept creating different visuals until they were 100% happy.

Form and function were equally important as well as features. One feature is a versatile mesh attachment that can be used as a tea strainer, protein shaker or fruit infuser. Once the design intent was realised, we developed the 3D CAD models with the manufacturing detail, ready for bottles and flasks to be produced.

Concept render by Simple Design Works of black bottles and reusables on a plinth to show different sizes to client

Ohelo there

Say Ohelo to the finished product – a vacuum insulated bottle made with safer materials to make products better for you and the planet. It’s been nominated for a Green Product Award in 2021 and 5% of all profits go to charitable causes. The bottles are lead, BPA, BPS and BPF free so not only does it look good, it does good!

Patterns are laser etched onto the bottle so it won’t fade.  Plus a soft detachable strap on pivots means it’s both comfortable to hold and versatile to attach. It’s leak proof and has a whole host of more clever features you won’t see on your average water bottle. And of course it fully serves its core purpose of keeping you hydrated with your drink just how you like it – it keeps hot things hot and cold things cold. You’ll find one on each of our desks or buy your own!

Athlete in park drinking from new sustainable water product by Ohelo
New reusable product by Ohelo in black and white with graffiti background

Katy Francis-Lim

Ohelo logo

“Simple Design Works surpassed our expectations of a design house. Our design process was definitely unconventional, and we would be the first to admit that we are perfectionists who wanted to be thoroughly involved in every process. SDW accommodated our needs with the utmost grace and professionalism and worked closely with us until we were 100% happy with the outcome. All the guys made us feel welcome and operated as an extension of our own team. They have been a supportive voice in our journey from design to launch and we feel very lucky to have established a working relationship with them all. We look forward to developing further products with them as we grow our business in the years to come.”

Katy Francis-Lim
Co-Founder – Happy & Hydrated Ltd

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