Traditional wheelchair securement is time-consuming for everyone--a dreaded experience that makes passengers sometimes decline even being strapped in. Q'Straint sought to make a better system. Safety and ease-of-use were top-level priorities in the development of a new restraint. The final design provides 1-touch, user-operated functionality in under 25 seconds. The design is being adopted in the U.S, Australia, and Europe to the delight of transit drivers and passengers alike.
Medical Design Excellence Award
A damn good product designer. A life-saving idea. An intern willing to take a leap of faith. The booe Lifevest is born.
Boat U.S. Foundation, Design Competition Finalist
Speed, accuracy, and above all else, comfort. By thoroughly understanding the ergonomics and behaviors of temperature-taking, the first site-specific thermometer for auxiliary temperatures was realized for Vicks/Kaz.
IDEA winner
Medical Design Excellence Award
Combat Medical Systems develops mission-critical medical devices with the goal of eliminating preventable death. From medical bags to the gear inside them, CMS wanted to improve their products and create a system that was compact, lightweight, adaptable to every soldier, and held gear for use in the most intense circumstances. Additionally, CMS needed to unify their brand, packaging, and labeling for a consistent experience for medics: from training, to application in the field. In this case, good design could save a life. Talk about inspiration.
Graco needed to update their Duo Stroller to reflect new trends and technologies parents expect from this trusted brand. The new design brought differentiation for babies (e.g. extra shelter) and toddlers (e.g. holders for snacks). Parents appreciate the compact, lighter-weight design, easy-access storage, and maneuverability.
Speakman wanted to bring their hand-held shower heads directly to consumers in members-only warehouse stores. In order to be successful, they needed packages that stood out on palette shelves and a product that looked worthy of being given as a gift. Jim created a range of product and packaging ideas that delighted the client and led to a successful product introduction in a new market space.
A passionate audience, but slipping sales. Playtex knew how to help moms feed their babies well, but their product offerings looked dated and made shopping complicated for mom. We spent time with moms and moms-to-be talking about one of the most important things in the world: how they use bottles to feed their babies.
The result was the redesigned Playtex nurser. We added value with a grow-with-baby system as well as friendly features that both mom and baby like.
OXO sought to take a mature market segment and design a line of cooking thermometers to live up to the level of innovation they are known for. By studying cooks in their kitchens, we found opportunities to create award-winning thermometers with features amateurs and professionals could enjoy. They are easy to read, accurate, and can be figured out without cracking an instruction manual--just in time for Thanksgiving.
IDEA Award, EID Award
We dug deep to understand fatigue and stress associated with high-impact hand tools for gardeners, from amateur to seasoned pro. This led to the development of OXO’s innovative Gel-e line. Thoughtful ergonomic handles and Gel-e cushion address the arthritic issues of older gardeners, and make it a delight to use for the healthy-handed.
In a line extension, we applied our knowledge of ergonomics and gardening to develop a mini-tool set. Ideal for gardeners whose primary tasks are oriented around the tighter workspaces of potted plants and window boxes.
Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award
By understanding kids and their world, Push Pop Sliderz capture the equity of the beloved classic while transforming it into a candy that appeals to a new generation and age group.
The design is also a business success: By elevating the value of the product through design, the candy commands a higher price point, improving margins.
Simplifying insulin and drug delivery for patients and caregivers was the goal of these projects completed for Becton Dickinson. The Uniject 1-shot device was developed for immunization and Type 2 diabetes care in clinics for emerging markets (India, China and Africa). The fixed dose pens were developed for patient use (US, Europe). These cartridge-loaded pens were designed to simplify the process of delivering medicine, making one aspect of dealing with health conditions more manageable.
Diabetes takes constant vigilance. By partnering with endocrinologists, patients, and families, we developed an organized system to make life with diabetes easier. Our goals included:
- help patients comply with self-care plans
- help patients record test results
- provide a clean, fast test-kit experience that works in a range of scenarios (e.g. car, public bathroom, kitchen table)
The concepts were used by J&J for next-generation test kits, resulting in better self-care and easier testing for people living with diabetes.
Mr. LongArm deck staining applicators were in need of a presence. With some intensive research and time (lots of time) staining the back deck, we identified a sweet-spot in an emerging market. We honed the product with this new customer in mind and developed an innovative family of tools to accomplish every aspect of staining--with expert results.
IDEA Award Winner
Mangos come in all shapes and sizes, but the design of the OXO Mango Splitter is deceptively simple. In one push, the mango is both pitted and split, removing just the pit and saving as much of the flesh as possible. The strawberry corer delivers similarly satisfying results.
The New York Times called it the one fruit splitter worth owning, Bobby Flay said he couldn’t live without it, Cook’s Illustrated called it a must have, and NPR said that it relieves one of life’s great frustrations. Bliss.
Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award