TESTING

DESIRABILITY

MARTIN WILLERS @DESIGNMEANING 141118

90% crap

Testing desirability before if going into production

SWEDISH DESIGN TEAM

SMALLEST WEARABLE LIFELOGGING CAMERA

A WIRELESS SHORTCUT BUTTON THAT CONNECTS TO YOUR SMARTPHONE AND CAN DO PRACTICALLY ANYTHING

FACIAL RECOGNITION DOORBEL

Our focus

Large

Start-ups:

own lab

start-up

big corp

10

build fast

max 4 week sprints

Design process

PEOPLE Problem

PEOPLE Solution

transparent

speaker

PEOPLE Problem

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CONTEXTUAL IDEATION

Headline

TEXT

Caption

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l isten

PRESS

Wired

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Design Directory — issue 68 — 211210 — issue 68 — Design Directory

Top 25Best homeware

Storage shelvesLundia

It’s tough to come by a product as practical and versatile as Finnish design company Lundia’s shelving units. Since 1948 the fam-ily-owned company has been constructing its shelves out of free-growing pine sourced from local forests, where long winters and short summers make the wood grow slowly and, most importantly, durably. “Lundia is the opposite of throw-away culture,” says CEO Michaela von Wendt from the firm’s main office building in Hyvinkää. “The core idea in our shelving system allows you to build, dismantle and reconstruct the shelves over and over again – without tools. It grows with the owner, from a child’s room to a student’s studio to an office.” — avf lundia.fi

Coffee tableShigeichiro Takeuchi Japanese designer Shigeichiro Takeuchi was invited by Commoc, a Tokyo furniture and product-design studio, to collaborate on the creation of a coffee table. The Tricom’s most unique feature is its single powder-coated steel pipe, winding under-neath a solid glass top to form three legs —a simple yet fluid design. Available in black, white or green, it sums up Takeuchi’s design principle: “To find the essential func-tion and structure of the object”. — avfcommoc.jp

Letter openerPlant Brooklyn

“We try to do good,” says designer Bjarke Ballisager regarding his eco-friendly interdisciplinary studio. Williamsburg-based Plant Brooklyn was founded by Ballisager and his wife Holly McWhorter who share a background in architecture. This letter opener is made out of poplar while its blade is constructed from recycled paper. — gslplantbrooklyn.comVases

Ro Collection

Danish design company Ro was established in Copen-hagen this summer by Rebecca Uth and Ole Kiel, former colleagues at Georg Jensen who had long planned their own independent collaboration. They named themselves after the Danish word for “Serenity, calmness and peace of mind”. Ro launches with a collection that features a lounge chair from Shannon Payton and Arunas Sukarevicius, vases from Nina Erichsen (pictured) and a toolbox from Aurélien Barbry. It’s an eclectic selec-tion that captures the essence of Ro: thoughtful works intended to endure. — etlrocollection.dk

Drying rackLa Base

The humble dish drainer is not generally at the top of anyone’s wishlist. However, if you do lust after kitchen kit have a glance at La Base, a range from Japan designed by home-cooking star Yoko Arimoto. The

drainer is made from top-quality Japanese stainless steel and stands in a sloping tray

coated with silicon for durability. Looks good and does the job. — fw

labase.jp

SpeakerPeople People

A friendly solution for your living room electronics comes from Stockholm design company People People. The four-year-old firm’s newest project, dubbed the transparent speaker, has a small wi-fi antenna that makes it eligible to connect to all electronic devices. “People don’t own cars anymore so they show off with their living rooms,” says Martin Willers, one of the four founders. “These speakers are the perfect way to do so.” — adcpeoplepeople.se

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CutleryPott

Although a traditional flatware firm in the 21st century may seem hopelessly old

fashioned in a sea of cheap, disposable products, German company Pott stands out

for all the right reasons. Dating back to the turn of the 20th century, the firm has worked

with Bauhaus and Werkbund luminaries such as Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Elisabeth

Treskow and Josef Hoffmann and gained a global reputation for innovation in cutlery

design. Its items sit in museums around the world, including MoMA. The most popular

range is the four-piece silverware set called Pott 33 that was one of the last designs by second-generation owner Carl Pott before

he died in 1985. Known for the fine grooves at the tip of each handle, the utensils are

also wider than average, making it easier to scoop up your food. — ak

pott-bestecke.de

TablewareBilly Lloyd

London-based potter Billy Lloyd’s new “Billy” collection for The New Craftsmen consists of a bowl, plate and mug, and is manufactured in Stoke-on-Trent. It’s not just the historical ceramics centre of the UK that Lloyd is aiming to put back on the map with these pieces, but also some of the more traditional craft techniques, including jollying and jiggering. Both these methods (yes, those are their real names) were used to create the distinctive ridge effect. “The ridging makes them tactile,” says Lloyd. “Lots of tableware has a smooth exterior but I was interested in a profile that accentuates form and demonstrates a precision in handmaking. I’m trying to show off a bit of precision and skill that can be done by hand and not on a computer program.” — tmbillylloyd.co.uk; thenewcraftsmen.com

‘ E L E M E N TS ’ GL A S S WA R E BY S C HOLT E N & B A IJ I NG S F OR J H I L L’ S STA N DA R D This new brand is helping to keep the Irish crystal tradition alive with its dynamic contemporary designs. The ‘Elements’ series by Dutch duo Scholten & Baijings features a linear, minimalist cut.From left: ‘Elements’ decanter, £445; Champagne glass, £264 for a pair; cocktail glass, £264 for a pair; long drink glass, £140; tumbler, £130 (jhillsstandard.com)

‘ T R A NSPA R EN T SPE A K ER’ BY PEOPL E PEOPL ETrust the Swedes to reinvent the humble hi-fi as a pared-down design object. Stockholm studio People People’s sound system

is stripped back to its essential elements. Almost all of the parts are replaceable or recyclable, and the sound is crystal clear. ➤

£599, Selfridges (selfridges.com)

SURF

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Luxe | WISH L I ST

Monocle Elle decoration

Recommended retail price?

How much will it cost to make this, who will make it and what will your distributions channels charge you?

Repairable & more sustainable?

BACKSTAGE RESOURCES

Business model fit

Minimum order size (MOQ)Leadtimes, certifications etc etc

PROBLEM / SOLUTION FIT

PROTOTYPE / MARKET FIT

BUSINESS MODEL FIT

PEOPLE PROBLEM

RRP $599

Caption

21

blends in,

adds value to

your living room

RRP $849

The faster you test, the more you can learn

and the faster you succeed!

LIKEABILITY

Time

Uncertainty

PROTOTYPE

BLOG (LAUNCH)

CROWDFUND

ONLINE SALES PRODUCE

Selfridges

(London)

26

Brown Thomas

(Dublin)

Le Bon Marche

(Paris)

#transparentspeaker

TEXT

Caption

28

TEXT 29

Small team,

massive impact

The faster you test, the more you can learn

and the faster you succeed!

LIKEABILITY

Time

Uncertainty

PROTOTYPE

BLOG (LAUNCH)

CROWDFUND

ONLINE SALES PRODUCE

PARTNER

Transportation

›THE IDEAS THAT CAME OUT OF THEIR WORK WERE NOT ONLY INNOVATIVE, BUT ALSO

MADE A LOT OF SENSE AND LOOKED GREAT‹ —KJELL AC BERGSTRÖM, VP QUALITY @ NEVS

OLD

DESIRABILITY

Design Attract?

6 month

Produce

12 months

Launch

6 months

2 years

OLD

NEW

DESIRABILITY

Design Attract? Produce?

3 weeks

Launch

1 weeks

2 years

vs

4 weeks

SMALLEST WEARABLE LIFELOGGING CAMERA

2012

Team & product

$.7M in seed

$.5M Kickstarter

2013

Go to market

$3M funding

$1M+ preorder

2014

Scale & growth Sales soar from positive reviews

$8M in funding

A WIRELESS SHORTCUT BUTTON THAT CONNECTS TO YOUR SMARTPHONE AND CAN DO PRACTICALLY ANYTHING

Headline

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re floating in space. For far too long have we been stuck on this orbital trash heap. It’s time to go. To leave. To improve.

TEXT 44

launch

story

better at listening than selling

SWEDISH DESIGN TEAM