Product design

Products that satisfy the user’s needs and desires.
The notion of product design spans a large field of different activities that altogether form the development process. KADABRA can carry out all or parts of the activities in this process.

Ideally, we prefer to get involved in your project at the earliest possible stage of the process. By participating in forming the design specifications, we can help setting the right constraints, which in turn increases the competitive edge of the final product. KADABRA works closely with your company to generate, present, and cast light on the alternatives in all stages of the project.

Contact us to see what activities should be a part of your project.

User workshop

We put people in focus in everything we make. A user workshop is about communicating with the consumers.

We believe the product will be considerably better if you get to talk to the right people first. That’s why we try to start every project with mapping out the target group, and thereafter choosing whom we need to contact. We like to pick extremities among users (such as an expert and a beginner), as well as secondary consumers (like maintenance personnel or people in charge of buying), to conduct interviews and observations. Experience has showed us that user studies bring invaluable observations and inspiration to the design process.

Result: A written and illustrated document including observations and conclusions for the project.

Ecology workshop

Make your product more environmentally friendly!
A product has a life cycle – it is produced, consumed, and disposed of. By studying the life span, KADABRA can propose solutions to lessen the environmental impact of the product. Measures may include reducing the packaging, finding alternative materials, encouraging reuse or recycling, or even fulfilling the product’s function in a new and innovative way.

Result: A written and illustrated document including life cycle- and material observations, plus implications and recommendations for the project.

Idea workshop

Explosive creativity and constructive selection.
An efficient brainstorm needs both absence of inhibitions, and strict guidelines. Using the design- briefing as a starting point, we produce a large quantity of ideas, which are then filtered until only the best remain standing. Every project contains periods of brainstorming – and if your company has interest in documenting this creative phase in particular, we make this as a separate deliverable.

Result: A document summarizing the brainstorming and chosen ideas

Competitor study

There is seldom any point in reinventing the wheel. Get an outline of what exists out there before you get started!

By digging up anything similar to, or competing with your product, we get a quick insight into what is unique about your particular product. The competitor survey lays the foundation for placing your product both functionally and aesthetically in an advantageous position on the market. We find relevant competitors using Internet, talk to experts, or simply browse through stores.

Result: A written and illustrated document with observations of competing products, and conclusions for the project.

Principle solutions

Sketching principles for the product’s function and general architecture.
In order to find the basic principles for a product KADABRA uses both sketches, and rough mock-up models in for example cardboard. The point of this exercise is not to get into details of form, but rather to propose a set of different suitable product architectures and principles of function. This deliverable is particularly relevant for complex products where the main architecture and geometries needs to be defined.

Result: A document of rough illustrations, with one or more solutions of principle.

Style references

Find your way in an ocean of product cultures, with mood-boards of relevant form, style and aesthetics.

Small variations in a form can transform a product – round the edges and a professional tool becomes a toy for kids. Or strike a different market by changing the color. Aesthetics is essential for appealing to the right market segment, and to communicate the function of the product. KADABRA uses mood boards of style references in order to decide what family of form the product should be a part of. We have made bike- racks inspired by the organic shapes of nature, and search lights made to resemble maritime products. Maybe your company wants to make the product match in style to the rest of your product portfolio? Or perhaps you are seeking something entirely different?

Result: Mood boards with different style references, with implications for the project.

Design directions

Sketches directions for you product idea.

Here the first product sketches are presented. All the work done up until this point gets synthesized into different “directions”. Observations and statements from users, awareness of competitors and the market, relevant and inspiring style references, and good ideas for functionality, are all put together into sketches. The sketches show possible product architectures and different looks and functionality, in order to choose which way to go from here.

Result: A number of sketches that illustrates different ways to go with the product.

Design proposals

Behold, this is what your product might be like!
The design proposals combine a purposeful solution of principle with the right aesthetic look. KADABRA uses hand drawn sketches or computer sketching, to find solutions that satisfy both form and function. Sometimes we run several rounds of design proposals in order to take into account feedback from the client.

Result: A document with sketches or visualizations of design proposals.

Visualisations

Inspiring and presentable visualizations of a design proposal.
Once a design solution has been approved, there is often need for inspiring visualizations. KADABRA posses the tools and competence to create highly refined sketches or computer renderings, which can be used for marketing, on the Internet, for profiling the product or the project, or other concerns.

Result: A document containing all visualizations, plus original files in high resolution.

Detailing

“God is in the details,” said Mies van der Rohe – and so does the good user experience!

The user experience of your product depends on whether the details are handled with care and conscience. It is in here the feeling of quality, functionality, and aesthetics is created. This stage brings the design proposal closer to a finalized product – all the pieces of the puzzle are fit together. The work is performed by using sketches, models and 3D tools, in order to create and document with precision.

Result: Detailed drawings or 3D files that describe the product.

Construction

A detailed computer-based modeling of the product.
The first step on the way from a design proposal to realization is a detailed construction of every component of the product. This is the stage where every nut and bolt, draft angle and screw hole is represented! KADABRA possess 3D software and competence to carry out construction internally. Alternatively we can turn to our strategic partner Minoko – specialists in construction and prototyping.

Result: A digital model of the product.

Model / Prototype

From physical models made to look real, to a functional first draft product.
A model can sometimes say much more than a good visualization can do. KADABRA has got model workshops both in Trondheim and Oslo, suitable for simple model making. Alternatively, we use 3D print from our partner company Minoko. Functioning prototypes are the closest we come to a finished product before it is put into production and sale. KADABRA cooperate with a network of suppliers on assembly components, plastic, wood and metal, and we can expand our network at need.

Result: A principal model, function model, or aesthetic model / Functional prototype.

Test

Test the product in a realistic context.
After a solid development process, the last thing you might want to do is to search for flaws. This, however, is the whole point of testing – which should be carried out in a realistic context as possible. Tests can be performed on prototypes, but also on less complete product representations such as models, visualizations or mock-ups.

Result: A written and illustrated document containing observations of tests and conclusions for the project.

Industrialisation

Makes the product ready for industrial production
Depending on the client, KADABRA carries out different parts of the industrialization process. If you have you own technical staff and production competence, we merely follow up to make sure the end product satisfies the required qualities. We often speak of this as the “design intention”, and it is important that someone keeps an eye out to avoid last minute changes that may decrease the quality of the product. Should you not have your own technical staff, we can carry out the industrialization process through our network. For example, we often turn to our strategic partner Minoko AS for construction, prototyping, and industrialization.