The latest in product design consultancy news. Realise Product Design’s perspective on design trends, updates in the product design industry and new products coming to market.
Every year just like many other businesses, we like to send a little gift and Christmas card to the fantastic people we work with. With so much happening over 2021, with lockdowns, vaccines, environmental strikes and Cop 26. This Christmas, we felt our card and gift should reflect the events of the year.
We’re looking for a senior designer to join our forward thinking and sociable product design agency in the fantastic city of Bristol. Could this be you?
Bespoke Prototyping
Functionality Testing
Water Protection
Sector: Marine Industry
From discarded plastic, ocean noise to rising sea levels – there are serious problems caused by humans impacting the health of our oceans.
Overfishing is one of the very worst, critically damaging vital ecosystems, whilst threatening the livelihoods of low-income, coastal communities everywhere.
To put it into context, we have already removed at least two-thirds of the large fish in the ocean. One in three fish populations have collapsed since 1950. Industrial trawling of the ocean floor obliterates an area about the size of the whole Amazon rainforest every year, releasing giga tonnes of deadly smothering sediment and as much CO2 as the entire aviation industry. The hardest hit are inevitably local fishing communities who are left struggling to feed their families, sowing unrest and further environmental damage when they have to turn in-land for food.
Why is this allowed? Because it happens in the vast oceans and it’s out of sight, making it hard for most people to understand and even harder for authorities to see who’s doing what.
So can technology help?
SRT are global leaders in the technologies that monitor vessels at sea, built around their AIS (Automatic Identification System) technology which vessels use to identify and avoid each other. AIS is also used by ports, environment agencies and coast guards, now a critical way for rescue services to find vessels in an emergency, meaning SRT products are saving lives almost every day.
The Philippines is a nation of over 7000 islands, becoming increasingly concerned about effects of over-fishing on the wellbeing and social stability of their extensive coastal communities. So when the Philippine Government decided to create a national Vessel Monitoring System to help manage fishing in their waters, they selected SRT to provide the technology.
A key component required for the Philippines’ system is the VMS-100 on-board transceiver, planned to be fitted to 5000 local vessels, enabling the reporting of any vessel’s position, activity and fish catches to the monitoring system. Which is what SRT turned to Realise for help with…
With SRT undertaking their own in-house electronic design and development, SRT asked Realise to integrate alongside their existing team to design a robust easy to-use enclosure to suit. After analysing the situation and requirements, the basic brief we set for ourselves was:
Technical Functionality
User experience
We immediately realised that there was an interesting tension needing to appear technical versus friendly and approachable to a wide range of people from commercial ship owners to local fishermen running their own small traditional wooden fishing boat. This would be a tricky balance to achieve!
Finding the best balance of user experience, design, functionality, and cost required a structured programme of creative, technical thinking.
In the concept stage we explored the form, user interface, product construction and simplified assembly methods, alongside the electronic team’s layout concepts and component evaluations.
One of the innovations this delivered was a unique assembly method allowing the inner seal to be compressed and assembled at an angle, allowing easy access to components and ports and only requiring two screws to close, saving time and cost in production. In addition, anti-tamper clips cover critical mounting points that prevent users from removing the unit without traceability.
During development and detailed engineering, we carried out extensive prototyping, user validation and specialised performance testing, like immersion and vibration or shock tests, to verify the direction and details.
Throughout this we were aware of the importance of this operating in difficult conditions, for it to deliver on its potential for positive change within the marine industry.
In close collaboration with the SRT’s electronic design team and their manufacturing partners right through tooling and sampling, we achieved the best possible design in a matter of a few months.
The result is a quality controlled product, that achieves everything in the brief, at the target price target and that will last in use.
Most importantly VMS-100 will enable fishing vessels throughout the Philippines to fish fairly and sustainably. Which as a proven platform, gives SRT a huge opportunity to expand this worldwide for maximum positive impact, regulating and conserving our the oceans for the future.
Working with with forward thinking businesses who are proactively making meaningful change to improve ocean health and the communities who make a living from it, is something that we are very excited to be a part of.
The SRT Team themselves are excellent to work with, with close communication and trust in us, pragmatic in their approach to the design and development of the product, whilst being open minded to the value of design solutions. In our experience these are very important characteristics to getting the right result, which when this is a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable future, then these are important skills!
To find out more about SRT Marine Systems, visit their website, SRT Marine Systems plc (srt-marine.com)
The product design process is fundamentally a framework for identifying a market opportunity, clearly defining problems and developing viable solutions to improve the lives of its users whilst creating increased value for the business.
The Realise’ product design process is a structure that quickly and reliably produces the right results whilst minimising risk and development costs. We adopt this process in every project we undertake to ensure the best quality output is achieved.
If you are looking to develop your product idea or like SRT, take an existing product to the next level, contact us and find out more or have a look at our services page to find out more about what we can do for you!
Designing a Technology Demonstrator For Delivering Mixed Reality Simulation
Design for Manufacture
Certification Testing
Supply Chain Support
Sector: Industrial product
Close Air Solutions provide training for defence and security personnel that experience high-stress combat situations. They replicate immersive and realistic scenarios to help operators make better judgment decisions under extreme pressure and ultimately prevent unnecessary deaths. The company had an opportunity to showcase its world-class capabilities in mixed reality simulations. However, they urgently needed a bespoke enclosure to protect their cameras capturing and broadcasting outdoor environments, crucial to simulating battlefields.
Realise designed a watertight industrial enclosure as a technology demonstrator for mixed reality simulation, protecting internal hardware from various weather conditions and ensuring full functionality of optics with crystal clear clarity. The project was rapidly delivered – in six weeks – and allowed Close Air Solutions to present its technology to stakeholders, undergo trials, and elevate its proposition.
Seamless surround-vision, mixed reality.
Close Air Solutions needed a one-off, quick-release, watertight camera enclosure that could be mounted on a sturdy tripod with a connecting base plate to operate outdoors without regular intervention for up to two weeks. The unit had to house three cameras that could be adjustable in position but firmly held in place and collectively arranged to allow for a compact unit, minimise blind spots, and provide the 120-degree field of view to broadcast to screens off-site as a seamless surround-vision display. The product would also need to reduce the effects of vignetting and surface water collecting on the camera lens to ensure maximum clarity.
Homing in on the technology and critical needs.
Realise met with the Close Air team and homed in on the critical technical needs to deliver a crystal-clear image as far as the eye could see, quickly narrowing down different alignment and lens options. In addition, we kept a consistent, open dialogue with Close Air to share concise updates on design options for their approval to accelerate the process.
Utilizing 3D CAD enclosure modelling (internal link) ensured consistent reviews to resolve issues that cropped up due to the speed of the project.
The team also combined bought-in components with the bespoke design for the main housing (and its respective gasket for a watertight seal) to reduce the risk of one-off manufactured parts delaying delivery.
The complete process took four weeks, from concept to a detailed design that was ready for production.
Delivering a one-off technology demonstrator.
Realise delivered a one-off, fully functional camera enclosure designed in two parts with a single split line, rapid CNC machined enclosure (internal link). The front half of the unit is easily removed to give full access to the internal cameras. These are aligned for maximum field of view and compactly arranged with built-in adjustability. A hydrophobic coating was applied to the lenses, which were shipped out to Germany for application. In addition, a visor was designed as a feature of the enclosure to ensure the clearest view possible in wet weather conditions. As a technology demonstrator, the entire product provides a robust and rugged look that adds a high-end tech feel for additional value, fit for the defence sector.
What does Close Air Systems say about Realise?
“Working with Realise was a pleasure. They made an effort to ensure that they understood our requirements properly. The review processes were very useful in assuring us that our requirements would be met. Where there were options to choose from, the Realise team explained very well the advantages and disadvantages of each option. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone for a bespoke design.” – Thomas Ball, Technical Director, Close Air Solutions.
We love working with great clients, and Close Air has been one of those.
They placed their customers’ needs central to every decision and entrusted the Realise Design Team to make technical design decisions.
It has been a truly exciting and positive experience for everyone involved.
To find out more about Close Air Solutions visit their website, www.closeairsolutions.com/modularicass/
Designing A Clean Air Solution For Polluted Environments
Design for Manufacture
Certification Testing
Supply Chain Support
Sector: Consumer Product
Behind the Airhead mask is a team of university friends Harry Young, Alex Smith and Elliot Denvir, with an entrepreneurial flair, spotting the need for an effective pollution mask for the active commuter. The passion and energy that the Airhead team have are what makes this product special. Air quality has become increasingly important within busy cities. The impact that this has on our health was the inspiration for this revolutionary mask.
Their mission is to encourage people to be more active outside and empower people by educating them about air quality and helping them to make choices about their respiratory health.
Designing a pollution mask that not only looks excellent but uses proven technology to deliver health benefits to its users is a tall order – but Airhead has done just that!
There is increasing demand for products in major cities to combat air pollution for cyclists and runners. Poor air quality significantly impacts people’s health, potentially causing respiratory infections, diseases, and cancers.
Finding a good fitting, attractive-looking, and cost-effective mask provides the top-tier filtration needed to protect wearers against polluted air.
With a saturated market with many product offerings, the hugely successful Airhead Kickstarter campaign highlighted the demand for a mask that meets these requirements.
Airhead product requirements:
Having developed initial ideas and models for the mask, Airhead sought expert help from Realise to design a commercially viable, standard-compliant, manufacturable design, ready for market launch.
It was crucial to evaluate and understand the needs of active commuters. Above all else, the product had to work in every situation, whether running, walking or jumping. It had to be secure at all times inside and out to deliver uninterrupted filtration confidently.
Next, create the technical documentation required ready for submission for laboratory testing. The Airhead project developed when demand for PPE, raw filter materials, and laboratory testing was high, then came the covid pandemic, which highlights the benefit and the need to wear a facemask. However, this posed challenges to the project; our tried and tested industry contact network alleviated this issue. Prioritising the critical product requirements alongside the Kickstarter milestones and budgets, we planned a complete program of work accommodating these unprecedented supply chain issues.
Exploring how each layer within the mask could fit harmoniously with the face was an essential first step to the design process.
Given the nature of the product and its use, cleaning the mask is also a key feature for users. Utilising a modular design for disassembly ensured that all areas could be accessed and cleaned effectively.
The Realise team used three-dimensional head modelling to ensure optimal face fitting alongside vent positioning to improve breathability and minimise leakage around the face seal.
Changing the mask door mechanism to a single latch and adding extra fixing points improved the rigidity of the product and sealing. From here, we were able to re-design the mask door opening operation without causing discomfort.
Using our prior experience with both safety devices and health care products, we were able to work closely with commercial development laboratories to speed up and reduce risk throughout the process. In addition, we ran a series of tests on prototype masks to assess filtration quality, seal, and fit and adjust where necessary to improve performance.
To increase the longevity of the filters, the design team carefully considered the construction and fitting of the outer AirSkin®, exploring a variety of materials and processes such as 3D knitting. In addition, textile development ran alongside the enclosure design, a specialised discipline our team has experience with.
The design team embedded the Airhead branding into the design process was just as important as the technical delivery, and in this case, the logo featuring AirSkin® became the ideal place.
Onward into manufacture, the Realise team, created all technical files and met with suppliers directly to help support Airhead on the final leg of their journey. The Airhead mask is patent-pending across the UK and Internationally, registered in the UK, US, China, and the EU. The outcome of all the hard work is a sophisticated, customisable, comfortable Mask that has been designed to last.
“Thank you for your incredible work and support in helping us create the Airhead mask. You’ve taught us a huge amount and always gone the extra mile to get things right. We’ve truly loved working with a group of such fantastic, talented people! looking forwards to the next chapter…” – Alex, Elliot and Harry
We love working with great clients, and Airhead has been a fantastic team to work with.
They placed their customers’ needs central to every decision and entrusted the Realise Design Team to make technical design decisions. Alongside us, they recognised the functional features that needed prioritising and the time and commitment for iterative prototyping and ongoing laboratory testing required to underpin the certification standards.
It has been a truly exciting and positive experience for everyone involved.
We are so pleased to see the Airhead team successfully launch their debut product! To find out more about Airhead visit their website, Airhead – Revolutionary Pollution Mask – Made in the UK | Airhead.
Start your journey with a team of experts and realise your ideas potential?
We can help!
Contact us through the links below!
What a year (or so) it has been! Here at Realise we’ve been keeping our shoulders to the wheel and tackling challenges with a number of new faces – adding some strings to our bow.
Designing products for the future of data-driven automation
Bespoke Prototyping
Modular Design
Integrated Branding
Sector: Advanced Manufacturing
Have you ever tried measuring a turbine blade? Or whether your robot has moved to exactly the position in space you wanted?
These are the kind of tough problems tackled by the team of metrology and automation experts at Insphere, who started life in aerospace, setting up systems for difficult-to-measure critical aircraft parts.
Based on their building reputation in aerospace, Insphere have been growing into all engineering sectors, helping improve and implement automation solutions.
The challenge with measuring production robots, like you see on a car assembly line, is they are dynamic, complex processes, with no readily available tools to measure them. Insphere developed a solution with multiple optical sensors to envelope the working volume of the robot, which continuously monitors targets positioned on the end-effector.
Insphere’s challenge was that existing metrology systems are too expensive – costing around 3 times more than the robot – and still have limitations that make employing them for monitoring and controlling robots unpractical.
Insphere therefore asked Realise to help design a metrology grade camera system, specialised for robot monitoring, with a punchy cost target a fraction that of existing equipment.
The development route of the project was established by identifying the technical requirements and key ‘problems’ to resolve:
Stabilising the alignment of the dual stereoscopic cameras:
The stability of the cameras is vitally important as it is what makes the system so reliable and is required to maintain accuracy. As such the cameras must not move during transportation, everyday use or minor impacts.
Heat stabilisation and control:
The sensors not only require mechanical stability, but also thermal stability. As such, Insphere specified a +/- 1 degree tolerance on the temperature variation of the sensors. We worked together to develop the best technical solution: active temperature management capable of holding +/- 0.1 degrees! Significantly out-pacing the specification.
Improved assembly times and maintenance:
The unit is designed to reduce internal clashes and provide ruggedised protection for industrial environments, designed with to even withstand carbon dust ingress. The system can be built quickly by one individual, reducing production times and enables easier maintenance on the Iona system.
Low batch numbers, high quality:
The emphasis on high quality production in low numbers, allows for the design to grow and develop as more user data is gathered and fed back into the next design. With additional units being integrated into the market, Insphere can flex to market demands and take advantage of opportunities that arise.
Prototyping:
Substantial prototyping rounds resulted in a product that was incrementally and rigorously tested against the key requirements identified. Validation of each requirement supplied confidence to bring the product to manufacture.
Having a passion for good design is one of the reasons we are so good at what we do.
Delivering manufacturable products is imperative, but so is making sure the final product stands out visually from its competitors.
Using high quality premium materials and finishes is unique for this industry, and Realise Team sought to help Insphere to embed the final piece of the puzzle, branding.
Defining the company values and agreeing that north star purpose, meant breaking down the company values and turning this into a mission. Defining colour choices alongside materials and manufacturing methods specification, enabled us to design a product that’s physical features and attributes were embedded into every design decision.
Maximizing the design and branding processes in parallel is key to new products launch success.
The result is Iona, a scalable network of sensors that provide metrology-grade data for automating manufacturing processes.
Measure twice cut once’ is the age-old mantra underpinning Iona’s futuristic technology. Discretely deployed for continuous data capture in real time, Iona can work in the harshest of environments and overcome the more costly elements of manufacturing such as waste, predictive maintenance and lost accuracy.
By creating a system that allows for digital twinning and embracing smart manufacturing at its very core we have been able to produce a product that is smarter, more efficient and more manoeuvrable than ever before.
INSPHERE can now provide a premium solution to its customers that will not only drive-up efficiency during manufacture, but also provide valuable data and insights on specific areas of improvement for their business.
Agile and open in mindset, Insphere’s approach to the design process was one of adaption and change which has proved to be foundational to the success of the Iona project.
“When we first engaged with Realise, they really took the time to understand our company not just our product requirements; resulting in a design that reflects our brand and values. Throughout the development process they have maintained good communication, working with us as part of our engineering team. They were responsive and can deliver to tight timescales. The end result is a product that we’re all really proud of, with great visual impact whilst meeting some very challenging functional criteria.” Ollie Martin, CTO
The complex nature behind simple products isn’t always as obvious as you might think, especially when it comes to the world’s first hot chocolate shaker!
We’re looking for a senior designer to join our forward thinking and sociable product design agency in the fantastic city of Bristol. Could this be you?
The World’s first Hot Chocolate Shaker
Design For Manufacture
User Centred Design
FDA Food Rating
Sector: Consumer products
Design a versatile home/cafe barista tool to shake up the hot chocolate market!
Al Garnsworthy of The Chocolate Society discovered that by shaking up quality chocolate and not just stirring it, you can create an ultra smooth and exceptionally tasty hot chocolate drink. The only problem with this method is the spray of hot liquid when you open your container.
Not to be deterred and identifying a great opportunity to expand his existing product line, Al asked us to join him in his onsite kitchen in Somerset where we very willingly tried his experimental new hot chocolate drinks.
Think cocktail shakers! Think theatre! Think of the best hot chocolate ever! Seeking an easy to use, easy to clean and most importantly fun container that was more James Bond than the local corner shop, Al had found it and he wanted to bring it to his customers.
As exceptional Chocolatiers based in rural countryside, the company had already established itself with an enviable reputation as producers of fresh chocolate truffles, caramels and chocolate bars. Taking the next steps in their business with a physical product would help elevate their market position further.
Recognising a key challenge for designing a vessel to contain hot drinks was the necessity of overcoming the expansion of hot air and increased pressure, especially during shaking and Al sought the expertise of the Realise Team.
Several design routes were explored on paper, thinking through the various mechanisms that could be used to combat the main issue of increased pressure within the vessel, as well as many aesthetic directions to find the perfect fit for The Chocolate Society’s brand.
Exploring a cap that would automatically ‘pop’ to accommodate the expansion of air when shaking hot liquid, the team calculated the increase in air volume required (driven by guideline fill levels) to ensure that all designs were feasible from the outset. Coupled with identifying a suitable silicon material, Santoprene TPR, offered the required flexibility, repeatability and thermal resistance properties early on in the development process to ensure performance risks were minimised quickly.
Seeking a modern and premium looking product that was also safe to use was also high on requirements list.
Replicating double-walled glass in food-grade Tritan plastic the team created a design that utilises a natural air gap that prevents the container getting too hot or cold. This also allows the user to still see the contents internally without the obstruction of a silicon grip or heat shield, and minimise the number of parts to be assembled.
Producing a number of prototypes internally proved critical, allowing the team to continuously test the performance of the product throughout its development, looking specifically at pouring, expansion of the vessel, heat transfer and thread performance. Keeping an eye on manufacture costs was essential to The Chocolate Society to ensure that it was not only a viable product to manufacture, but also cost sensitive to the end customer.
These iterative prototypes also enabled the opportunity to have early conversations with manufacturing partners to address costs and design improvements. Ensuring that the product functioned as expected before the customer invested in higher cost visual aids and high end prototypes for investor pitches and user testing also reduces project risk.
As with all of our projects, Al and the team at The Chocolate Society were kept in close collaboration throughout the whole product development cycle.
This was to ensure that they remained in control of the direction of the end product, whilst at the same time we were able to share our own knowledge to ensure the best outcome for their business. This also included advice for their Kickstarter campaign which ultimately gained the backing of over 1600 people.
On completion of all final prototype testing and agreeing the correct material selection in accordance with FDA Approvals, Realise generated all required technical documentation for the shakers two part enclosure, ready for handover to the selected manufacturer.
It was very important to The Chocolate Society to keep manufacture within the UK. Although this comes at an increased price point, it meant that Al and the Team were much more involved in the manufacturing process and could therefore personally inspect first-off parts much more easily than with an overseas manufacturer.
Initially, final production involves a lot of process optimisation to begin producing parts of an ideal quality. Sometimes tooling modifications are also required to reach a perfect functional/aesthetic blend, an area that Realise is an expert in.
Realise have the ability to introduce customers to manufacturing partners and oversee production runs and in this case the product was ultimately injection moulded by a company in the South of England.
The Hot Chocolate Shaker has gone on to become a big success at The Chocolate Society, winning rave reviews in the media and online.
So what are you waiting for, head on over to their website and then throw in your favourite chocolate bar, and maybe a cheeky tipple and give it a shake!
