Improving wellness at work with product design
Services
- Ergonomic design
- Market research
- Aesthetic refinement
- 3D modelling
- Innovation workshops
- Concept generation
Sector
- consumer
Client
ACCO is one of the world's largest manufacturers of branded office, consumer and business products. It is home to many of the biggest names in office equipment, including Leitz, a premium European brand of products designed for exceptional performance and style. The Leitz iComfi personal heating range was developed to expand their wellness at work category, specifically to be usable in the office, at home and on the move.
ACCO approached OPD to explore new opportunities by leveraging our creativity and expertise in an ever-changing marketplace. Recognising our proven track record of successful, award-winning collaborations, they entrusted us to place design at the heart of their new products, confident in our ability to deliver innovative solutions.
Key challenges the ACCO team was facing included:
- As the new personal heating range was a new product category for ACCO, limited initial investment was allocated to test the new products in the marketplace. Therefore, costs and timescales were tightly controlled.
- Specific fixed components were required in the design to leverage Acco’s manufacturing supply chain. For instance, the battery pack and electronics were provided to the design team, while the fabric and zips were selected off-the-shelf materials in readily available colours for the quickest time to market.
- Portability was a key consideration to suit the hybrid and work-anywhere trend. Ensuring that the compact cushion would be travel-friendly and small enough to fit into a laptop bag was important for convenient use at the home, office or on-the-go.
The decision to explore the personal heating product category arose from a series of Innovation sessions that were designed and facilitated to explore new areas of product development for the Leitz brand, laying the foundation for potential areas of future innovation. [link to Innovation sessions blog post].
After completing market research and competitor analysis on the wellness at work category, and specifically personal heating products, we created a diverse range of initial product concepts. The core value of the personal heating product range is to heat the user, not the environment, so a range of product ideas embodying this philosophy were generated.
After initial brainstorming and concept generation, two product ideas were selected for further development. A heated seat cushion and heated chair cover.
Because this was a new category for the Leitz brand and required a new supply chain for the brand, our flexible design approach enabled the designs to evolve in response to shifting needs throughout the design process.
From an industrial design point of view, a key challenge was ensuring the designs look comfortable, inviting and warm while still retaining a professionalism within the aesthetics making them suitable for use in a professional workspace environment.
Ensuring a great user experience
A key focus of the project was optimising the user experience, particularly in how the product was assembled and interacted with. We carefully considered every detail, including the placement of stitching, the selection of piping, and the arrangement of electronics and wiring within the product. These elements had to be both comfortable and not felt while sitting on and easily accessible, creating a seamless experience for the end user while assembling and recharging the product.
A series of prototypes with different density memory foams and wiring positions enabled us to test the designs for comfort and fit.
Soft goods design – Leveraging our team’s expertise
A crucial aspect of the project was the soft goods design, an area where our team’s expertise was instrumental. OPD’s knowledge of fabrics, material applications, and manufacturing processes played a significant role in shaping the product through discussions with the manufacturer throughout the process. This ensured that the materials selected were treated appropriately to meet the manufacturing, performance and durability requirements.
Accommodating client manufacturing requirements
To streamline production and maintain cost efficiency, we worked closely with ACCO’s development team and chosen manufacturing facility in Asia, ensuring that the new product could be manufactured within their existing capabilities. Designing around the fixed components and supply chain requirements led to the design of a common control interface and battery pocket for all the products in the range. Integrating this into the ID was challenging while ensuring optimum positioning for user access and comfort when in use.
The ACCO team was able to successfully trial these new product ideas while keeping production adjustments and associated costs to a minimum.
The iComfi Personal Heating Range was successfully launched into the German market at first. Our design not only delivered a superior, more professional, aesthetic compared to competitors but also effectively addressed the challenges ACCO initially presented to us, including tightly controlled costs and timelines; leveraging existing manufacturing supply chains and facilities; and ensuring the portability of the compact cushion to suit the hybrid working trend.
For those working in cold seasons or particularly sensitive to the cold, the new iComfi range enables the user to focus better on their work and improve productivity by keeping themselves comfortable at home or when working elsewhere.
By heating the user, and not the environment, these products also help to save on energy required to heat homes by reducing reliance on central heating when working from home.
Customer Feedback
Initial customer feedback has been very positive, with certain features particularly gaining feedback such as:
- The chair cover’s ability to adapt perfectly to different chairs.
- The size of the compact cushion combined with the rechargeable battery, making it ideal for travel, camping, or everyday use.
- The flexible, adaptability and comfort of the memory foam.
- The anti-slip material, ensuring a secure fit on chairs.
- The removable cover, which is easy to clean.
This was a challenging and enjoyable product to work on which we helped deliver from initial idea, right through to production. To see the products out in the market and improving workers productivity and comfort is very rewarding. These designs provide a great platform upon which to build further in future.
