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Rodd.uk.com
OBSERVE. INNOVATE. DESIGN
Rodd are an award winning UK based product design and development
consultants. Our team creates engaging, innovative and consumer centric
design for some of the worlds most successful brands.
Rodd/Observe.Innovate.Design
Rodd
Since our formation in 1987 Rodd have earned an enviable
reputation for innovative, consumer focussed product design
delivery.
This is reflected in the clients we have attracted from around
the world, organisations who recognise design innovation is
central to their continued commercial success.
This document gives you an insight into our approach, past
projects and methods of engagement.
Rodd/Winter sun on the front of the studio
Innovate/‘Pinch’ Pan timers.
What we do
Rodd’s objective is to humanise and give clarity to products,
consumer experiences and technology.
We work with client organisations from Global brands to
NGO’s to establish and guide their design strategy, provide
early stage human centred insight and create innovative
design solutions to multi- facetted problems.
Combine some, or all of these elements and we can help
you craft beautifully executed product design and engaging
consumer experience which will drive loyalty and revenue for
you brand.
Rodd/Universal GSM
Observe.Innovate.Design /On the streets of Tokyo looking for insights
Observe. Innovate. Design
Our philosophy Observe. Innovate. Design has evolved
over twenty years of business and countless design
challenges. At their most powerful these disciplines are
used sequentially, each informing the next.
Our user centred observation is the starting point for
innovation and identifies the ‘truth’ behind usage and
reveals opportunity for consumer experience.
During this stage of insight work we can unlock innovation
opportunities and understand the subtleties of your brand
or product from an end users perspective. When mixed
with our ability to think strategically about your business
needs observation provides a invaluable starting point for
finding solutions.
This process will typically trigger design development of a
single product idea or entire product range. Rodd prides
itself in the highest standards of design delivery both
creatively and technically, whether you require front end
design thinking or turnkey solutions.
We acknowledge everybody’s starting point will be
different, so our first commitment is to work with you
to agree the best entry point is to ensure your design
investment is maximised.
Observe.Innovate.Design /A client ideation day at Rodd.
Observe
Design without understanding is an uneducated
guess, empathy at best.
From first hand experience, we know our simple
human centred design approach unlocks latent needs
and identifies subtle patterns of use, the subtleties
of use that often go unquestioned in conventional
research.
Combine this with our innate ability to understand and
take inspiration from cultural diversity, decipher trends
and find clarity for our clients brands makes Rodd an
ideal partner for your design insights.
Observe.Innovate.Design / Stills from video research.
Observe/Inclusive GSM
When a long term domestic telephony client wanted
to enter the GSM market to target the senior user
they turned to Rodd.
We began by carrying out video research with a cross
section of early adopters and ‘specialist’ users. This
is our definition for those who demonstrate extreme
use cases - such as the uber savvy mobile youth
market, occasional or ‘emergency use only’ and
users like ‘Jean’ a lady in her mid sixties with wet
macular degeneration whose GSM phone was part of
an intricate social lifeline.
In parallel, we took a cross section of the current
marketplace, identifying key positioning opportunities
and polling opinion on the current handsets
specifically targeting the older users. Reaction was
varied but the constant was a feeling that the current
‘Senior’ niche GSM’s are overly simplified and
stigmatised the user as ‘in need of care’, ‘elderly’ and
devoid of style.
By understanding these diverse requirements we
quickly identified the common ground, the features
and functions that any new offering must have. Top
of everyone’s list regardless of age and circumstance
was simplicity of use without over simplification, a
look and feel that does not stigmatise, a clear and
large format display with a desirable interface.
The resulting handsets are being developed under
Licence and we hope that they will prove to become
the desirable choice for anyone that wants a easy
to use, easy to live with and highly desirable mobile
phone.
Observe/Inclusive GSM handset produced under licence with a long term OEM partner.
Observe /48 hours in Tokyo
Internationally recognised for our user centred design
approach Rodd was invited to Tokyo to take part in
a 48 hour Universal Design Challenge, part of the
International Design Innovation Forum in 2008.
The theme for the event was ‘Natural disaster in the
urban environment’. Each team had just 48 hours
to produce ethnography, identify and incubate their
ideas before making a presentation to a capacity
audience of design and disaster professionals and
company representatives.
Our winning submission Elixir: Is a Universal redesign
of a water bottle that could be deployed to cities in
the first 72 hours of a disaster. Beyond its primary
function the bottle is shaped to provide a makeshift
disposable toilet for both men and women. The
supply of clean water and management of human
waste were cited as key objectives by the disaster
experts.
Elixir was voted overall winner by the audience and
was selected for the Design prize by Professor Seiichi
Onobo of the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music.
Observe/Sunrise over Tokyo. A high intensity week in Japan leading a team of Japanese design professionals.
Innovate / Philips Coolskin shaver - code name Merlin. The first of many projects with Philips.
Innovate
Innovation has many faces. Perhaps the obvious
starting point is the brainstorming workshop
where new product propositions and user
experiences are born and brought to life as
concepts.
Sometimes it could be brought about by
technology transfer or convergence, perhaps
a new material or process in need of a product
proposition to exploit it. Perhaps a brand new
market opportunity, or it could just be about
thinking about an old problem in a completely
different way.
Rodd’s divergent team of creative and technical
thinkers are regularly asked to deliver innovation
insight and opportunity into in-house teams,
either as the starting point for a long and detailed
design delivery programme, to add critical band
width or as a means to test a concept.
Our team will analyse and expand your
opportunity and present you with diverse but
highly targeted ideas. Our role is not only that of
‘originator’ but also to help you to assess which
idea is the killer and which is the lame duck.
It is these abilities brought on by over twenty
years of innovation that leads clients to our
studio.
Innovate/Fresh ingredients
Just one of a series of strategic projects for a
housewares A-brand.
Given our experience in the kitchen product sector
Rodd were asked to bring something new to our
clients highly successful kitchen timer category.
Having observed the ever increasing popularity
of TV chefs and the rise in wannabe home chefs
(team Rodd included) we proposed a range of
simple, stylish timer concepts that rather than time
the stove top fit directly to the pan. Allowing the
budding chef to time multiple pans to the second!
The favoured solution was ‘Pinch’. A colourful
silicon housing which shrouds both the electronic
timer and integrates a polyamide spring which
when squeezed opens and clamps to a variety of
pan styles and sizes.
Innovate/‘Pinch’ Pan timers.
Innovate /Philips Intimate Massagers.
Innovate/ The ultimate consumer experience
Philips has recently entered new and exciting territory with
its Relationship Care products – both in terms of the market
sector and the way it develops product.
The new range of intimate massagers are specifically
designed for couples to explore their sensuality together and
to enhance the mood for both.
The massagers were developed under an innovative
‘Incubator’ process new to Philips - requiring fast track
decision making and very close co-operation of a small
multi- disciplinary development team.
Rodd was invited to play a central role in the Incubator team.
We brought vital experience of fast-track development,
expertise in design, usability and mechanical engineering
to the party. This expertise, together with our control of the
central CAD models, meant we became a focal point and
bridge between the various project stakeholders within the
Philips organisation.
Our role became that of project ‘Architect’ distilling and
embodying the needs of Philips project management and
marketers, Philips Design, The Philips Advanced Technology
Centre and the Philips manufacturing plant into fully working
preproduction designs for consumer testing.
Innovate/ Social innovation
Building on our social innovation and public realm
design experience Rodd were appointed by East
London’s Leaside Regeneration to help develop
inclusive streetscapes, services and product concepts
to improve the access and service provision along
London’s Bow and Mile End Road.
During the collaborative project Rodd worked
alongside disabled residents, a specialist access
agency, stakeholders from Transport For London and
Urban regeneration architects to innovative signage,
improve communication, way-finding and new street
furniture elements that enhance visitors’ experiences
of the area.
The project has particular relevance to the 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Stratford City
and International Station developments, as Bow Road
and Mile End Road will be a key route to the Olympic
Park in Stratford.
Rodd/Our studio at Chart House. Secure, secluded and the perfect place to host an ideation workshop.
Design
Innovation is nothing without strategic vision and well crafted
design delivery.
Our industrial designers craft seductive product concepts,
user experiences and interface designs each beautifully
detailed and carefully considered to perfectly target the needs
and aspirations of your consumer.
With our in-house team, strengthened by external specialists
in electronics and production we offer a complete product
journey from concept to production. Meaning that at every
point in the process we can provide a complete and secure
service of design skills to match your needs, from trend
forecasting and concept design, through to mechanical
design, rapid prototyping, model making and offshore
procurement of production.
Design/ NXP Web tablet.
Design/ Designing Demand
Rodd was selected by the Design Council to provide
strategic and development support to Neptune Outdoor
Furniture. This critical project formed a key part in the
company’s future strategic development and as such was
identified by the Design Councils ‘Designing Demand’
scheme as worthy of support.
Neptune and the team from Rodd identified that key
to future revenue growth was the need to evolve it’s
traditional product range and support its well established
customer base – whilst a new, premium contemporary
range was required to target a more design lead clientele
such as developers, architect/specifier’s and local
authorities looking for a modern offering.
Rodd was selected from a number of Design Council
approved agencies because of our ability to offer both a
strategic and turn key product development role.
Design /Cerro by Rodd. For client Neptune.
Design/ Design Partnerships
Our relationship with DKB dates back to 2000
when we were invited to bring innovation to
Culinare their kitchen utensil brand.
Our work across the thirty piece line addressed
brand consistency and quality of production,
however what made the most commercial impact
was the introduction of ‘simple everyday benefits’.
These are the things we noticed that make our
lives in the kitchen a little easier, such things as
whisks that are easy to clean, serving spoons that
fit the contour of your pan and a pizza cutter that
cuts even the most crisp base. Each product had
a feature, sometime subtle, sometimes overt that
followed this train of thought.
Culinare forms the foundation of DKB brand
portfolio and is a solid commercial performer even
ten years after it was re-launched.
Winner of a prestigious Red Dot Award.
Design/ Culinare
Design/ Strategic guidance
Rodd was invited to undertake a piece of design
strategy for Kenwood, manufacturer of small
domestic appliances and home to the legendary
Kenwood CHEF food mixer.
Our brief was to provide insight, design clarity
and differentiation for Kenwood’s Breakfast
category.
During early discussions we linked up with
James Surridge and his team at Ideaology who
had already created a brandprint booklet that
described Kenwood brand aspirations and
‘Kenwoodness’, the consumer touch points that
make Kenwood unique.
It was concluded that whilst these design values
are clearly obvious in the premium Kenwood
CHEF and K-Mix product range they are harder
to see in the current breakfast category.
Early effort was directed into understanding
buyer groups and the needs and aspirations of
these users. These needs were translated into
product values, values about quality and ‘look
and feel’ that these consumers would expect
from their products. Finally ‘exemplar’ products
were designed showing how these values would
manifest themselves in real products.
Design Strategy/ Exemplar products showing how consumer values would manifest as product.
Engage with us/ Business models
Rodd engages with its clients and brand partners in two ways, either through strategic
engagements - typically on a project by project basis, with clearly defined start and end points,
milestones and deliverable. The second method are ‘partnerships’ either with brands or start-ups
to co-create intellectual property and explore radically new markets.
Rodd are one of a few leading UK design businesses that has innovated its own engagement
methodology. We are using our knowledge of consumer behaviour to pro-actively identify
innovative design opportunities which we develop and licence to brands on a shared risk, shared
reward basis.
Which ever approach is right for you will receive the same passionate, hands on, professional and
highly accountable design service that clients have enjoyed for over twenty years.Rodd/Taking a break from an ideation session at Chart House.
Clients/ Relax you are in good company
This is a selection of the clients and brands that we are proud to
have been involved with. Whilst they differ in business sectors they
are united in their investment in high quality design and innovation.
Rodd Design LimitedChart houseSandy laneLyndhurstSO43 7DN
t +44 (0)23 8028 2456 www.rodd.uk.com
Use these links to follow us:http://rodd-observationsinnovations.blogspot.com/http://uk.linkedin.com/in/rodddesignhttp://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Rodd/80558079099?ref=ts
Ben Davies / Managing Director Peter Phillips / Director ben@rodd.uk.com peter@rodd.uk.com