We decided to develop a product line of our own to walk a mile in our clients’ shoes – tackling all of the critical things necessary to get to market after the design work is done. We’re glad we did! It’s now being called “an ergonomic wonder” by the press and has been snapped up by the biggest retailers in the industry.
Starting with a few self-imposed constraints
The first was “keep it simple”. The second was “play in a niche market with reasonable ‘white space’, but make sure it’s big enough that there’s business potential there”. And finally, “choose a topic we know something about”. Since several Daylighters have a passion for playing guitar, we decided to create a line of simple, useful accessories for musicians.
Turning to musicians for inspiration
Harnessing Daylight’s user research process, we uncovered a clear opportunity around the ergonomics and cable management of guitar effects pedals. Users were bogged down with a tangled mess of cables at their feet. And because the pedals were all at the same level, users were required to do an awkward tap dance to access them. We also saw that music stores were sending their customers to the hardware store to buy generic rolls of Velcro to attach their pedals to their road cases. This meant lost revenue for the retailer, and a sub-par experience for the customer.
Keeping it simple
After extensive prototyping and iterative user feedback, we arrived at two new-to-world concepts. The first was a simple stamped metal device that raised the back row of pedals for easier access, also enabling a highly effective cable routing channel underneath. The second product is a simple die-cut Velcro fastener that solves all of the problems associated with generic hardware store Velcro and provides a compelling add-on sale for the music retailer.
Early results quite promising
Both products have met with a very positive initial response. The first retailers to receive their stock have sold out in a matter of days, and the products are already hitting the shelves across North American, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
We decided to develop a product line of our own to walk a mile in our clients’ shoes – tackling all of the critical things necessary to get to market after the design work is done. We’re glad we did! It’s now being called “an ergonomic wonder” by the press and has been snapped up by the biggest retailers in the industry.
Starting with a few self-imposed constraints
The first was “keep it simple”. The second was “play in a niche market with reasonable ‘white space’, but make sure it’s big enough that there’s business potential there”. And finally, “choose a topic we know something about”. Since several Daylighters have a passion for playing guitar, we decided to create a line of simple, useful accessories for musicians.
Turning to musicians for inspiration
Harnessing Daylight’s user research process, we uncovered a clear opportunity around the ergonomics and cable management of guitar effects pedals. Users were bogged down with a tangled mess of cables at their feet. And because the pedals were all at the same level, users were required to do an awkward tap dance to access them. We also saw that music stores were sending their customers to the hardware store to buy generic rolls of Velcro to attach their pedals to their road cases. This meant lost revenue for the retailer, and a sub-par experience for the customer.
Keeping it simple
After extensive prototyping and iterative user feedback, we arrived at two new-to-world concepts. The first was a simple stamped metal device that raised the back row of pedals for easier access, also enabling a highly effective cable routing channel underneath. The second product is a simple die-cut Velcro fastener that solves all of the problems associated with generic hardware store Velcro and provides a compelling add-on sale for the music retailer.
Early results quite promising
Both products have met with a very positive initial response. The first retailers to receive their stock have sold out in a matter of days, and the products are already hitting the shelves across North American, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.