Sharper Image Cordless Stick Vacuum – 2023
We worked closely with Sharper Image’s design and development teams, leading the conceptual and detailed design for their new family of premium vacuum cleaners. Designed in parallel, the Sharper Image 2-In-1 Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner and Cordless Handheld Vacuum are new products from the ground-up. Our engagement included initial feature-set exploration and component architecture definition, concept development, product family visual language definition and industrial design, and user experience development for ergonomics and usability.
The development process started by defining the specifications and architecture of key components: motor, filter, batteries, controls. These internals were wrapped in several exterior design concepts that explored ergonomics and usability, visual styling, and component/part assembly strategies. As this was part of a launch into a new product category for Sharper Image, it was important that the design inherited the DNA of the brand’s existing products while also pushing the Sharper Image design language into the future.
We refined selected concepts iteratively, working towards a form that met functional and ergonomic requirements while also being unique and fitting for the brand language. Once a final form was developed, we moved to physical prototyping to dial-in the ergonomics of the handle. Width, depth, curvature, and character of transition across the handle’s parting lines were improved and validated through 3D printed models.
We designed the three quick-connect attachments to be functional as well as beautiful. Convenient management of these accessories and a docking solution for the vacuum were central as we considered the ownership experience. We designed a modular accessory docking system that uses magnets to allow the user to either store unused attachments on a wall mount or to the extension of the vacuum itself. The wall mount can be either vertically or horizontally oriented to suit the user’s space. The available on-device storage of accessories keeps them at hand for quick changeovers. We developed this system uniquely for Sharper Image, providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace and a delight for their users.
Expressive simplicity is a core tenet of Sharper Image design. We extended this philosophy from physical shape all the way to graphics and iconography with a consistent graphical system that clearly communicates utility. We designed minimal icons to express modes and functions. The form language of these symbols exists cohesively alongside the vacuum’s shapes and contours. The colors, materials, and finish of the device itself also communicate affordances in natural ways to the user. Being part of a larger product family, we made design decisions for the vacuum within the framework of the brand, maintaining a cohesive visual language with other Sharper Image products.
The result of our development process is a light, efficient, and powerful vacuum for a wide breadth of uses at home and on-the-go. With the ability to store everything within a modular system, ample canister size and battery life, as well as an ergonomic-focused design, the Sharper Image Cordless Stick Vacuum is a product considered from the inside out to serve the user’s needs while complimenting its environment.
