Summary

A new line of home gardening products (20 SKU’s) and respective brand was developed which introduces an innovative technology originally proven within industrial agricultural that oxygenates the water as it passes through the system. A custom designed generator within each product creates millions of microscopic Nano-Bubbles of oxygen in the water which enhances the plants ability to absorb nutrients from the soil for up to 30% more growth.

Challenges

The key challenge for developing the Purerain products was to effectively differentiate them from the competing items in the same category, which hadn’t seen innovation in a decade by communicating the main point of difference/advantage – the inclusion of the Nano-Bubble technology. A second major challenge was developing and integrating the NB generator technology within the overall form factor of the product from both a mechanical design / fluid path standpoint. The NB generator took substantial volume and had the ability to make the form factor overly cumbersome. The challenge was to walk the fine line of making the products distinct enough to differentiate them in the market; yet retain the same form factors that users are familiar within context of usage.

Solutions

In terms of differentiating these new products within the segment; various ways to externalize the Nano-Bubble technology within the look and feel of the design were explored during the development program. This led to the integration of the windowed design which reveals the technology inside- immediately gaining the consumers interest at point of purchase that this product is different than the existing items within the category. The design of the handset connotes the idea of a handle which is holding / integrating the NB generator technology within the form. Interface areas are overmolded and contoured for ergonomics and comfort.

The angle of the handle has also been optimized for comfort and usability. Many of the competitive products have a vertical orientation to the handle / hose exit. Research and experimentation found that an angled solution was much more comfortable and increased maneuverability. Given the high number of SKU’s within the line; a smart detail design / tooling strategy was employed on the products. The approach leveraged a core chassis with different aesthetic covers applied depending on the low/mid/high price point of the specific product resulting in substantial savings in tooling costs.

Results

The product line won four IDEA awards and three Good Design Awards for respective products within the line. The innovative industrial design of the new products quickly gained entry into key big box retailers like Lowes, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and Target.