When we set out to create a new product, we always try to make it the best possible design we can. Before we start sketching any concepts, we first form a detailed brief that covers key functions that the product must have. This might sound restrictive but it greatly helps focus the creative side and sometimes the tighter the brief, the more unique the design ends up being as it forces us to innovate.
Once we have the brief confirmed, we start conceptualising ideas. This process can take 3-6 months with lots of model making along the way (anything that physically helps us understand the form, feel, and functionality). Once the design is confirmed, we then look to find skilled manufacturing partners who can help us produce the design. Skipping forward to finally launching the design, the whole process from start to finish for a brand new product can easily take over two years. It is a huge commitment in terms of passion, finance, and energy to see a product through, but hugely worthwhile if the end result lives up and even surpasses the original brief.
When we first started working on our first Stainless Steel lunch box, there were already others on the market, but none of them were truly leakproof and they were lacking any beauty or proportion/detail consideration. We wanted to give this product a utilitarian / modern-retro / built-to-last appeal. Stainless Steel is a lovely material that can wear well and get better with age. It might show the odd scratch or dent, but this will only add to the charm and character, and not hinder the functionality.
The design went through many different form studies to perfect the shape and functionality. We worked with a very skilled metal forming factory to translate our design into a real product. While the design might look minimal and simple, it reuqires highly skilled controlled production to get it to work.
We aren’t ones to blow our own trumpet and say our design is the best, but we’re feeling genuinely proud that our stainless steel lunch box design was just chosen as the ‘Best reusable lunch boxes for adults of 2020‘ by the Evening Standard.. and also by the Independent in their ‘8 best reusable lunchboxes that will help you reduce waste‘. That’s two # 1 votes in two months by two completely independent reviews.