Design a suitcase for the next generation traveler

Samsonite, the world leader in luggage products, and Achilles Design worked together on this innovation project. This collaboration boosted the company's continuous research of conceptual product solutions for the next generation traveler. Together we further developed and styled this new design, resulting in the Ibon suitcase.

Suitcase with first-of-its-kind features

The biggest and most distinctive features of Ibon are the transversal split and the central one-point closure system. These two features result in a fast and easy access while traveling. With numerous first-of-its-kind features, the Ibon creates new packing and travel routines:  

• The transversal split is a true space saver when opening the suitcase and doesn’t compromise on interior capacity. The telescopic handle is integrated in the hinge, and is not in the way when packing.

 

• The central one-point closure system allows for fast and easy access, moving away from multiple latches and long zipper paths. The built-in TSA lock features a latching mechanism to close the suitcase in one swift motion.

 

• The patented interior compression system ensures a secure luggage retention on both sides of the suitcase. It also creates additional packing capacity, compared to traditional systems.

 

• The central interior carry handle offers mobility during packing, allowing you to carry the opened suitcase from one room to the other, even through narrow doorways.

 

• Dual handles on the corners and sides allow for ergonomic movement of the suitcase: walking up or down the stairs, lifting into a car boot, opening and closing.

FIBA and the need for innovation in basketball

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) governs the game of basketball worldwide. FIBA has the mission to increase the importance of this beautiful game. To do so, the federation understands that it’s key to continuously innovate basketball. To strengthen the business of basketball, we must think of new value propositions for basketball equipment, innovative business models and service designs.

 

Collaborations with members of the FIBA network is critical to boost the value of basketball. That’s why FIBA wants these venue suppliers and manufacturers of basketball equipment to be inspired. They must feel empowered to work on innovative basketball products and services. Enter Achilles Design. FIBA asked our innovation consultant (Per Mans) as a public speaker to inspire and guide the members of this partner network.

 

The focus of our talk had to be on persuading and onboarding the FIBA network. We had to make these companies enthusiastic about the many possibilities to innovate their own product designs, their service designs and their business models.

Getting the FIBA audience on board

First we had to understand our audience. We’re talking about hundreds of companies from around the globe, coming together for a virtual innovation event. Many companies are also competitors from one another. That means they would not be as open as we’d like to share thoughts and innovative ideas. So we were challenged to keep our audience engaged with very few interactions - just a few live polls during our talk.

 

We started off with a high-energy video on sports innovation trends that we’ve created to shake up our audience. Only then we started the actual presentation. In our slides we could have just summed up and illustrated the many innovation opportunities for basketballs, flooring, hoops, fan engagement, training wearables ... But that would become boring fast. Bye bye innovation appetite.

 

To keep our diverse audience engaged we told the story of a fictional character named Emma. Using design thinking and storytelling techniques, we follow her from a very young age, through her entire basketball career until she retires from playing and adopts supporting and management roles. In all chapters of her life she approaches the game differently, with new user needs and desires. Each chapter allowed us to talk about different value propositions and innovation areas to consider. This format proved to be extremely engaging and empowering to our audience.

Keep Kambukka leader in trendy lifestyle drink and foodware

Not only did Kambukka hire us to develop trendy drinking solutions for people on the go, they also asked us to create new and trendy lifestyle prints that appeal to people with different personalities and tastes all over the world.

Implementation in a project

We developed a comprehensive trend model that gives Kambukka an ecosystem of all active macro trends and trends per relevant market. This model makes mutual coherence visible, while allowing to zoom in further on a particular trend. As a consequence, we were able to develop creative and innovative prints from different angles that meet their market and are consistent with the brand.

Travel light, drive smoothly and enjoy!

Everything we do starts with deep understanding and to try to get into the brand's lifestyle. Whether you're on your way to work or on a bike weekend with your friends, you want to be comfortable. People want a bike that can handle many rides, both a 'round trip' to the bakery and a trip on a new biking highway (‘fietsostrade’). HIRON takes you cycling – everywhere. Hiron's bikes carry you effortlessly on all Belgian roads. “Through wind and weather – free as a bird!"

Play around with visual elements

We were able to play around with some of Hiron's visual elements, along with the brand assets like the colors and logo. We played with the three colors, letters and photos. Cut, paste, mix - play with intuition. Ultimately, with all this background, it was much easier to exercise the visual storytelling.

Naming convention

HIRON is derived from the French word Hirondelle, or swallow. The name sounds international, but also has a Belgian character. Like the cyclist, a swallow is a migratory bird that flies through weather and wind.

Visual identity

Not coincidentally, a bird flies above HIRON. Tight and proud, he's going to show you the way. He points to freedom you discover when cycling. And especially he always remains his sympathetic self.

The colors

The colors associated with Hiron are soft shades of red, yellow and black. Our national tricolour, but somewhat weathered. Like she's been through a lot of sun, weather and wind. They are subtly used in communication.

Typography

The playful freedom Hiron wants to radiate is reflected in the lettering with the letters of H I R O N. While the word (HirON) exudes reliability and the letters themselves appear rather robust and functional, they pop up 'dancing' in communications, to emphasize the winged freedom of the cyclist.

From a distance, the Hiron bikes have their modest appearance, fit in many environments, but retain a quality look. Closer you will discover their playful character in the fine details and colours. With Hiron we want to show that quality, accessible healing, and inclusiveness can exist in harmony.

360° visibility

With Veloské, Belgium Bike Group wants to develop an unique E-bike with a focus on safety. Good quality components like the brakes and tires give you the reliability. And a unique 360° integrated light system gives you added visibility and security in traffic.

We aided Belgium Bike Group with the concept design of a signature frame with integrated lights, as well as a strong brand identity. The frame itself is constructed mostly out of bended round tubing and milled connecting blocks. These blocks proved to be most cost efficient way to integrate the amber coloured lights for the 360° visibility.

Achilles Design was involved from the early start of this project; from the first inspirational concept sketches to the final detailing necessary for tooling and production. Offering a lean and cooperative design approach, tailored to the challenges, speed and budget of a start-up company.

From the early stages we went for a design for prototyping approach. Achilles Design implemented all their expertise and experience in bicycle design to set up a feasible concept in a limited time. 3D CAD modeling is extremely valuable tool for that. The avoidance of expensive tooling costs was key in the project. This gave us the opportunity to translate the concept into an actual rideable prototype.

A new brand and a new product also includes a suitable identity. The philosophy about 360° visibility continues in the naming, logo and product graphics. Cape Hatteras (USA) and its lighthouse along the Atlantic coast inspired us. Its iconic shape and stripings became the main building blocks of the brand.

Eddy Merckx

Every sport has its legends, but cycling has a living legend: Eddy Merckx, the most successful cyclist of all time, is the top authority on human powered speed. For several years, Eddy Merckx cycles maintained a strategic design partnership with Achilles Design to guarantee a unique design language throughout their entire bicycle range.

Power under control.

Eddy Merckx Cycles wants to offer high quality bicycles for demanding racing cyclists. New models all have to fit a distinctive design identity, defined by technical requirements such as stiffness, compliance, geometries and UCI regulations. Complex surface modelling allows us to achieve a good tension between stiffness, stability and safety; technical features like cable integration, seat post clamps, and hardware mounts – all combined in an attractive design.

Experience Eddy's racing spirit

All model names are linked to 1 of the 525 victories in Eddy’s incredible career. Each frame is developed around unique characteristics. The graphics should embrace the industrial design. Blending Eddy’s true racing spirit and future market expectations results into a differentiating appearance of each and every bike.

Make styling proposals that actually work.

Rapid prototyping of detailed CAD models is the perfect preparation for mold drawing and advanced composite lay-up technique. We translate functional and behavioral specifications into a manufacturable look and feel for the carbon, aluminum and steel frames of Eddy Merckx Cycles.

Applying graphics on a bicycle frame requires accurate shaping and dimensioning of decals or paint masks. We combine 3D models with hand on cutting and pasting to define attractive but feasible designs.

Training the innocent looking SAM 225 Club into its new tougher looks

It had to have enough muscle to stand up against all weather conditions, be safe and secure, and still be able to deliver the messages of the sponsors. Together with padding specialists Coolen from Eindhoven, and thanks to Schelde Sports’s expertise and know-how, our design was detailed to perfection and quickly realized.

A portable competition basketball backstop unit

This basketball tower is fitted with the SAM (Spring Assisted Mechanism) system, a Pro Action 180° dunk ring, an anti-whip net and a full set protection padding for front, sides, backboard and neck. It’s completely freestanding thanks to the integrated extra counter-weights, no floor anchoring required. It’s ideal for indoor and outdoor events thanks to its extra thick and strong paddings with urban look. It can be moved by 1 person and positioned using the APF (Automatic Pedestal Feet) system.

A high quality e-bike with a revolutionary navigation cockpit

We helped Kingo to provide sightseers with a fun, novel and healthy way of exploring the places they visit, while being at the wheel of their own experience.

Shaping our ideas

Through sketches, basic 3D models and rough breadboards, we explored valuable solutions for the many challenges at hand. This included the general cockpit build-up, attachment to the bike, waterproofing and integration of connectors, speakers, power button and other design constraints. Thanks to our experience, a thorough analysis of the e-bikes market, and Kingo's company values, we could quickly list requirements for the bike frame and all of its components. To start talks with potential suppliers, we created a smart photo montage of existing frames, newly developed components and graphic decals which simulated the perfect Kingo e-bike.

User interface of the navigation cockpit

The digital user interface has a 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen and provides the user with different route options. On time notifications of points of interest and points of eating and drinking give the user information in a way that was never seen before. Using barebone wireframes we constructed the structure of the app, the icons, and the animations that will support the user having a new way of experiencing an e-bike ride. In every wireframe iteration the icon design and styling of the app were evaluated and redirected to meet the needs of the end-user until it was deemed a perfect fit.

Prototyping

By sourcing the right parts and materials, within budget, we could quickly perform tests on the first prototypes. Checking waterproofness, finetuning antenna placement, and evaluating readability of different displays we were able verify these critical functionalities in an early stage of the design process.

The most comfortable way to discover an area

The Kingo Smart Bike is a connected e-bike equipped with a 10 inch cockpit that operates as a true bicycle board computer. It displays real-time telemetric bike data, such as speed, battery percentage and distance, and has a high-end bicycle navigation system. The Kingo Explore App itself offers an on-board digital touristic cycle map with three different navigation options. In the ‘discover the region’ modus, tourists can freely explore the region. The map on screen shows the cycle networks and touristic highlights of the region. Together with the ‘search by address’ option, the cyclist is in full charge to adapt his journey at any given moment. Finally, ‘predefined routes’ with points of interests to visit offer tourists full guidance for their trip.

Next generation speed pedelec that replaces the car

With Ellio, Intu-e-Drive aims to develop a bicycle that could be a full-fledged replacement for a car, a high end speed pedelec that’s safe, reliable and intuitive to ride. This is achieved through a series of innovative features: a 2 wheel drive system, automatic gear changes, autonomous braking, a powerful battery and intelligent control software. This bicycle is an innovative mobility solution that takes away the uncertainties of being on the go.

Moving fast and efficient towards relevant product-market fit concepts

We supported Intu-e-Drive in the search for a product architecture that merged all the technical requirements (frame design, battery, motors, controller, etc.) with the functionality and desirability of a high-end speed pedelec. Building upon our expertise in bicycle design and market knowledge we are able to quickly develop design concepts with a high feasibility rate. Allowing us to move fast and efficient towards relevant product-market fit concepts in design sprints.

Verify and improve ride quality and appearance

Initial concept drawings are refined towards the build of a prototype. Many cycling products can only be truly tested on a physical and functional prototype. Consecutive development and prototype cycles allows us to verify and improve its ride quality and appearance, but also to test technical, mechanical and electronic solutions.

Our experience in different disciplines

Achilles Design played an extensive role in the industrialization process, going over all the components and defining their technical requirements and in respect to the intended look and feel. Our experience in different disciplines such as frame production, assembly, plastic mouldings, electric components, electronic controllers, etc. allows us to support you all the way to a finalized and functional product.

Develop each year a range of school bags for all ages

Kangourou, a private label of Colruyt Group, offers a wide variety of school related products. Together with the rebranding of their writing supplies, Achilles Design also helped to develop their range of school bags.   Kangourou offers satchels and backpacks for children of all ages, from toddlers to tweenies to teenagers. With all of these ages having different needs and ideas about what is trendy, it is hard to create a line which seems coherent and lives up to the brand, unless you have a solid handle on the core values of the brand. From this foundation you can build up the range. The functionality of the individual bags and the look and feel are thoroughly analyzed and improved upon year after year.

Trendwatching

Mood boards on current trends inspire our fashion designers to create new characters, illustrations, prints, patterns and color palettes. They also take a closer look at different fabrics and sewing details.

The children choose via custom made online survey

In the next stage we ask a large group of children to review our designs in a custom made online survey tool. By scoring different designs and adding comments on why they do or don't like a design, the favorite designs come forward.

Optimizing the functionalities of all different models

Handy zippers, additional pockets, attractive labels, durable velcro, reflective piping for safety and a rain cover for common Belgian weather conditions.

A modern and appealing drinking bottle that is fun to use

Kambukka hired us to develop trendy drinking solutions for people on the go that suit every occasion. By combining aesthetics with smart functionality, we helped them to realize a broad range of drinkware that fits everybody’s lifestyle and personality.

Together we stand stronger

To meet the needs of different kinds of consumers all around the world our product designers, branding experts and innovation consults had to work in close collaboration with the Kambukka management. Achilles Design accompanied the client in the whole process, from early sketches to industrial production.

A smart range of thermal and water bottles

We like to introduce you to Etna, Olympus, Elton, Lagoon and Reno. All of them fully leakproof, available in fashionable colors and providing a smooth drinking experience thanks to the patent pending product features.