supersonic
Create a product that will revolutionise the hair care market and solve the issues that other designers chose to ignore. Many hairdryers can overheat, burning hair as a result. In addition they can be very noisy and particularly uncomfortable to hold, for long periods of time.
The Challenge
In my first year, as graduate design engineer, I worked within the structural packaging team and I was asked to support the following challenges: • How might we fasten the handle to the main body chassis? • How might we seal the device between the handle and the neck? • How might we make the handle and main body mechanically robust? In my second year, I was asked to design and develop the retail packaging for the Supersonic hairdryer, which included all the Pro and Premium SKU's for the commercial strategy. The challenge was to create a wow factor when the user opens the box for the first time! In addition, to ensure it protected the machine throughout the logistics transit (and the aggressive ‘drop-test’ method, set by Dyson).
To fasten the handle to the main body chassis, the team started with investigation of the brass insert’s and fastening a single screw into one at the top of the handle. Initial tests proved that the screw was strong enough to pass the mechanical compliance testing, however, this created a leak path for the airflow and created a visual distraction.
After close collaboration with the materials team, the moldflow analysis results confirmed that we could maintain a 1.1mm wall thickness within the handle. As a result, this allowed us to create a screw boss for a self-tapping screw at the bottom of the handle to fasten the handle to the chassis.
Laser cutting cardboard prototypes for the supersonic packaging, helped us to iterate quickly and figure out the best layout configuration, especially for the power cable that required a large bend radius, to stop it from kinking. Creating this PRO SKU box proved to be a very challenging layout, as it had a separate PSU box on the power cord harness. Eventually, we made a cardboard wrap to manage the cable bundle and maintain the aesthetic at the same time.
James Dyson wanted to display the accessories (lanyard and the heat mat) as well as the instructions manual so the user could see everything when they lifted the lid.
Commercial wanted to launch Supersonic with a premium SKU that included a travel case. The inspiration came from James Dyson's personal leather binoculars case that James kept in his office as part of his design icon collection. The challenge was to package the product and the accessories with all the correct bend tolerances supplied by the power cord supplier.
