Seatriever - Sea and water retrieval device

Project Overview

Following the successful redesign of Illuminabaloons, Seatriver commissioned me to tackle a new project involving a product that had gained fame on BBC’s Dragon’s Den but was never launched due to significant design flaws. The product had been shelved for several years after multiple failed redesign attempts by various engineers. My task was to identify and resolve the intricate mechanism issues that had previously hindered the product’s success.

Challenges and Constraints

Previous Failures: The product had been withdrawn from the market due to improper design and inadequate product testing.

Complex Mechanisms: The internal mechanisms needed to be both reliable and accurate, posing significant design challenges.

Legacy Design Issues: Previous redesign attempts by other engineers had failed to address the core issues.

Scalability and Cost: Ensuring the new design was cost-effective and scalable for mass production.

Solution Approach

Research and Concept Development:

Conducted extensive research to understand the product’s initial flaws and market requirements.

Developed feasible ideas through an iterative concept and research phase, focusing on both innovative and practical solutions.

Engaged in parallel prototype development to test various concepts quickly.

Prototyping and Testing:

Created numerous small variations of the design using low volume injection molds to refine the mechanisms.

Conducted rigorous testing to ensure each prototype met reliability and accuracy standards.

Iteratively improved the design based on testing feedback, focusing on robustness and functionality.

Final Design Development:

Developed a comprehensive final design that addressed all previous issues.

Ensured the design met criteria for function, cost, aesthetics, and scalability.

Collaborated with manufacturing experts to optimize the design for production efficiency.

Outcome

The revitalized product emerged as a sound and robust solution, ready for market launch. The new design successfully overcame the intricate mechanism issues that had plagued previous versions, making it reliable, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing.

Impact

Client Satisfaction: Seatriver was extremely pleased with the outcome, having finally achieved a viable product after several failed attempts by other engineers.

Market Readiness: The product is set to launch globally, promising to be a significant addition to Seatriver’s product line.

Future Collaborations: The success of this project has further solidified the partnership between Seatriver and Aximo, with more projects anticipated in the future.

This case study highlights the importance of persistence, innovation, and thorough testing in overcoming complex design challenges and turning a previously failed product into a market-ready success