The shiny, flashy nature of the Surviva Jak – due to the fact it is made of aluminium covered PET – raised a few eyebrows among festival goers at this year’s Rockness Festival, where the BBC took the Jak. The fashion conscious were a little wary of the jacket’s cyber-feel, but ultimately warmed to the product’s heat keeping qualities.

Anyone who’s ever found themselves lost or caught short without enough warm layers, is likely to see how beneficial this item might be. If you missed the Roadtests, you can watch it at bbc.co.uk/dragonsden.

Products such as this are what make Applied Product Design tick; we love to see a new item that addresses a very real problem. In many instances products combine both visual appeal and functionality – the Surviva Jak may not tick everyone’s boxes on the visual count, but it certainly is highly effective at warming up a cold body. If you believe you have the next game changing piece of product design, get in touch with Applied Product design today, and discover how we can help make it a reality.

The fetching and rather unique design of the Windancer has evidently caught the eye of the book’s editor, with its combination of looks and functionality. This piece of product design is noiseless, highly efficient and compact – addressing some of the key issues that have turned off potential wind power users in the past.

At Applied Product Design we love to see innovations such as this, especially when such products contribute to the solving of some of the world’s major problems. Products that aim to answer some of the key problems of the future have an even greater chance of success. If you have a concept for a piece of sustainable energy equipment – or indeed any other type of product that meets a demand – get in touch today.

One controversy that has dogged the new offering from Apple, though, is the suggestion that if the set is held a certain way, the antenna is covered, preventing reception. This could be a major stumbling block for the corporation, but in response, it seems to have been working on a patch that will correct the issue.

Problems of this kind are not uncommon in the world of product development, but it does demonstrate just how important testing new products is. While it might seem expensive, in the long run, being thorough could save a great deal of money. Here at Applied Product design we work hard to ensure such issues with new products do not happen. If you have an idea for a product that you think there’s a market for, get in touch with us today to see how we can help realise it.

The result is undeniably impressive – an appliance that seems to have the same aesthetic value as a piece of beautifully designed furniture. Combining the practical with the visually attractive is not always easy, but it seems that Samsung have done a good job here.

A key part of the design is the effect that the blue light has on those around the refrigerator; the designers sought to create a calming, energising feel to the fridge – something that such a humble kitchen appliance might not normally be associated with.

Here at Applied Product Design we also aim to combine aesthetics with functional design – something we have been doing for a very long a time and with substantial success. If you are developing an idea – or need help developing one – that you think fills a gap in the market, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

The idea of the shelf or shelving unit is often imbued with rigidity and bulkiness. We don’t often find that our shelves are particularly easy to transport – but the Zinfandel changes all that. The product is a highly flexible grid in which rigid boxes can be inserted. This design enables the owner to essentially create their own shelf space – making it is as large or small as they wish. Most importantly, perhaps, is the ability to fit the shelving unit into any space necessary.

It is this kind of flexible thinking that excites Applied Product Design, where we love ideas that push the boundaries of accepted product development. And of course this means you have to try new things, apply innovative thinking. As Einstein said, “If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?”

If you have a product design concept that you think could excite the market, why not get in touch with Applied Product design. You may find it a lot easier than you thought to get your ideas off the ground. Our highly experienced team will help guide your idea from a rough concept through to something that actually works, something you can actually see – and ultimately, something that people can actually buy. If you’re looking for a ‘can-do’ attitude, look no further than Applied Product Design.

But a new take on this legendary piece of product design has been developed by Stuart Karten Design (SKD) and Starkey Laboratories, Inc, aimed at addressing these issues. Starkey’s S Series behind-the-ear (BTE), with its Sweep Technology, enables the wearer to adjust their hearing aid with just the sweep of a finger. The entire bottom edge of the hearing aid’s spine area is touch activated. This control area is ten times larger than traditional volume controls, and five times bigger than the usual memory button size.

This ground breaking piece of product design from SKD and Starkey just shows how much the very latest technology can help make people’s lives better; not just for entertainment, good product can be utilised for the noble cause of medicine too.

Here at Applied Product Design we’re always interested in working with people to develop new ideas. No matter what sector you wish to target, you’ll find that at APD that we have expertise in both electronics as well as aesthetic design, the key ingredients in making your ideas a reality.

The series, which offered one lucky designer the chance to spend a 6 month stint at Philippe Starck’s design school in Paris involved 12 British designers. Ilsa won over Starck with her innovative walking aid – Flo. Following her time with the famous French designer, Parry returned to Liverpool and established her own design agency – Rethinkthings. Her new product is being stocked by Firebox.

Isla and 5 of the other contestants displayed some of their work at 100% Design last month. Suggesting that she’s enjoying the freedom of her own agency, the designer said ‘I am excited by the prospect of freely exhibiting what we personally believe to be innovative solutions, without the agenda of the TV producers and the Starck team to overshadow our imaginations’.

Here at Applied Product Design we only too happy to talk with people who have an original idea that could be developed into a marketable product. We have extensive experience in developing concepts of all kinds into highly sellable pieces of product design, so why not contact us and see how we can help you?

Companies in the UK know that in many areas, the quality of China’s output has increased dramatically over recent years. With this in mind, manufacturing facilities in China can take on the whole spectrum of manufacturing, from the simplest household items to high technology items such as digital cameras and flat screen TVs.

Along with quality, China’s manufacturing facilities offer a level of price competitiveness that few other nations can match. The combination of quality and cost effectiveness has made China a great place to do business, and a place where entrepreneurs from the UK and indeed around the world see great opportunities in the country in terms of developing products that meet strong demand. In the past, the cost of manufacturing certain items in the UK or a western nation might have been prohibitive.

Here at Applied Product Design we embrace the many opportunities that China offers our clients. We have built a number of strong working relationships with manufacturing facilities in China, putting us in a strong position to organise the manufacturing of items at a speed few others can match. If you have a project that would benefit from our experience and contacts in this field, contact us now.

True, it’s another reality TV show, but it gives a fascinating insight into the design process – so familiar to many of our clients. It demonstrates the importance of fresh thinking and going beyond the obvious ideas, so that something genuinely unique, exciting – and above all functional is created.

Unlike Starck, here at Applied Product Design we think product design is alive and well in the United Kingdom. We’ve had the pleasure of working on some truly exciting projects, as you’ll discover looking around this site. Even if your concept or project is on the ambitious side, why not contact us to see if we can help. In fact, the more ambitious, the better.

Applied Product Design is proud to have worked with the Karen’s on the design and development of their “Dry Ice Blade”. Lawrence Crossman from Applied spent many hours making tiny adjustments to the design at our site in Ongar, whilst Karen Coombes then  tested all the variants out, until the perfect setup had been achieved. At the time of the Dragons’ Den recording the skaters were using prototypes to demonstrate the capabilities of the Dry Ice Blade to the Dragons.

Although some of the Dragons may not have been too impressed for one reason or another, Theo Paphitis could obviously see the potential of the product and the Karens. As a result he declared himself in to with an investment of £100,000 in KCO Iceblading.

The Karens were over the moon with the decision!

Karen O’Neil, Founder said: “Pitching on the Dragons’ Den was one of the most nerve racking things she had ever done. Having walked up the famous stair case and pitching to some of the countries best known entrepreneurs made me forget some of the things that I had rehearsed 1,000 times. This is a dream come true, Karen and I have spent so much time and effort developing the idea, and now getting Theo on board is the icing on the cake.”

Karen Coombes a Founder and Ice Skating coach said: “With only 64 permanent Ice skating rinks left in the UK, our Dry Ice Blade will bring the skating experience to anyone who wants to skate, no matter where they live. They can now learn to skate, where previously they may not have had the opportunity, including trying all the moves that they have seen the proper skaters perform. Thanks to Theo’s investment the Dry Ice Blade will be available for everyone much sooner. I couldn’t be happier!”