Visual Brand Language
Portable Air Conditioner
Project Overview
My team worked with Honeywell licensee, Jmatek, to develop an opening price point portable air conditioner that aligns with the Honeywell VBL.
Roles
project lead
industrial designer
UI designer
CAD modeler
renders
The Stake Holders
By working with a brand licensee, rather than directly with the brand owner, a dynamic was created where there are multiple stakeholders. And without in-house manufacturing, the licensee had to rely on commodity components and external factory support.
Concept Development
Rapid iteration and development was achieved by referencing Honeywell VBL to create light sketch-work. Along with the use of parametric CAD models over engineering parts, this allowed for fast and accurate communication with the various stakeholders.
UI Exploration
UI development was dictated by a confluence of existing visual brand language, usability, and constraints of the final PCB.
Balancing VBL and DFM
With Jmatek being a Honeywell licensee, it was critical that the design matched appropriate VBL guidelines. This aspect became apparent when designing exhaust grills that needed appropriate airflow.
Production Focused Design
Focus was applied on reducing costs for the base tier product. This included minimizing part count, purposeful color finishes, and optimizing the product envelope for more efficient shipping.
