Bilstein is one of the oldest and most famous companies for shock absorbers. Their success is built on high-quality products, innovative technology, performance and tradition.
However, they didn’t manage to express and communicate the quality of their offering through the design of their products.
Our task was to reimagine the three most successful products they currently have and create a new performance portfolio.
At the beginning of the project we conducted a analysis of Bilstein’s existing products. We defined major pain points in the design and portfolio of the product series.
Hard to recognize the models or price classes of the products through the design. A design system is not present.
The design does not represent the technical quality of the product.
Production quality does not represent the price class.
The branding does not represent the heritage or quality of the product. No complimentary details.
CMF is associated with toys or cheaper products and isn’t used to highlight a function or have a system within the portfolio.
They can be both users or just admirers, however, their influence in conversations about motorsport is a key point. So the question is: How can we give even normal car riders a motorsport feeling?
A key point for motorsport technology is the weight and efficiency of the parts inside the car. For this reason is from a huge importance to communicate not only the ingenuity of the engineering, but also the weight optimization, which could be made with the new design.
A key point for motorsport technology is the weight and efficiency of the parts inside the car. For this reason is from a huge importance to communicate not only the engineauity of the engineering, but also the weight optimization, which could be made with the new design.
We analysed not only Bilstein's products and their visible production quality, but looked at the whole presentation of the brand in connection with the product. As a team, we presented our analysis to Bilstein on a monthly basis. We also had the opportunity to analyse competitors' products, their approach to communication, design, and production.
For the conception phase, we separated the topic in several major categories, such as: visible communication of the precision of the technology inside, product graphics, interaction, etc. To approach those major fields, we used under categories, mostly concerning the different action points or meaningful technical parts. Based on the collection of concepts, together with Neele, we developed a path going forward.
According to our analysis and the values customers shared, we envisioned the new Bilstein shock absorbers as the lightest on the market. This would be a step-up for the already incredibly precise technology they have developed.
A key point for motorsport technology is the weight and efficiency of the parts inside the car. For this reason is from a huge importance to communicate not only the engineauity of the engineering, but also the weight optimization, which could be made with the new design.
A key point is to use design language to differentiate price classes. The design of the highest class shock absorbers- Clubsport has less colour, a darker and slimmer look. The higher the class, the lesser it weights, and it needed to be communicated.
The attention to each detail, such as the foldable dust protection, which was inspired by origami, is an important factor for clear communication of precise technology and quality. The structure is also found in other modular parts for weight efficiency.
→ 5 Months
→ 2018
→Bergische Universität Wuppertal; Prof. Martin Topel
