ANDESIGN

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Rufus Labs. We build technology for enterprise customers – warehouse and construction workers – who require different types of rugged wearables for the workplace. We have both hardware and software, with the design being an important part of our industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Andesign?

We needed a company with expertise in design to help us create the look and feel of our hardware. We're a fairly small business and don’t have the ability to hire an entire design team in-house. If we had 1–2 mechanical engineers in-house, we wouldn't get the skill set that a design firm brings to the table. We wanted to find an outside company that could provide a variety of services with their own team. We worked with 4–5 other designers in the past and most of them just fell apart when it came to the execution of designs for the manufacturer, so we were looking for a company that could do the industrial design for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our main product, which is just launching, is a ruggedized wrist wearable. It looks like a large rugged smartwatch and is meant for the construction, military, and oil and gas industry workers. The product has a lot of requirements: it has to withstand stone splash and sand; it needs to work in the conditions of an oil rig and cold storage. Andesign worked on some rugged cases in the past, so they helped us create a more battle-proof design. The mission we gave them was to design products that Batman would wear to work.

They work on a few different projects for us and manage to keep a consistent look across the line of products. They also deal with charging docks and some products that haven’t gone to market yet. Their teams in China and other parts of the world can handle certain elements of the build and quality assurance for the products that are not local.

What is the team composition?

We work with 4–5 people. We have direct contact with two of them – the project manager and the lead designer.

How did you come to work with them?

I did Internet research and liked what they were offering. After a meeting with their project manager, I decided they were a good match for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2016 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I'm very satisfied with what they did. In addition to their design skills, Andesign has the mentality to do what it takes to accomplish the goals. For some of the products, we take feedback from customers immediately and use it to implement the design changes. One of our customers, for example, needed a particular type of band because the one we were using had Velcro and it didn't do well in sand (they needed a traditional buckle). I called Andesign and they had it designed within 2–3 weeks. We offered five test samples to the customers and they loved the band.

I do CAD [computer-aided design] myself, so I'm very particular and examine every round of new versions. Their team is always ready to make changes within hours.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

It's a very collaborative project. We email and text back and forth any time of day and night. They're not 9–5 people – if I need to get in touch with them at 10pm or 2am, they'll be there for me. I've never had this level of back-and-forth communication with other designers. They're responsive and quick.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a very personable group and always go above and beyond. I've met most of their team in person: their office is in California, two hours away from me (I'm in LA), so if there is an emergency we can always meet.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve never failed me when I reached out to them. Anyone in hardware business would like things to go faster, but it's just the limitations of the mechanics and not their limitations.