The shape and look of any device is unique to it; it should not only reflect a beautifully designed product, but also reveal the levels of technicity and complexity of such devices.
When designing Ulo, Vivien had many things in mind that had to be considered: it should look cute, be small, be soft to the touch, have enough room to hold all the hardware components and last but not least, it shouldn’t have any visible seals or screws for a seamless finish.
Ulo has been designed by Vivien himself back in 2015. Like most designers, Vivien followed the 10 principles of design according to Dieter Rams, a famous German industrial designer:
1) Good design is innovative
2) Good design makes a product useful
3) Good design is aesthetic
4) Good design makes a product understandable
5) Good design is unobtrusive
6) Good design is honest
7) Good design is long-lasting
8) Good design is thorough, down to the last detail
9) Good design is environmentally-friendly
10) Good design is as little design as possible
After multiple back-and-forths, the design of the product was finalized in 2016. It took 1 year to perfect it with the team in order to facilitate hardware integration. Needless to say, it took several months to achieve a design with no visible seals/screws. On the other hand, Ulo is now made and assembled in three months; two months are spent in components procurement. It then takes one month for the assembly, testing of all the units and shipping.
Ulo is extremely soft to the touch, making it a pleasure to tap/caress its head. The bird is made of 100 % recyclable ABS-PC plastic, a common thermoplastic polymer. Its soft touch surface is due to a coat of mattifying polish, which adds to its elegant sophisticated look.
Join us and help us add more cheerful companions to the family: https://www.seedrs.com/mu-design