A "Smarter" Heating Care
FLEXWARM® Smart Heating Series
CLIENT : Guangdong Flexwarm Advanced Materials & Technology Co., Ltd
PROJECT SERVICE : Product Design
扭轉形象
發熱護理產品已成為現代生活中必不可少的日常用品。但是，市場上的大多數產品往往看起來像醫療用品，並且樣式亦較老齡化。對於年輕用戶來說，幾乎沒有什麼好選擇。
以精準溫控科技為主打的Flexwarm需要更新其智能加熱護理Smart Heating產品線，同時希望值此解決上述問題，擴寬該產品線所面向的年齡層，特別是辦公室族，該人群會有較多呵護自身、並推介親朋的動機，如果我們做出令他們喜歡的設計，這將對銷情有很大幫助。所以在設計開始之前，我們要先探索這群目標用戶。
如今這世代，辦公室族擇物、買物十有八九都是通過互聯網。能夠在種類林立、資訊繁多的網絡突圍而出，除了營銷因素，設計自身也盡可能清晰。因此，整個設計看起來要有一定的「裝備化」，帶出明確的功能意義，讓客人短時間內能閱讀出，其於自身的用處和價值。
如果僅具有裝備化風格的外觀，就會令產品脫離日常生活的場景，往專業方向偏離，減弱了與目標用戶的聯繫。因此，它需要參入「穿著感」做出平衡。
此外，就是開篇所說，要消除醫療用品的外觀，打破同類產品給人的一貫印象，抹掉用戶羞於展露於人前的心理，將整個使用行為重新定義為：促進活力，給身體增值。
異物感問題
包括Flexwarm在內，大部分發熱護理產品運行時需要長時間連接移動電源，產品需要緊貼身體而電池但不能帶來異物感，成為我們需要解決的另一個問題。尤其當產品越趨輕薄時，異物感會更明顯。解決手法很簡單，將電源「外置」，最大限度地減少與產品主體的相連，避免兩者相互牽扯掣肘，異物感便會消失。
特別是在護膝的處理上，電池正處於膝頭前方，因此我們將整個電池袋做成可大幅度的固定調節，並整個護膝表面都採用可粘附固定的物料，使之能應對不同粗細的腿型。
整套Smart Heating護具系列包含護頸、護腰帶及護膝，其中兩款已經上市。
Whole New Style
Heat-generating care products become essential daily items for modern life. However, most of the products in the market tend to be a medical supplies look, and the styles are more aging. There are few good choices for younger users.
Flexwarm, which focuses on precision temperature control technology, needed to update its smart heating care product line, and hope to solve the problems mentioned above and expand the line for younger users, especially the desk jockeys, who will have more motivation to take care of themselves and recommend to their family and friends, that will be very helpful for the sales of the products if we designed them right. So before we started, we need to explore these target customers first.
Most of the desk jockeys choose and buy things online today. In order to stand out from miscellaneous varieties and information, in addition to marketing factors, the design itself has to be as clear as possible. Therefore, the design needs to have a gear look to bring out a clear functional meaning, so that the customers can get its functions and value for their own in a short time.
If only looked like a gear, the design will deviate from the style of daily life and towards to the professional direction, then weaken the connection with its target users. Therefore, it needs to an apparel style to balance.
In addition, as mentioned in the beginning, the medical supplies look should be eliminated, the consistent impression of similar products have to be broken, and the users are no more shame to show to others when using the product. It will be redefined as improving energy and being benefit for the body.
The Abnormal Sensation Issue
Including Flexwarm, most of the heat-generating care products need to be connected to a powerbank for a long time during operation. On the one hand, the product needs to be close to the body, on the other hand, the powerbank should not bring abnormal sensation to the user which will lead to an uncomfortable experience. This became another problem we need to solve. The solution is simple, minimize the connection between the powerbank and the main part of the product as much as possible, and avoid getting involved with each other, the abnormal sensation will disappear.
Especially in the knee pad, the powerbank is in front of the knee, so we made the storage bag into a large fixed adjustment range, the whole knee pad surface adopts the material that can be adhered to, so that it can match to the different sizes of the leg.
The new set of Smart Heating series gear includes a neck protector, waist band and knee pad, two of them are already on the market.
