design is communication.

design mediates the quality of a product.

and design transports the character of a company.

the visual language of the product portfolio shapes the public image of a company. with product design, we create distinguishable products which are easily recognizable and are linked to a brand. therefore, dedicated product design strengthens and expands the day-to-day market profile of a company. as the conlastic project clearly illustrates.

when we came into contact with conlastic in 1999, they were looking for a playground toy which also appealed to 8 to 12 year olds. something cool, which is fun to use, something challenging, maybe even a little bit risky — but certainly not dangerous. something to rock, to seesaw, something wild.

grass pole

we created the grass pole. the first prototypes were equipped with coil springs as is usual in the production of rocking toys. when we tested the functionality and abuse potential [e.g. by gangs or vandals], we realized that such long rods mounted on a coil spring can develop a whipping effect. that meant that the grass pole could be tense up and upon release; hit a child or adult standing nearby. we needed an alternative mechanical approach to achieve a safe, but fun rocking effect.

we found the solution in the field of railway technology where rubber tori are used for the bumpers of railway carriages. two types of tori are built into the rocking mechanism. they spring and absorb the child's movement — thus eliminating the whipping effect.

the grass pole is a big success — it is fun for children to use and therefore the local authorities and the playground carriers are satisfied. this makes our client happy — and us too.