Who

It was in the fall of 2007 when I received my first ever commercial brief. I had just come out of the University of Leeds with a MPhil award in the area of Emotional Design and Sensory Engineering and with some valuable working experience already in my bag gained alongside the Design Team at the Product Technology Centre of Nestle in York. The brief was about defining the design parameters for a new air care device that should look and feel more natural and eco-friendlier but without conflicting with existing brand values. The client was the New Technologies Group within Reckitt Benckiser (now Reckitt) and the brand was the well-established household name Air Wick. Having designed and carried out a hybrid research methodology, namely a blend of qualitative and quantitative techniques, I arrived at a comprehensive design brief based on thorough user-centred insight. Shape, ergonomics, sound, feel, spray technology and nozzle dimensions were only some of the sensory, emotional and functional attributes I juggled with to determine the most impactful combination of features that would benefit both the consumer and the brand. Air Wick Aqua Mist was the output – a back-to-basics device using a familiar mechanical system and an eco-friendly technology, with optimum ergonomics and offering an emotionally engaging interaction. Aqua Mist was an instant commercial success for Air Wick and the beginning of a fulfilling and sustainable consulting career in human-centric innovation for me.