As Loft continues to innovate and grow, we are dedicated to finding improved ways to serve our clients. It sets a benchmark for others in the industry, embodying the true state of design and its bright future in 2024. We are ready to adapt and lead in a rapidly changing industry.
2023 was a year of strategic expansion for Loft, with the opening of new offices in Boston's Back Bay (131 Dartmouth Street) and in Raleigh (555 Fayetteville Street). A significant addition to the team was our Director of Strategy Sherry Eckholm, based in Madison, Wisconsin, marking Loft's westward expansion and enriching our diverse talent pool. Reach out to Sherry Eckholm to learn more about our research and strategy work. We are always happy to share our perspectives.
Loft's portfolio over the past year was diverse and impactful. The team worked on projects ranging from medical wearables and app ecosystems to commercial speaker systems and VR headsets for cardiovascular surgery. Each project, whether in sustainable mobility or branding, was a testament to Loft's commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future and to design- and tech-driven business strategies. Our latest strategy work with Trek can be seen here. We continue to collaborate with our amazing partners and friends, championing bold concepts and crafting transformative innovations.
Leveraging our extensive expertise in product and service development, we leverage a sprint-based, scalable methodology to identify, validate, and quickly execute - reducing timelines and unlocking greater outcomes. We call this Growth Edge™.
Our methodology combines entrepreneurial thinking, product design expertise, AI and data strategy, and your company's unique advantages to design products and craft experiences that resonate with customers and propel business goals. Our process shortens innovation cycles and aligns product development closely with market needs, increasing the chances of internal support, successful deployment, and adoption.
The Loft team actively participated in several key industry events this year. The team traveled to New York for the Fast Company Innovation Festival, sponsored the UX Y’all conference in Raleigh, and attended ITC Vegas, showcasing our commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends. Our offsite retreat in Boston energized the group and reinforced our team spirit. The Loft Boston office has been a beehive of activity over the past 8 months. The team hosted the inaugural IDSA Health - Tech Networking Event and the IDSA Boston Chapter Winter Meetup, kicking off the season for IDSA Boston, Show your support by joining.
This year marked a monumental success for Loft, earning nine International GOOD DESIGN 2023 Awards. This prestigious recognition came in addition to three IDSA IDEA awards and a FastCompany Innovation by Design award, cementing Loft's status as a leader in the design world.
We continue to serve our clients with the best design solution possible. In an environment where innovative products and experiences require strategic skill, we deftly move through the changing landscape, helping our clients not only adjust but also take the lead in transforming markets. Working together, we redefine what's possible more quickly than previously thought possible!
Sensory Percussion™ gives drummers the ability to control electronics with their drumsticks, opening up a completely new avenue for creativity and music-making. Sunhouse, Evans & Loft teamed up to create an all-in-one Sensory Percussion system utilizing the expertise of each company. Sunhouse worked on the Software platform and collaborated on the sensing platform, while Loft supported the Evans team with Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, and User Experience Design. The platform includes Evans Drums Sensors and the Evans Portal, an audio interface designed for drummers. The Evans Drum Sensor’s versatile design securely clamps to any style of hooped drum, meaning you can use the same sensor on a snare, tom, or bass drum. The Evans Portal has 7 drum sensor inputs, and other inputs for gear like synths, microphones, and guitars, making it a workhorse in both the studio and on stage.
Sensory Percussion™ is a patented system for drummers that transforms an acoustic instrument into a powerful controller for digital music making. Sensory Percussion™ gives drummers the ability to control electronics with their drumsticks, opening up a completely new avenue for creativity and music-making.
Loft adopted a service design framework, immersing in the journeys of medical professionals and patient experience during PCI procedures, from patient data entry in an EMR, creating “pullback” images, measuring vessel topography, and retrieving previously stored images. Foundational research helped generate a body of knowledge around the proposed platform, followed by a 360-degree audit of the complete user experience. The resulting UI supported the entire workflow.
Our comprehensive UX design and development program puts the UX at the center of Alcor's iSED experience. This collaborative effort aimed to enhance the speed and accuracy of test results while minimizing errors.
Sharper Image teamed up with Loft to develop a comprehensive health monitoring ecosystem that helps stay on track with Weight, BMI, and Body Fat goals. Sharper Image & Loft developed a versatile health monitoring tool that provides the necessary information and insights to support all members of a household in their journey towards a healthy and balanced lifestyle. By diligently monitoring these essential metrics, individuals can accurately track their progress and effectively work toward achieving their personal fitness goals.
Discovery Kids and Loft have crafted a toy that is both fun and easy to use for children aged 3+. The Play and Learn Starter Smartphone is packed with educational content about colors, numbers, animals, music, ringtones, and quizzes to enhance learning. The toy also includes a removable silicone case with a wrist lanyard and sensory fidget popper, helping kids develop fine motor skills.
Loft developed a strong and memorable brand identity that reflects FluidLogic’s values, mission, and personality. The brand identity work included creating the visual identity and the brand's visual elements that would fit the strategic vision of the company. These elements are needed to represent the brand's persona and evoke the desired emotions and associations. We created a compelling brand story and designed the logo, brand elements, color palette, typography and imagery to be used consistently across all touchpoints.
Redshift Bio collaborated with Loft to develop Aurora, a next-generation instrument using Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy. The team worked on the core technology to drastically decrease the sample volume, reduce the overall footprint, and integrate a custom touchscreen. Redshift Bio also teamed up with Loft on a comprehensive user experience (UX) design that would put the UX at the center of the Aurora experience.
Loft initiated the design process by conducting preliminary research to gather insights on the proposed platform, followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the entire user experience. This process informed the development of the platform's information architecture, leading to a prototype of the optimal user interface. The interface elements were refined through testing with Redshifts laboratory users, resulting in a user-friendly design that truly met their needs.
In collaboration with Loft, Sharper Image designed the Ice Therapy Massage Ball featuring a suction wall mount and liquid-cool core. The versatile muscle massager relieves tension while alleviating pain. The compact ball offers gentle relief, while the wall mount allows for added pressure in hard-to-reach areas. This comprehensive recovery tool provides targeted muscle relief and the calming effects of cold therapy, optimizing post-workout recovery and promoting muscle relaxation.
The kit features newly designed mesh drum heads, which provide a realistic feel and response similar to that of traditional drum heads while offering a quiet playing experience. Special consideration was given to a best-in-class rack. The extruded rectangular profile offers a sturdy platform while the thoughtful drum hardware offers maximum adjustability for all different playing styles, ensuring durability. The intuitive LCD display offers a range of drum kits, making it versatile to many styles. Overall, the kit provides quality, affordability, and versatility, making it a great choice for both beginners and pro drummers.
Williams caters to diverse user needs, from beginners to seasoned professionals. The Allegro and Legato balance classic, timeless aesthetics, and modern, minimal accents. Recognizing the importance of portability, Williams engineered these instruments to be lightweight and easily transportable—perfect for gigs, rehearsals, or rearranging within your home. This thoughtful design ensures they adapt seamlessly to the demands of musicians at every level.
Dec 21, 2023
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