Design Strategy

Assignment
FLIR Systems AB contracted HOWL to help them develop a Design Strategy for their division Thermography. The aim of the design guide is to further strengthen FLIR as the market leader by creating a more coherent product range and a strong and recognizable brand identity.

The market for thermal imaging has grown at a furious pace over the last years as the technology have become both available and affordable. With this trend follows growing competition and new potential customers. To maintain its position as market leader, FLIR had to review their brand touch points, not least in terms of its products.

Process
Design Strategy is about transforming a company’s Brand DNA and business strategy into tangible design expressions, which can be applied on existing products today but also a guide on how to use design for future.

The result is based on existing values, strengths and opportunities within the company. The essence of a design strategy has to come from within the company and permeate through the entire workforce. Insights about the company history, brand and product range as well as understanding the business strategies are vital. Where are we coming from? Where are we today and where are we heading tomorrow? Equally important it is to understand the customers of FLIR, the cultures in which the products are used and general market mechanisms and appearance. Insights are transformed into verbal statements and then into visual expressions. The strategy focused on how to transform the product portfolio of FLIR, how to be coherent and become visually stronger, how to distinguish themselves from competitors and ultimately create a stronger and more clear brand.

Result
The result of this work is an Identity Design Guide that explains how FLIR works with design on all their products, from overall product identity to detailing, colours, materials and signature elements. Our work provides a clear vision how to use product design in general and a platform that facilitates and helps FLIR in their product development process.

This strategy project has been followed by a number of design projects including the just launched the E-series.