CU-BI; A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
With an increasing need for health and wellness in our day-to-day life, we find ourselves continuously seeking out products to aid in our search for prosperity. However, to bring these items into our household, we must confidentially ensure that these are of the utmost technical proficiency and safety as well as aesthetically pleasing to fit our homes. Hitachi, Ltd. takes this challenge head-on by providing customers with excellent products to fit their everyday needs. With over 100 years of experience under its belt, Hitachi, Ltd. continues to explore and develop new and innovative products. With an abundance of air purifiers in the market, can Hitachi, Ltd. partner with ARRK Japan to bring a novel product to the market?
Customer Request
Common air purifiers in the market are composed of simple designs and geometries. While the technical features are all there, should we sacrifice the overall design for outstanding results? This is the question that Hitachi, Ltd.’s team decided to undertake as a challenge to deliver “a brand-new air purifier never seen before in the market.” To aid with this pursuit, Hitachi, Ltd. reached out to ARRK Japan to deliver exceptional results. ARRK Japan’s team quickly began to research the best possible solution, with their initial proposals being:
- Hitachi, Ltd.’s specifications include a novel aesthetic with a sleek and stylish design to fit spaces that perfectly match their vision. The idea behind Cu-bi is that instead of just collecting air from the side of the body, this new type of purifier will be able to collect dust and spores while cleaning the floor and disbursing clean purified air all at once.
- This new product needs to be created from scratch, including logo, color variations, CMF, and promotion banner in addition to ARRK’s masterful product design and prototyping.
ARRK's solution
Taking Hitachi, Ltd.’s specifications into consideration, ARRK Japan assisted with product design by providing several design variations. This was not only accomplished by in-house sketch services but also by utilizing ARRK’s decades of experience in 3D modeling to carefully examine the proposed final product. This service provided by ARRK gives the customer a realistic point of view of the product as well as a view as to how the proposed air purifier design will fit into a number of different scenarios.
With the design, 3D modeling, and prototyping concluded it was then time to move on to product branding- a first for ARRK Japan. In collaboration with the Hitachi, Ltd. team, the name Cu-Bi is born- a direct translation of the words “fresh air” in Japanese. With the name settled on, the ARRK Japan team assisted Hitachi, Ltd. with color match utilizing ARRK’s expert CMF (Color Material Finish) service ensuring Cu-Bi is ready to take the world by storm.
Project outcome
With ARRK’s expert guidance from sketch design, 3D Modeling, logo creation, and product naming, Hitachi, Ltd.’s product development team was able to confidently showcase the Cu-Bi Prototype at local department and retail stores to complete their market research.
“ We had never completed a project like this before- going beyond the ARRK traditional capabilities and diving into market research with the customer. However, being part of the entire process for the first time providing sketch designs, producing, naming and branding is something we’re very proud of, and happy to learn the response has been positive. The pride these results offer makes ARRK Japan hopeful of working with Hitachi, Ltd. again in the near future.”
– K. Muramatsu, Cu-Bi Lead Business Development
Our customers are our number one priority. By carefully listening to their needs and providing exceptionally proficient results, we are here to make your ideas happen. ARRK North America, Inc. continuously provides an innovative variety of services readily available to make your projects come true. Our team of experts is standing by to provide consultation and aid in beginning your project. Contact us by phone at (800) 735-2775 or visit us at us.arrk.com and click the Get a Quote feature to be contacted directly by our Business Development team.
