Design to make housework easier

Client: Minky Homecare
Project: Homecare Ranges
Expertise: Product Design

Simplify project management
and accelerate time to market

The Situation

Minky Homecare manufactures value products designed to make housework easier. Responding to retailers demands to consolidate their supply chain, Minky embarked on the development of significant ranges of products focussed on ironing, airing, washing and washing clothes, cleaning floors and dishware.

The Challenge

The homecare market is saturated with low-cost, me-too products, sourced in the Far East. Minky faced major challenges to expand a European manufactured range and keep it priced to compete.

Balancing cost focus with elegant, intuitive, easy-to-use design had the potential to build on the brand’s trusted roots and offer clear differentiation at point-of-sale.

Our Solution

To develop several product ranges, our product designers carefully observed users – defining unmet needs and opportunities for incremental improvement.

Working closely with Minky’s design, marketing and manufacturing teams, we focused on squeezing every penny out of materials, assembly and logistics costs – without sacrificing value to the consumer.

All Lucid designs included a high level of engineering design support, to ensure a seamless transition of several complex mechanisms into volume production.

The Result

Delivered on-time, to budget and designed for high-speed production, our designs for indoor and outdoor airers, ironing accessories, dish-cleaning brushes and floorcare products helped the Minky brand enter new categories and take market share from established competitors.

Over 10 years on, many of the products remain on sale. Our team consistently helps brand-focussed consumer product businesses develop design with longevity.

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