02–18–25
A week of further refinement and horizon broadening.
Had meeting with branding mentor. Last I spoke with him was before Milestone 1 so much has changed since then. To start I showed him the old logo and colors and how that translated over to the new direction.
My new brand personality is inspired by spirit of 2 things:
The Australian Outback: rugged, dusty, gritty, raw
The Pack Mule: humble, dependable, resilient, simple, loyal
I then showed him some of my logo designs and we both agreed on the current logo being shown. He also enjoyed the hand drawn font I’ve been using for some subheader things (Subway Berlin Pro) but he did warn of ADA and how it may not be legible for everyone. Just a word of caution. I also showed him where I’m at with my landing page website and he provided some valuable input there as well.
I had the pleasure of being able to conduct a phone interview with a design engineer from DECKED for a “school project about truck bed storage” which, technically, it is. However, it’s also going to, someday, be a competitor of theirs. Here are the questions that were asked:
What’s your role:
CAD designer, prototyping, product testing, has access to warranty data
What do customers like most about DECKED systems?
Originally - ergonomic storage ( simple drawers so you don’t have to reach to the back of your bed)
Currently - that + the complete package (accessories like cargo slides, tool boxes, crates, etc.)
What are their biggest complants?
He doesn’t see the full customer feedback picture, just warranty complaints
What materials are used for the drawer systems?
Drawers - injection molded recycled HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene)
Crates - PolyPropylene with additives like glass to change material properties like flexibility
Drawers are molded, then 1/8 wall tubes inserted into mold, drawers remolded to seal tubes
Decks are also reinforced with metal (mentioned they were able to load up to 14,000lbs during testing)
What’s your biggest design challenge?
Staying ahead of the curve on newly released truck models (I.E Brand new Tacomas/Tundras)
Who are your biggest competitors?
No direct competitors for drawer systems
Bedslide is a competitor for their cargo slide
He then, without being prompted, referred me to their UX/Customer Survey expert who I will be interviewing soon. Through that guy I’ll be able to get more direct customer feedback info, demographic data, and market data, how exciting!
Also had a good meeting with my friend from Cloudbox and during our brief meeting we discussed further the potential of accessorizing and how that brings back the beauty of returning customers. My first launch will feature just the platform, then further releases can all work with that platform. Everything will be integrated and interchangable. Allows for personalization and customization based on the customers specific needs/budget. He also encouraged me to hop on the Notion train, and that I have done.
Using Notion I have put together of all necessary materials needed to construct my V1 prototype for testing here.
On top of this I have also started a landing page for those interested to learn more about the product, brand, and myself. As well as get an opportunity to join in on a newsletter for product launch and preorder opportunities here.