At BDI, our beautiful, practically designed products are no accident.
Before you see any of our furniture at your local retailer, months, even years of research have been completed, countless designs have been thoroughly reviewed, and significant investments have been made in constructing and testing models, all but one of which will make the final cut.
Take Bink, for example.
Bink’s compact, colorful design is the result of extensive research, prototyping, testing, and refinement.
Back in 2012, we identified the need for a mobile media table, perfect for lounging by the pool, using the laptop from the sofa, as a side table for movie night, and more. But before anything was drawn up, our designers traveled to furniture shows across the world to scout the competition and see what was currently in the market.
Inspired by the possibility of bringing something unique to our customers, our design team got to work. The process started with the creation of more than a dozen designs, a mock-up out of MDF for scale, proportion, and overall look, followed by 3D modeling to create the photorealistic renderings.
Then came field-testing. It was a humbling reminder that things don’t always go as planned when it comes to design.
The first iteration of Bink was constructed with an aluminum base. We use aluminum in a number of our products as it’s strong and lightweight, but with Bink’s unique design, it just wasn’t tough enough (left).
During a test in which we applied 125 pounds to the surface, the base bent, and the entire table snapped in half. After returning to the drawing board, we built the base out of steel, giving it more stability and making it capable of standing up to the rigors of daily household use.
With product testing complete, we knew we had a durable product, but to sell Bink, it also had to be eye-catching.
We started with timeless colors like black, white, gray, and brown but decided to open the color wheel further because a unique product like Bink required a unique look.
We chose tangerine as it adds an instant splash of color to any room in the house, and wasabi green because it’s perfect for those looking to achieve a more retro look. The final color, berry blue, has an elegant, natural feel that balances lighter colors, like white and cream.
Bink was perfected. It was time to mass-produce it and determine the best way to get it to our retailers and customers.
After nearly a year of development, technical CAD drawings were finally sent to the factory, giving precise information on how to make it.
Last came packaging. The days of excessive amounts of cardboard, styrofoam, and dozens of individually wrapped pieces in plastic and bubble wrap are in the past; customers today demand environmentally friendly packaging, not wasteful.
With that in mind, the testing continued, which led us to a strong cardboard box with a tray to hold various components, virtually eliminating the excess material that is so common in packaging.
To make it easy for shipping companies to deliver to our customers, we tested three cardboard handles before landing on one that could easily support Bink’s 25-pound frame.
Years later, Bink remains one of our most popular products. It’s colorful, versatile, unique, and durable. And it’s all possible thanks to a design and production process that goes far beyond what you see when you open the box.
