IHA follows up with designer Niki Singlaub, founder and president of Bend, Ore.-based Hydaway. Niki created a foldable water bottle that created a buzz in the crowded hydration market with his introduction at last year’s Show. Hydaway returns to the 2017 International Home + Housewares Show in Discover Design booth N8719.

Niki, where do you find inspiration when designing new products?
Our brand is all about staying healthy through hydration while on the go.  So inspiration comes from traveling around the world and enjoying the outdoors.  I identify pain points from others around me and think about new ways to solve their problems in an attractive and functional way. 

How do you choose which idea to take to the next step?
I’m quite pragmatic in my design process.  I baby step each part of the process to make sure the design functions for the user without creating new, and perhaps even worse, pain points than the ones I’m trying to solve.  Sharing sketches and 3D renderings with family, friends, and influencers helps me refine the concept and focus on the details.  Then I usually create some sort of working prototype to allow my initial focus group something to touch and feel and provide feedback.  I use these comments in the next phase of product development.  

For instance, before creating the actual computer drawings for the HYDAWAY collapsible water bottle, I found a pair of collapsible camp cups and glued them together.  Then cut out the top, attached a desk grommet and viola, proof of concept.  Being able to play with a working prototype, definitely helped streamline the design process.

How do you identify the key user audience for your products?
As an avid traveler and always on the go, I design for myself first.  If the prototype works for me, and solves some of my problems, then I feel more confident it will work for others.  I’ll ask myself, in which activity will this help me the most?  Then I’ll find others that do the same thing, such as international travel, rock climbing or parenting, and have them weigh in on the concept.  If it doesn’t resonate, I’ll move to another group.  It helps to stay connected with a diverse group of people!

Is there an approach or look that joins the functionality, form or emotional appeal of your product line?
For the products I design and the products I purchase and use every day, form follows function.  That is, it has to just plain work first and foremost and be easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store, etc.  Whatever shape this takes leads the design refinement to something that customers are more familiar with and feel comfortable carrying around, as consumer products these days can be such a part of our image (think mobile phones, water bottles, backpacks)

How do new technologies influence your product design?  Do you use 3-D printing, Kickstarter or other platforms to develop or launch products?  How do you use social media?
Yes, yes and yes!  Technology is allowing entrepreneurs today to do more than they could in the past.  Technology is shrinking the world.  An inventor can 3D print a design, take the concept to a factory they found on Alibaba, fund the production on Kickstarter, launch on Amazon, and create demand through Facebook and Instagram.  All from their own home and in a matter of months, not years.  It’s pretty incredible.

When developing the HYDAWAY collapsible bottle I used 3D printing to test the look and feel in a true-sized form.  This really helped us, I remember the first drink straw came out way too small, and we had to immediately change the CAD.  We launched on Kickstarter in 2015, raised over a quarter million dollars in less than a month (finishing in the top 1% of all-time KS campaigns), and moved immediately to production.  Then we worked with The Grommet for a post-Kickstarter launch and that was also very successful to reach a brand new audience.

Where are your products manufactured?
We work with trusted manufacturers in south China.  Because we are such a young company, we are working with small, family-run factories, and working with them has been so enjoyable as we get to know each other and have become fast friends.  

All HYDAWAY products are third-party certified for safety and quality before being shipped to us in the USA.  I’m a stickler on accountability in our supply chain.  Our customers should feel confident that the products they are using are the same ones I give to my kids.  I think that says a lot.

How do you see design’s importance in our industry as it moves forward?
Design is very important as the marketplace becomes larger and more crowded.  Because technology is allowing almost anyone to launch a product, and factories are selling directly on Amazon, for instance, the ability to design something unique and beautiful will be the only way to differentiate and stay ahead of competitors.

Niki, can you give us a preview of what you will be showing in your booth in Discover Design?
We will have our entire line of collapsible water bottles and travel accessories in our booth in Discover Design N8719.  We are launching several new colors for spring as well as our new kid’s line of bottles for fall.  We are looking forward to a busy Show!

Tell us about your previous experience with Discover Design.
2016 was our first time exhibiting in Discover Design.  It was an amazing experience.  We did more business and talked to more people in the first hour of the Show, then we did in the whole first day at the Outdoor Retailer trade show.

We made lots of great retail and media connections that helped us grow leaps and bounds last year.  Nordstrom, Herrington, Ace Hardware, and many specialty accounts are now great retail partners because of Discover Design.

This year we have upgraded our booth size and look forward to meeting even more retail buyers and media folks.

Thank you, Niki, for your enthusiasm. Great to hear about your successful start in the industry and we’re happy to be part of your story.  Eager to see your latest products in your booth N8719 in Discover Design. See you soon in Chicago!

 See more Hydaway products at www.hydawaybottle.com.

Discover Design is the premier destination at the International Home + Housewares Show for trend spotters who make design their priority. Retailers looking for the unique will find early 200 design leaders at Discover Design located at the front of the North Building.

Anchored by renowned brands such as Alessi, Blomus and Charles Viancin, Discover Design welcomes new exhibitors, such as notNeutral, Victoria Lekach, and Unplugged Goods, and introduces 10 emerging companies at the Design Debut incubator. Additional fresh offerings from veteran design-focused exhibitors such as Kikkerland, Zoku and Magisso will also inspire your choices for the coming year. Find more information on Discover Design exhibitors online.