Overview

HILTI is a company that develops, manufactures, and markets products for the construction, building maintenance, energy, and manufacturing industries.

As part of a styling exercise during school, I designed a radio for HILTI that adheres to its existing design styling while embodying its brand values and design principles.

Besides characterizing the brand's values and the guiding lines in its design, we had to characterize and investigate who the users are and in what environment the product exists.

To achieve this, I delved into understanding the users and their environment. I envisioned the radio catering to the needs of a construction site manager who typically works in a temporary office surrounded by blueprints, paperwork, computers, and tools.

The Problem

In addition to considering the design style of the radio, I sought to justify its existence in 2020. While radio listening has evolved to primarily occur through computers, phones, or in-car systems, the traditional standalone radio of the last century is nearly obsolete.

Further inquiries arose regarding how the device operates within the work environment, its practical applications, and how to optimize ergonomic comfort for the user.

These considerations prompted exploration into the radio's functionality, its potential usefulness on construction sites, and methods to ensure maximum comfort and usability for the user.

The Solution

The radio I designed for HILTI integrates a "smart assistant" while staying true to the company's design principles. This includes maintaining basic interfaces like volume control buttons, LED indicators for station and song transitions, and display functionality.

The Radio Smart Assistant serves to assist foremen in organizing their work and allows for Wi-Fi radio streaming and music playback via connection.

Throughout the design process, I prioritized anthropometric factors such as finger width and ease of button operation. LED angles were also considered for optimal user visibility.

Additionally, I accounted for practical usage scenarios, ensuring ease of operation even when placed on a cluttered table. For instance, the device's cable connection is located at the bottom to prevent accidental disconnection.