OVERVIEW
Squish is a line of fun, colorful housewares products that brings a smile into every kitchen. Originally the brand concentrated on collapsible, space saving items but its success after launching in 2012 allowed us to branch out into a full housewares collection including sink and countertop items and even tools and gadgets.
Squish
WHAT WE DID
Brand Design, Industrial Design, Structural Packaging
DESIGN TEAM
Stuart Harvey Lee, Jochen Schaepers, Christian von Heifner, Adrian Candela, Erin Buchanan, Stephen Pannone
BRIEF
Pop Up, Stand Out
Simple and straight-forward. Our long-term client, Robinson Home Products came to us to develop a line of collapsible kitchen product essentials that could stand out from other space-saving products on the shelf.
That was our brief - “how” to do it was up to us.
We began by exploring a range of possible brand personalities to fit different breeds of home chefs, from the enthusiast to the pro. At the same time we undertook a comprehensive review and test of competitive products so we understood what worked, what didn’t and how we could make a better product.
Once we had settled on our brand personality aesthetic product development began in earnest. Collapsible products are notoriously difficult to design so numerous prototypes were produced to find the right balance of easy collapsibility vs. sturdiness in use.
We wanted to communicate the playfulness of the brand positioning through CMF so we developed a bold color palette highlighted with gloss accents to stand out on shelf. The playful aspect of the brand also manifested itself in our drainage hole patterns which were based upon the mathematical underpinnings of the fibonacci sequence.
PROCESS
Crafting a Brand from Scratch
We began by exploring a range of possible brand personalities to fit different breeds of home chefs, from the enthusiast to the pro. At the same time we undertook a comprehensive review and test of competitive products so we understood what worked, what didn’t and how we could make a better product.
Once we had settled on our brand personality aesthetic product development began in earnest. Collapsible products are notoriously difficult to design so numerous prototypes were produced to find the right balance of easy collapsibility vs. sturdiness in use.
We wanted to communicate the playfulness of the brand positioning through CMF so we developed a bold color palette highlighted with gloss accents to stand out on shelf. The playful aspect of the brand also manifested itself in our drainage hole patterns which were based upon the mathematical underpinnings of the fibonacci sequence.
They never cease to amaze us with their thorough research, competitive analysis and incredible design concepts.
JOHN WHITE
ROBINSON HOME PRODUCTS
At the same time we were developing the industrial design, we also conducted an extensive naming & logo exploration. After heated debate, we eventually settled on Squish, ironically, the first name we came up with. The final logo is simple and recognizable and alludes to the collapsible nature of the products, reinforced by our tagline. Cook…Squish...Store ®.
When you have been deeply involved in creating a new brand and all of the product development, then designing the packaging and marketing materials comes easily. It’s a little bit like show and tell.
LinkedIn were actually so interested in our development process that they sent a film crew to document it.
THE RESULT
A Playful Space Saver
Squish was designed to pop on the shelf and in the kitchen. The products are playful and fun, but they don’t compromise on functionality. The line was well received by both mass retailers and specialty stores—but, even more importantly, by consumers who consistently give it top ratings. It has since grown to over 60 products, all designed by Prime Studio.
It has won both the Good Design and Graphic Design USA awards, and we hold many utility patents for the line.
Take a look at our case studies
We began by exploring a range of possible brand personalities to fit different breeds of home chefs, from the enthusiast to the pro. At the same time we undertook a comprehensive review and test of competitive products so we understood what worked, what didn’t and how we could make a better product.
Once we had settled on our brand personality aesthetic product development began in earnest. Collapsible products are notoriously difficult to design so numerous prototypes were produced to find the right balance of easy collapsibility vs. sturdiness in use.
We wanted to communicate the playfulness of the brand positioning through CMF so we developed a bold color palette highlighted with gloss accents to stand out on shelf. The playful aspect of the brand also manifested itself in our drainage hole patterns which were based upon the mathematical underpinnings of the fibonacci sequence.
Summary
Squish began as a bold vision to reinvent collapsible kitchen essentials—and grew into a full line of award-winning, joyfully designed housewares. Partnering with long-time client Robinson Home Products, Prime Studio developed the brand from the ground up: from strategy, naming, and visual identity to industrial design and packaging.