Sky HD Set-Top Box Product Family Case Study

Process

TV's Need for Style

Britons today are very design savvy and look for products that reflect their personalities. Phone companies express their brands with sleek phones, but a quick look at the market revealed that no one was doing the same for set-top boxes.

Extensive collaboration at every level was key in designing products to fill that void. Ongoing feedback from design presentations helped frog and Sky arrive at a visual identity for the company.

A Form for Expression

A complete design overhaul of the entire product family was needed, including giving form to the new HD box. Even with the logo removed, the products needed to be distinctively Sky.

Currently 99% of products in the market are built with a metal housing and a plastic front. The new Sky products achieved an organic form using a largely plastic shell. This move was an industry breakthrough and is defining the future within this market, allowing more expression and individuality of products.

Collaborative Creation

Sky was strongly involved in the decision-making. The overall team construction and involvement in the complete design process was a big aspect of the success of the work.

Team structure produced a breakthrough in handling complexity. Three different manufacturers were selected to produce the boxes and Sky requested that they appear identical to customers. Because each OEM has a different circuit board and a different layout for placement of components, integrating these differences into seemingly identical products is an intricate process. It was crucial to go to the OEMs early on to prepare them, and then work in a three-way relationship with Sky and the OEMs to ensure success.