When it comes to creating hardware, design is a favorite challenge at informal. We love to find ways to make hardware, software, branding, and vision all delicately flow together to create a final result that feels effortless and polished. Campaigns, products, and brands all rely on having a functional and beautiful design. 

You may not realize how much design plays into your everyday life, but it can be the element that makes or breaks a product. Designers help make a great idea visible in a way that is digestible to consumers. It’s often what makes us say “yes” to one product and “no” to another. 

This month, we’re looking at all things design related. We’ll get a glimpse into various community members’ design endeavors, while also highlighting a few industry trends that we can’t get enough of.

Client Feature

Over the last two years, we’ve worked closely with the founders of Stakt to perfect every aspect of their exercise mat. Hours were spent sourcing vendors, managing their supply chain, and creating a design that was both appealing to the eye and functional. Let’s face it–if the product doesn’t look good, no one’s going to buy it. For a product like Stakt, the design challenge may seem simple–create an exercise mat that can also fold into an exercise block. But, as many of us know, even the most simple designs take time and a whole lot of creative juices to get to a point of being market ready.

Designer and informal member, Tanya Shyika, sought to convey the versatility of the product by giving it a fun, welcoming personality. She went through various name and style directions, eventually settling on one that was playful, phonetically correct, and differentiated from other brands on the market. Tanya’s work has resulted in a product that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. Check out more on Tanya below in our Freelancer Feature!

We still work closely with the Stakt team and are excited for the next design challenge that they throw our way! 

Have a design challenge that you just can’t figure out?

Member Feature

Brooklyn-based designer Tanya Shyika is a multi-talented creative. She has produced illustrations for a variety of projects, including book covers, maps, mobile apps, and comics. She has also worked on full brand designs, UI, and web design. With a background in printmaking, and time spent studying illustration and graphic design at the Berlin University of Arts and the Pratt Institute, it is no wonder that she has been able to master so many different aspects of design. 

Tanya has brought a wealth of knowledge to the informal team. She has worked on Lodge Outdoor, Uncommon Goods, and most recently, Stakt. Tanya is able to tell stories through design. We love getting to see what Tanya produces and are lucky to have her on our team!

Want to work with Tanya and 30+ designers like her in the informal community? 

Gatherings & Community

Community member Dale Short shared with us how he created his own sandcart, a mobility device that grants him access to the beaches of the Jersey Shore. 

At our quarterly public talks series, AJ Keller broke down how he designed and produced The Crown, a brain monitoring device meant to help keep users focused. Informal partnered with AJ on the design and manufacturing of this brain computer–and we can guarantee that the end result is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. 

On October 27th, we’re holding our online quarterly series, informal talks. You’re invited to hear from Rohan Singh, co-founder of Tidbyt–a company that produces smart displays that are a blend of furniture and decor. We’ll hear how Rohan and his team were able to launch and ship a consumer electronics product that has a major wood component, all while battling a worldwide lumber shortage. RSVP on for free our Eventbrite.

We met in the Bay Area on Tuesday, October 11th for SF Hardware Meetup and will be hosting the first Philadelphia Hardware Meetup on October 20th, Join us if you're in town! If you're in LA, we'll be scheduling an LA Hardware Meetup for October 27th in the coming days. 

Industry News & Trends

"There is an urgent need for guardrails to ensure that future design isn’t framed by a privileged perspective” says designer Ksenya Samarskaya. The need for a more inclusive future is apparent, and the role that design plays in this need is undeniable. Check out what Forest Young, Global Head of Rivian, has to say about it. 

We always keep an eye on the latest packaging trends, including these insights from Tom May that outline the need for custom materials, social consciousness, and “wow” factors for 2022 brands. 

Speaking of beautiful design, we wanted to share one of our favorite brands Teenage Engineering. They are changing the game for musicians with their one of a kind synthesizers.