At Speck, every product we create has a story. That’s because there’s a team of engineers, industrial designers, and creatives that take every product from ideation to reality. However, we don’t look at our products as just cases, they’re the end result of long hours, gallons of coffee, and countless tests, because we’re obsessed with protecting your tech.

Much like a method actor lives the role, our industrial designers bring phone case pain-points to the surface in hopes of perfecting the look and functionality of our products.

Here’s the stories around our team of industrial designers, and why they give their blood, sweat, and tears to create the products that are designed for impact.

Question #1:

What kinds of data or research do you look to for inspiration when creating a product?

Answer: For Presidio Grip, since we’re now in the fourth generation, a lot of what I’ve done is to look into the initial design, and then factor in the functionality of how people use their phones. This information may come from research groups, but I personally find the most impactful research to be done in person. Things like riding the train, sitting in coffee shops, or in hanging out in the airport to study how people use their devices is incredible “real world” information.

In our industry, we always want something that’s protective. But it also needs to be functional and most importantly, a wow factor to our consumer or end user. A phone case is a small platform with not much space to really capture an audience, so we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to give any product more appeal.

Question #2:

What’s more important to you as an Industrial Designer, the look for functionality of a device?

Answer: For me, it’s the functionality of the device. Our products can’t inhibit a user from experiencing the true experience of their device. However, I definitely think it has to look good first. Without that initial attraction or shelf presence, people wouldn’t ever get to experience the functionality or how it works or improves your device.

Question #3:

For any process of creation, there’s times when we get stuck. How do you get unstuck creatively?

Answer: I love to go outside just looking at our products. I’ll always research new materials as well as processes that other industries are utilizing and see how we could bring them into our brand fold.

External creation is also extremely important to a sustainable creative flow. I love to build things, I’ve always been good with my hands so that’s always been an outlet to get creative juices flowing. Pottery is also one of my favorite things to do on the side. It allows me to take a step back and distance myself from all the creative stresses that go with work. It seems to have this mystical sort of zen vibe, and I think that free-flowing process allows me to jump back into designing things at work with a fresh take.

Interested In Hearing More?

Watch the video above to hear Alan’s full story of Presidio GRIP, and stay tuned for the next designer story where we’ll introduce you to more of the minds behind your favorite cases.

It’s our goal to bridge the gap between people and our tech devices and we’re doing it one case at a time.

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