IDE (Innovation Design Engineering), the industrial design division of Tata Elxsi, supports global corporations in the area of new product introduction, from concept to market. Its expertise lies in the areas of consumer insights, product / service innovation, industrial design, functional prototyping and engineering. It also engages in consumer brand development and retail design.
Among the plethora of products designed by IDE, the noteworthy ones include Junior Horlicks, Hindustan Unilever’s Pureit water purifier, Ponds talc, Cuprinol power pad, Fritolay Aliva biscuits and Tata BP solar lamp among others.
IDE has been in the business for over 10 years both in India and globally and is growing at a healthy rate of around 20 per cent, annually.
Case Study
L’Oreal is the global leader in haircare and skincare products. IDE’s mandate was the design and implementation of a Beauty Studio and Counter Display Unit for the White Perfect skin care range. IDE followed the 6 step process to exceed L’Oreal’s expectations. These are - research, conceptualisation and design development, design engineering, material identification, prototyping and vendor sourcing, and manufacturing supervision. White Perfect was to be launched with a new face, revised price along with a strategy to reach out to a larger customer base in India.
Challenge
The challenge was to maximise the presence of the brand at all the key retail touch points. On one end were modern trade outlets - with their sophisticated image and focused customer groups. These outlets provide a more personal product experience. On the other end were numerous general trade pharmacy stores, which ensured maximum reach to a larger target audience.
Solution provided
For the modern trade outlets, a mobile beauty studio was created to offer a personal and engaging interaction with customers. The design was conceived as a clean, white and simple/straight form with focused, glowing elements highlighting the key message of the brand - Whitening and Lightning. The flawless lines and form used in the design were in sync with the global retail image of L’Oreal, Paris. The studio also provided for a large backdrop, illuminated visual with pedestals for the product experience.
It was designed and implemented in a time span of just 6-8 weeks. Since April 2009, this studio has been launched in various department stores across Indian metros.
The counter display unit was developed to maximise the reach of the brand through general trade outlets.
IDE studied typical environments and understood the requirements of the retailer and customer. The final design rightly represented the clean and clear look of L’Oreal brand. It was visible and effective by not using any added feature or embellishment, at the same time letting the product and communication deliver the experience in a hassle free manner.
“The overall experience has been very good. Tata Elxsi has understood the brand and its key values clearly in a very short period. Designing is clearly their forte. The back end research and study done to come up with a realistic design that met our image needs as well as the trade’s constraints were the highlights of both projects undertaken. Finally, deadline management is commendable as timelines from inception to delivery were very tight.”
Pooja Doshi, Group Product Manager, L’Oreal Paris
“With economies around the world on a steady recovery path, companies are going to be circumspect with their retail expansion plans and will switch over to innovative and efficient ways to offer their consumers the same kind of unique retail experience they have been offering in the past. On the other hand, a likely rise in consumer spending and hopes for an improved economy is expected to bolster the retail industry and resurrect it to grow at a healthy rate.”
Narendra Ghate, Corporate Manager, IDE Division, Tata Elxsi,
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