STRATEGIC INNOVATION & DESIGN. Over the coming days, we will be giving an insight into BLOND's process and methodology. This covers five stages: DISCOVER CREATE REFINE DELIVER ACTIVATE DISCOVER—Within our toolkit, we have many qualitative discovery techniques at our disposal, most of which are grounded in ethnography—enabling us to uncover human-centred insights specific to the challenge and target demographic. We then unpack and translate these insights into a clear strategic vision, which acts as a foundation for the project, allowing targeted, practical, and relevant ideation. For a holistic view of our process, visit the link in our bio. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer #meettheteam #strategy #strategicdesign #innovation #design #strategicinnovationanddesign
BLOND
Design Services
blond is a critically acclaimed, London-based design agency that collaborates with leading brands and start-ups.
About us
BLOND is a critically acclaimed London-based design studio that collaborates with the world’s leading brands and startups—ranked by Red Dot as the No.1 design studio in America and Europe for two consecutive years. ‘Strategic Innovation & Design’ embodies the studio’s practice. With empathy toward fast-changing social needs and environmental challenges, BLOND harnesses insights to pinpoint opportunities that have the potential to enhance contemporary lifestyles and provoke change. The studio’s designers, engineers, and strategists translate these opportunities into meaningful brands, products, spaces, and experiences that give our partners a market advantage while positively impacting the planet.
- Website
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http://www.blond.cc
External link for BLOND
- Industry
- Design Services
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- London
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2014
- Specialties
- Industrial Design, Product Design, UX/UI Design, Visualisation, Packaging Design, and Branding
Locations
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Primary
91a Rivington St
London, EC2A 3AY, GB
Employees at BLOND
Updates
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Meet the Team. Over the past few months, BLOND has seen the arrival of some talented new team members. Adam joined BLOND as a Midweight designer in February 2024. Since then, he's been getting involved with various projects and working across different design mediums. Adam's interests within his work span two distinct areas. On one side, he's passionate about crafting meaningful interactions with products, focusing on clear ideas and simplicity. On the other, he enjoys developing strategic concepts that spark discussions around complex social issues. This allows him to balance practical, user-centred design with thought-provoking creative work that aims to address broader societal challenges. 'I'm often gathering inspiration from other disciplines of design – especially the space around a product and how it informs the way we understand it. Currently, I'm particularly drawn to projects where the physical and the digital intersect.' - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer #meettheteam
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Red Dot 2024 Winner! We're very pleased to share that the Spiral Light, designed by BLOND, has received a Red Dot Design Award — in the Lighting and Luminaire category. The Spiral Lamp’s main body employs laser cut aluminium tube and pressed sheet that can easily be made to varying lengths to suit different applications. The simplicity of these materials, and manufacturing processes, makes for a cost-effective route into large scale production that lends itself to being extended into a family of products. Head to our website to learn more. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #reddotmoment #reddotaward #awardwinningdesign #productdesign #industrialdesign #modernism #modernistdesign #minimal #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer #lighting #lightingdesign #homeware #homedecor #interiordesign #sustainabledesign
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Red Dot 2024 Winner! We're very pleased to share that the Spiral Light, designed by BLOND, has received a Red Dot Design Award — in the Lighting and Luminaire category. The outer shade and internal tube are bound together by the lamp’s cable, removing the need for any fixings—lending itself to being easily disassembled and repaired. This modularity means that the size, colours and finishes of the lamp can be customised to suit a wide range of spaces—be that domestic or commercial. Head to our website to learn more. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #reddotmoment #reddotaward #awardwinningdesign #productdesign #industrialdesign #modernism #modernistdesign #minimal #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer #lighting #lightingdesign #homeware #homedecor #interiordesign #sustainabledesign
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Red Dot 2024 Winner! We're very pleased to share that the Spiral Light, designed by BLOND, has received a Red Dot Design Award—in the Lamps and Luminaire category. The Spiral Lamp is a hanging pendant light that embraces a simple assembly method through the playful adaption of its own power cable. Head to our website to learn more. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #reddotmoment #reddotaward #awardwinningdesign #productdesign #industrialdesign #modernism #modernistdesign #minimal #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer #lighting #lightingdesign #homeware #homedecor #interiordesign
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An early prototype from our Nere PP suitcase project. To find out more about the design and process behind the Nere PP Luggage, visit our website. Link in bio. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #productdesign #industrialdesign #productphotography #utilitariandesign #minimaldesign #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer
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Most commercial suitcases position their logo centrally to the front face—this is often blocked by the user walking beside them or is too low down to be visible to others. To address this observation, the Nere logo badges uniquely occupy the two opposing top corners, which allows the logo to be seen from a wider range of viewpoints. Consideration was also made to the shaping and positioning of components, such as the wheel housings and Nere badges—to ensure they did not interrupt the sweeping pattern. Find out more about the design behind Nere PP Luggage on our website. Link in bio. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #productdesign #industrialdesign #productvisualization #utilitariandesign #minimaldesign #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer
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Injection moulded PP suitcases are much lighter than their vacuum-formed ABS and PC (Polycarbonate) counterparts—but it is challenging to mould large parts that are typically vacuum-formed without deformations and surface warping. Achieving a lightweight yet strong PP injection moulded suitcase is made possible firstly by the properties of PP, which, when compared to ABS and PC, is more flexible and less prone to cracking. Secondly, the unique surface pattern is strategically designed for injection moulding, allowing us to reduce wall thicknesses while strengthening the suitcase's shell. This in turn uses much less plastic than vacuum formed cases, making it not only lighter and stronger, but also better for the environment. Ensuring structural integrity was key to promoting longevity; with cracking during transit being one of the most common failures of hard shell suitcases. The pattern therefore acts as a set of external ribs that strengthen the shell, while enabling a reduced wall thickness. As a result, the increased durability and lighter weight of the suitcase reduces carbon footprint for both users and airlines when travelling. Find out more about the design behind Nere PP Luggage on our website. Link in bio. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #productdesign #industrialdesign #productphotography #utilitariandesign #minimaldesign #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer
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Standing out in a saturated market is extremely difficult. Our initial strategic research and analysis into the current market landscape helped us to identify that hard shell suitcases share a common problem—cracking in transit due to a lack of structural integrity. BLOND addressed this by applying a scalloped pattern across the entire suitcase, made possible by using injection moulded recyclable PP. This provided the opportunity to explore high-fidelity surface detailing and textures; an advantage of the injection moulding manufacturing process over the more commonplace vacuum-formed luggage shells. The pattern acts as a set of external ribs that strengthen the shell, and enable a reduced wall thickness—making for a suitcase that isn’t only stronger, but lighter. Find out more about the design behind Nere PP Luggage on our website. Link in bio. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #productdesign #industrialdesign #productphotography #utilitariandesign #minimaldesign #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer
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Nere (sub-brand of Strand), an Australian household name known as the destination store for luggage, approached BLOND to design a new lightweight luggage line. The brief was to design a suitcase family made from injection moulded Polypropylene (PP) plastic, which provided an opportunity to explore high-fidelity surface detailing and textures—helping to differentiate from the more common vacuum-formed luggage shells. BLOND harnessed the capabilities of this manufacturing process to not only increase structural integrity and reduce weight, but also maximise brand exposure through a sweeping pattern that frames the strategically positioned logos. Find out more about the design behind Nere PP Luggage on our website. Link in bio. - - - #blonddesign #blondcreative #Jamesmelia #productdesign #industrialdesign #productphotography #utilitariandesign #minimaldesign #designstudio #designagency #designconsultancy #designfirm #designwork #designer