Problem Statement
Extreme sports enthusiasts lack a reliable safety solution in the event of a severe injury during solo activities. More specifically, solo mountain bikers who get in an emergency accident have no way of getting help when they are incapacitated and are unable to dial 911.
How it Works
The device was made to work with various attachment mounts for personalization of use on different extreme sports equipment. When the user falls and the red cord detaches, it triggers the kill switch and activates the emergency alert.
Attach Device
Device attaches to bike or other extreme sporting equipment (various mounting components).
Attach Cord
Cord clips on to anywhere on your person.
Cord Detaches
If the cord detaches, solo will send a message to your designated emergency contact after a 60 second override period.
Light Indicators
The green light indicates the device is running. When the cord is detached, it will flash yellow for 60 seconds during the override period before turning red, triggering the emergency text alert.
Sends an Emergency Message
The device automatically sends a text message with your location to your emergency contacts previously entered in the app.
The Parent Company
As a design team, we were also tasked with devising a concept for the overarching parent company that would sell our device Solo, along with other safety products. Our name, Khiron comes from the centaur in greek mythology—Chiron. He was known as the trainer of famous greek heroes such as Achilles, and was skilled as a healer. We thought this to be appropriate for a company planning to sell safety products to extreme athletes.
Initial Mind-Mapping
Ideation for the brand mark.
Name Explorations
Settled on the name Khiron to differentiate from other brands and products with the original name.
Initial Sketches
We had various ideas for the logo mark but settled for a spartan helmet which represents heroism as well as safety.
Design System
Our final mark combines the spartan helmet in a striking red with custom typography comprised of geometric shapes and sharp edges. Our brand aims to appeal to extreme athletes who have an appetite for danger, giving them great safety products so that they can push the boundaries of what's possible. In a similar sense our tagline, Harnessing Heroes, represents our mission as a company to build up these athletes, while simultaneously protecting them.
The App
We also created an app to accompany the device. This acts as a hub for tracking your solo activities and keeps logs of your location. As for the design, we went with a simple user interface that reflected Solo's design system, making sure functionality and accessibility were prioritized. The color choice stems from that of a high-vis safety vest, while also representing energy and alertness.
App Run-Through
This is what the final app looked like. As you can tell, the handoff to development changed the look a little. However, the core functionality remained the same and worked successfully.
Final Mockups
Our brand would be incorporated into various touch-points for the consumer, including our website as a central hub, along with merch, sporting events, and trade shows.
Distribution Strategy
In order to sell our product Solo, we would use our strategic advantage of being located near Bentonville (the mountain bike capital of the world) to sell in various sporting goods and bike stores. In addition we would sell online to consumers using platforms such as amazon as well as our own website.
Retail Stores
Stores such as Academy, Fox, Bentonville Bike Shop, and Phat Tire provide ready buyers for our product.
In-Store
Product could be sold on store shelves as well as custom end-cap displays.
Amazon Product Page
Amazon provides a valuable customer base for our product.
Khiron Product Page
Our website would sell Solo, as well as other safety products alike.
Final Presentation & Results
For our final presentation, we presented to a panel of professionals in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and Design. I presented, along with four other teammates (My hair was quite long at the time :). Out of six teams, we ended up taking home 1st place for the competition! Overall, the team did amazing and it was a great learning experience.
“Toby’s dedication to our project was unmatched. He went above and beyond, not just in his work on our branding but in ensuring the entire project was executed to the highest standard for the whole team.”
Addie Block
Khiron Team Member (Business)
