Unique Material Application

This past week I have been researching some pretty interesting materials.

At our studio we are currently working on a project that requires finding a material that does all of the following - solid (but free-flowing), clear visibility, self healing, and non-sticky.  Believe me, there are not many materials in the world that fit this bill.

Completely solid materials were too limiting, so I began searching in the non-Newtonian fluid realm.  I was directed towards objects such as Oobleck, Floam, and Silly Putty...but transparency was still an issue.  Eventually I came across an amazing product called Crystal Clear Thinking Putty which I found on Puttyworld.com.  This material is completely clear, forms back into itself after being stretched and pressed, is only slightly tacky, and never dries out.

We've done initial tests with this material, and so far it has met everything we are looking for.  Very amazing stuff, and a lot of fun to work with.  This is a great example of a material application that is quite unique.  Often times it takes an unexpected direction to find a solution for a project!



Clear Thinking Putty (also shown with small acrylic balls mixed in)

Its finally here... The Refresher FS2

A few entries back, I shared my experiences while attending the 2013 PGA show launching the Refresher 1200 with Flex Serve technology. After a couple of months of engineering modifications and vehicle platform changes it's ready for taking orders.

Just shy of a year, we teamed with 19th Hole Marketing on this massive project with just an idea -how can we leapfrog the current cart vending paradigm? It has been a fun ride with the creative team from 19th Hole and we look forward to other large scale projects with them.

With all of the buzz I saw over the Refresher 1200 prototype at the PGA show I know this will be a hit out on the golf course.
More importantly this will be an exciting year for 19th Hole Marketing - start the punch presses!

Being A Service Leader

When it comes to evaluating service performance, we're in a unique position.  We're both a service provider and a service recipient.  When we're the recipient, our experience ranges from frustrating to exceeding our expectations.  In either case, our experience causes me to reflect on the service that we are delivering.

The New Service Paradigm - there are some companies that we deal with that are what I consider 'Wired' (taken from Wired, one of my favorite magazines, meaning dialed in and an innovation leader).  These companies have reinvented how service is provided in their industry and have raised the standard for everyone else.  Examples include Protomold, McMasterCarr, Rapid Sheetmetal and UPS.  These Wired companies have streamlined their operational processes through careful attention to every interaction and consistent performance.   They have invested in being an expert in the area that they service.  

Higher expectations created by Wired companies highlight service providers that are not.  Common frustrations include:

• Not presenting a clear process: How do I work with you?
• Getting to the price
• Getting answers related to schedule and status
• Inconsistent performance and results

This topic has spurred many discussions and actions here at the Juggernaut studio to be Wired. I'll admit that this is a moving target and we're continually working to improve.  Even though product development is a complex and not always straight line activity, we strive to:

• Help our clients define and understand the project
• Provide consistent processes that deliver consistent results
• Discuss costs early and providerealistic budgets up front
• Collaborate - providing frequent reviews and updates
• Be easy to contact

I can't stress the last point enough; the act of simply making myself available to our client has a tremendous impact.