”We chose Huld as our partner because we knew we would get a wide range of expertise to our product development – everything from industrial design to mechanical design and usability studies. None of the competitors were able to provide the same package.” – Jarkko Piirto, Program Manager, iLOQ.
iLOQ is a pioneer in digital locking and mobile access solutions. ILOQ’s battery-free and wireless solutions are both secure and durable, ensuring smart and safe daily access to buildings.
iLOQ provides locking systems for many different needs. To develop their product portfolio for the North American market, iLOQ started working on a new product, iLOQ ANSI lock cylinder.
iLOQ chose Huld as their partner for the product development as their previous collaborations have gone smoothly. Huld was able to provide knowledge of design and usability study along with service design, which were all necessary for carrying out the project.
The development of iLOQ ANSI began with a thorough examination of the needs and requirements for the new locking system. The goal was to develop a completely new lock cylinder with an NFC reader.
Numerous options were designed in close collaboration, and the best ideas were selected for further development. To make sure that the design was functional, the prototypes were tested in separate workshops that were arranged both in Finland and in North America. The usability study provided valuable information on what was actually required from the product. As the product development progressed, a door handle that is compatible with iLOQ ANSI was also designed. The addition enabled even broader usability in different locking environments.
By combining usability study and design, iLOQ ANSI lock cylinder became a truly ergonomic, visually pleasing and user-friendly product. To meet the modern requirements, iLOQ ANSI can be opened securely with a smart phone.
”Huld’s visionary ideas and deep understanding of design were crucial when we developed the lock cylinder for a new market. Does the Nordic minimalistic design work in North America? What kind of market trends are expected in the future? To not base the product only on discussions, we physically validated the concepts with a usability study. This ensured that the product is truly functional.” – Jarkko Piirto, Program Manager, iLOQ.
In addition to design and usability study, iLOQ and Huld’s collaboration was also reinforced with mechanical design and technical documentation to make the service more comprehensive. The two-year-long product development was completed, and iLOQ ANSI was successfully released in North America.
