Thinkable Studio

Motorola Solutions asked us to redesign their best selling scanner of all time, the LS2208. With over 5 million units sold to date, we think that we have successfully given the LI2208 a newer, timeless look and feel. No doubt, many more will be sold...

Crisp lines, smart uses of materials characterize the new LI2208.

See-thru render shows super-efficient single pcb/engine combo with bright, user-guided visual LED feedback. Strategic rubber overmolds on handle and nose cap add haptic feel and added wear points/ruggedness.

We designed the LI2208 assembly to be literally a 'snap'. Two screws add extra ruggedness.

Countless design concepts were explored, from corded to cordless ones...

...to new assembly methods...

... and to different ways to establish a 'higher end feel'

Here we explored using a metal insert (or vacuum metalised plastic piece) which provided double duty as a LED lightpipe as well as an appealing highend accent hidden under the clear plastic and exposed at the sides.

Here, we're crafting a story around a simple assembly along with an accessory stand that ties into a feature on the foot. Accessories are often the forgotten afterthought to a design, but can spell the difference between a design that works for a retailer's needs, and one that doesn't.

"The details are not the details. They make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections." - Charles Eames Here as we close in on an overall aesthetic, the canopy goes through a multitude of smaller, nuanced iterations in order to find that key balance of shape, proportion and emotional appeal.

The numerous concepts were narrowed down to 2; a more conservative V1 on the right, versus the more radical V2 on the left

V1 shows a more refined and modern-edgy styling with a comfortable ergonomic rubber-overmould extending down the handle. V2 is much more of a departure from the Motorola Solutions design language at the time; bringing in a stronger angular profile, along with prominent high-end detailing like the metal lightpipe exposed at the sides and a design that incorporates a removable door in the handle to access the batteries for the wireless version.

Screengrab from ProEngineer/Creo of one of the appearance models before the radii are added. Deciding when and where to add in features like radii are important during the development of a design. Add them in too early and you risk causing downstream problems during feature changes and updates; add them in too late and the radii will often be limited by internal constraints and the ability for Parametric CAD programs to impliment large, aesthetic surfaces.

Mouldflow analysis (Injection fill time) for the handle substrate

Mouldflow analysis (Volumetric shrinkage) for the handle substrate