Karten Design announced today that it has repositioned itself to bring leadership and innovation to global product manufacturers through a new communication strategy that reflects the company's evolution over 27 years.
The result of a focused strategy, the identity unites all of Karten Design's disciplines, including design strategy, design research, product design and engineering, around a central purpose and passion: creating positive experiences between people and products.
The firm name shifts from Stuart Karten Design to Karten Design, reflecting the company's growth from a one-person start-up to a full-service innovation consultancy supported by a broad range of talent. "Stuart Karten Design suggests one individual," said principal Stuart Karten, who still remains actively involved in every project. Today, Karten Design employs a team of 25, including anthropologists, sociologists, designers, strategists, project managers, model makers, writers, graphic designers, architects and engineers, all collaborating to build positive product experiences. "Our success relies on many individuals who bring expertise in people, products and execution. Changing our name to Karten Design reflects the larger contribution of everyone involved."
A new logo embodies the company's shift to Karten Design. Introducing a colon between the words Karten and Design, this new logo not only represents the company, but now defines its offerings. Grammatically, a colon introduces the logical consequence of the term that precedes it. Logically, "Karten" is design. But today, there are many more elements to Karten Design-research, strategy and innovation. The colon, which sets up a more detailed explanation of an idea, allows the flexibility to define Karten Design more broadly while remaining true to the company's core competency.
A new website introduces the growth in Karten Design's capabilities and the evolution in its thinking. Within the company's core principles-Research Driven, Paradigm Shifting and Company Building-Karten Design highlights the universal value that it provides to partners across industries, including medical design, consumer electronics, consumer products and housewares.
"Design is a strategic business tool that companies can leverage to increase revenue or create market share. Whether a company is designing hearing aids or hard drives, it can leapfrog the competition by developing products that get inside customers' heads, respond to lifestyle changes and understand usability," said Ron Pierce, Karten Design's Director of Strategy and Research.
Karten Design has organized its portfolio, which now includes research and design projects, under headings that demonstrate the value of design. Developed from a product manufacturer's point of view, the headings represent the objectives that corporations have when they engage Karten Design, from introducing sustainability to generating new revenue streams.
The new website also features simplified navigation and the ability to share each page through social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
"Our new identity brings together all our strengths to better articulate what Karten Design represents today," commented Eric Olson, Karten Design's Director of Design. "We hope it will get companies excited about leveraging design to form meaningful bonds with their customers."