CASE STUDY
Accuquilt GO! Series
BRINGING CUTTING-EDGE DESIGN TO QUILTING.
A leader in heavy duty commercial die cutters, AccuCut saw an opportunity to provide a better, easier quilting experience. With help from Fahrenheit, they introduced the AccuQuilt GO!, the first portable die cutter designed specially for quilters.
With the launch of the flagship product, we developed a brand language around AccuQuilt, later expanding the product line to include the more compact GO! Me and the motorized GO! Big.
Services
Strategy
Research
Visual Brand Language
Industrial Design
Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing and Sourcing
Awards
The challenge
How do we make a portable and reliable die cutter for quilters?
Quilters have two ways to cut shapes from fabric. The first is by hand — using scissors and handheld rotary cutters — which can be time-consuming, inaccurate and sometimes painful.
The second method is to use a die cutter, which is highly accurate and easier on the hands. However, before the GO!, the available options were bulky and stationary. AccuCut realized there was an opportunity here to improve the user’s ability to transport and stow a die cutter.
Handheld rotary cutter; large, stationary die cutter
Key needs
Interviews with the target demographic found that a new device needed to be:
1) Lightweight
As the primary users would be women in their 60s, the weight of the device needed to be more manageable than existing die cutters.
2) Compact
A smaller form factor would provide a novel benefit, in both transportation and storage of the device.
3) Durable
Die cutters must transmit enormous pressure onto fabrics in order for the blade to cut properly. To be reliable, mechanical components would need to be made from high-quality, well-engineered materials.
Laying out the options
We explored various layouts, considering ease of use and form factor in both open and closed positions.
The selected architecture was the easiest to deploy, and occupied the smallest footprint when packed away.
Exploring various proportions
Old traditions, new methods
The GO! is made to be highly accurate, powerful and rugged, while being as compact and moveable as the sewing machines quilters are used to.
Visually, it departs from the stereotypical feminine aesthetic of crafting products, opting instead for a clean and proud presence.
A brand emerges
AccuCut built the AccuQuilt brand around this flagship design, using it as a springboard for a full suite of offerings. We have continued to work closely with them in optimizing the brand experience, including accessories and further die cutter designs. Out of this has come the smaller GO! Me and the motorized GO! Big.
Exploration around the GO! Big, a motorized portable die cutter.
Guidelines around the application of the AccuQuilt branding guarantee consistency throughout the product family.
