News

DCA has won a début place on a new and prestigious league tab...

DCA has won a début place on a new and prestigious league table of Britain’s 100 fastest-growing international export stars.

The Sunday Times International Track 100 was published for the first time on 11th July, ranking Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing international sales over the last two years.

Despite generally challenging trading conditions, the top 100 companies’ international sales grew over two years to a total of £2.2bn. The league table lists DCA’s international sales growth as averaging 45.43% over this period.

Eight companies head-quartered in the Midlands, including DCA, have made a stellar contribution to the local economy over the last two years, despite the downturn. During this time, they have added 197 jobs, and now employ a total of 1,008 people. International sales have grown to a combined total of more than £89m, representing an average of 50% of the companies’ total sales of £180m.

International Track 100 private companies range from windscreen wiper makers to vintners and, of course, includes our very own and very strong creative sector!

‘It is fantastic to be ranked in this league table. The ranking is the result of a huge amount of hard work from all of the team at DCA. The level of sales growth DCA has produced reflects recognition by clients of the real value of the creative work that DCA provides. The tangible results for them are hundreds of valuable patents and numerous commercially successful products, producing a positive difference to their bottom-line profits today and potential for growth in market share tomorrow. Our aim is to assist our clients to significant success through design and thereby be successful ourselves,’ comments Rob Woolston, DCA’s Managing Director and Head of the Medical and Scientific sector.

To view The Sunday Times International Track 100, please visit: www.fasttrack.co.uk

The Sunday Times International Track 100 is compiled by Oxford-based research and networking events company Fast Track and sponsored by HSBC.

Image reproduced by permission. Copyright The Sunday Times International Track 100.

Tellermate’s new T-ix  range of coin and note counters have be...

Tellermate’s new T-ix  range of coin and note counters have been designed to provide comprehensive cash room solutions, offering efficient counting and reconciliation with integral audit and security processes.

DCA’s specific responsibility was for the industrial design of the caseworks and the user interface.  CAD and other software tools were used to specify the final A surfaces and the interface details prior to handover to the Tellermate R&D team for product integration and electronic hardware and software development.

The T-ix  range has proven to set a new standard for business machines of this kind and has allowed Tellermate to strengthen its position significantly in this specialist market place.

The T-ix  range was first launched in the US in January 2010, followed by a launch into Europe in March of the same year.

Click here to visit the T-ix website.

Number one in product design: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

Number one in product design: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

For the sixth year running we have been ranked as the UK's number one product design consultancy by Design Week* in its Top 100 survey. The survey charts the annual progress of UK design consultancies across all design disciplines.

‘We are proud of this significant ranking. It comes following a further year of continued strong development of our design service across all of our skills and sectors,’ comments Rob Woolston, Managing Director of DCA.

‘It’s cheering to see that the most efficient design consultancies haven’t lost their foothold in the financial storms of 2009’, says Lynda Relph-Knight, Editor, Design Week. ‘Indeed a plucky few have even excelled themselves and moved up the rankings despite the tough times’.

Overall in the Top 100, across all design disciplines, DCA reached 10th position compared to 12th position in 2009.

‘It is heartening to see product design in the top ten of all consultancy disciplines covered in the Top 100 survey. We are delighted to be there as the leading product design consultancy,’ says Rob Woolston, Managing Director of DCA.

*Design Week is the market leading publication for the design community in the UK, and regularly commissions research and surveys on important market issues. The ‘Top 100’ league table is the only survey of its kind in the UK.

We have added a Hurco VM10UHS high-speed 5-axis machining centre to our C...

We have added a Hurco VM10UHS high-speed 5-axis machining centre to our CNC machining facilities.  This state-of-the-art machine provides us with a full simultaneous 5-axis machining capability, backed up with a spindle speed of 30,000 rpm and a positional accuracy in excess of 5 microns.

We have been working with the machine for several months now.  Taking full advantage of its advanced capabilities, we have already produced a wide range of impressive components in support of our product development activities.

Link to 'Prototyping' in 'Services'

DCA will again be exhibiting at MEDTEC UK, NEC, Birmingham.27th - 2...

DCA will again be exhibiting at MEDTEC UK, NEC, Birmingham.
27th – 28th April 2010
Stand no: 1836.

For 16 years the MEDTEC exhibition and conference series has been addressing the key technical needs of medical device manufacturing companies, providing them with an annual showcase of materials, manufacturing technology and expertise.

The annual two-day conference will focus on providing the latest business and regulatory discussion, expert opinion and guidance.

Our stand will showcase examples of our design work from all sectors of the medical industry and includes the Red Dot Award winning Versaflo S-655 Personal Protection Headcover for 3M, together with the Good Design award winning ClikSTAR® and the multi award winning SoloSTAR® injection devices for Sanofi Aventis.

Senior staff from the company will be available to discuss how our service works and how we may be able to assist in meeting your design needs.

If you would like to make an appointment to see us while you are attending, please contact either:

Jane Phillips – Medical Marketing, medical@dca-design.com, +44 (0) 1926 483 108
Christine Robertson-Smith – PA to the MD, christine.robertson-smith@dca-design.com, +44 (0) 1926 483 164

We look forward to seeing you at the show.


Visit the MEDTEC UK website

DCA and 3M have won one of this year’s prestigious red dot awards f...

DCA and 3M have won one of this year’s prestigious red dot awards for the recently launched Versaflo S-655 Premium Hood, which is part of 3M's new revolutionary personal protection headcover and hood range. The international jury selected this innovative new personal protection hood from a field of 4,252 entries drawn from 57 countries.

The S-655 Premium Hood contains numerous functional, usability and visual innovations and has four patent applications pending.  It forms part of the new S-series headcover range, for which DCA was 3M’s key development partner.

Des Curran, Senior Specialist and Project Manager at 3M, commented, 'We are delighted by this award.  By listening to our users and thoroughly understanding their needs, we have been able to develop a revolutionary personal protection headcover that combines class leading functionality with user-focused ergonomics and styling.  As a result, users see the new hood as an enabler that helps them work more easily, more safely and in more comfort.'

3M Versaflo S-655 Premium Hood - red dot award submission (pdf)

Link to 'Personal protection' in 'Commercial and Industrial'

Visit reddot online

New Design asks Nick Mival about trends for last decade and the twenty te...

New Design asks Nick Mival about trends for last decade and the twenty tens

As we leave the 2000’s behind and enter the 2010’s, what will the next decade have in store for the product design industry? Tanya Weaver of New Design poses a number of questions to leading industrial designers to gauge their opinion. For example what has been the biggest trend/s in the last decade?  Nick Mival explains ‘Trends themselves have been a big trend of the last ten years! There seems to be a name for every new micro trend from ‘masstige’ to ‘lease living’, seriously though we continuously track a number of cultural, economic and technology megatrends, never considering one to be the biggest or most dominant. We are more interested in where and how they fuse and create smaller trends that influence a way a particular group of people think and behave. If I were asked to pick a candidate for one of the biggest in the last decade it would be the ongoing ‘Digital Revolution’. It continues to change everything. It has shifted so much power to the individual, changed the way we relate to each other and crated endless new social and commercial opportunities.’

New Design article - 'Trends Twenty-Ten', with DCA's Nick Mival (pdf)

Visit New Design Magazine website

DCA helps GBC launch the world’s fastest pouch laminator

DCA helps GBC launch the world’s fastest pouch laminator

GBC’s new Quickstart A3 laminators use new halogen technology to heat the rollers to perfect temperature in less than 20% of the time of traditional laminators. This allows almost instant start-up for laminating your documents when you want, 18 documents can be laminated in the time it takes most laminators take to laminate only 1.

DCA has designed and developed a new visual language that communicates this speed and the quality of the new range while incorporating a new lighting effect to highlight the innovative halogen technology. In addition DCA supported GBC throughout the project on UI development, A-surface CAD modelling, model making and colour and finish specification.

Link to 'Office equipment' in 'Commercial & Industrial'

ClikSTAR® has received the prestigious 2009 GOOD DESIGN Award, as awa...

ClikSTAR® has received the prestigious 2009 GOOD DESIGN Award, as awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

ClikSTAR®, the new easy to use reusable insulin injection pen for use with Lantus® and Apidra® and other Sanofi Aventis insulins, has been designed with the help of nearly 2,000 patients and 500 healthcare professionals.

ClikSTAR® for Sanofi Aventis, was designed to provide the state-of-the-art performances of the SoloSTAR® pen, in a reusable form.

Founded in Chicago in 1950 by architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., GOOD DESIGN bestows international recognition upon the world's most prominent designers and manufacturers for advancing new, visionary, and innovative product concepts, invention and originality, and for stretching the envelope beyond what is considered ordinary product and consumer design.

‘We are delighted that ClikSTAR® has won a Good Design Award and that it will now become part of the permanent design collection of the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design,’ commented Robert Woolston, DCA’s Managing Director and Head of the Medical and Scientific sector.

(ClikSTAR® is a registered brand of Sanofi Aventis).

Link to 'Injection devices' in 'Medical and Scientific'

Following the completion of two substantial, technical projects during 20...

Following the completion of two substantial, technical projects during 2009, we were delighted to receive the following positive feedback from Tube Lines and London Underground:

'On behalf of the project, I would like to offer both Tube Lines Ltd and London Underground's thanks to DCA Design International Ltd for your organisation's contribution to this project. In particular, the project would like to thank [the] team for the level of ingenuity, professionalism, support and co-operation provided throughout the various projects to enable successful conclusions to be derived for these technically challenging problems.'

As a result, we aim to continue working with Tube Lines and London Underground on these and other programmes of work in 2010.

DCA director, Nick Mival explains ‘A pushchair is inherently a series of compromises, contr...

DCA director, Nick Mival explains ‘A pushchair is inherently a series of compromises, contradictions and trade-offs. There are few products I can think of that are required to do so much. Controversially I don’t think there is a perfect pushchair. Every pushchair has to decide what its agenda is and deliver on that, otherwise it won’t deliver on anything’.

‘So many pushchairs prioritise convenience for the parent and start by designing a frame. We started by shifting the balance from ‘parent first’ to ‘parent and baby equal’. This led to moving the baby more centre stage and designing from the seat and cot out rather than the frame in, equalling the comfort of the baby with convenience for the parent. The Mylo is a 3 in 1 travel system which now offers best in class baby comfort in each format’.

Mamas and Papas said ‘DCA demonstrated an enormous technical ability to be able to deliver a project like this. Their multidiscipline team and intelligent approach complimented our in-house skill base and we were able to share the breadth and depth of knowledge within that circle easily. DCA has been strengthening its design strategy and research teams integrating them with their industrial design and engineering core. This has helped us develop a new visual brand language for Mylo to compliment its innovative engineering. This continued investment is important to us as we look to have a long relationship with DCA bringing more ideas to market.’

Link to 'Parenting and toys' in 'Consumer'

DCA will again be exhibiting at Pharmapack, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris.1st & 2n...

DCA will again be exhibiting at Pharmapack, Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris.
1st & 2nd February 2010
Stand no: B9.

We are also pleased to be presenting on Day 1 of the Pharmapack Conference, between 9.15-11.00am.

Drug Delivery Devices - making disposable more sustainable.

Patient safety, usability, compliance and counterfeiting risks have all helped to drive a trend away from reusable drug delivery devices, towards disposable products. The conventional view is that this trend is significantly at odds with environmental sustainability, but how can we assess the evidence?

If you would like to make an appointment to see us while you are attending, please contact either:

Jane Phillips – Medical Marketing, jane.phillips@dca-design.com, +44 (0) 1926 483 108
Renée Lamb – PA to the MD, renee.lamb@dca-design.com, +44 (0) 1926 483 164

We look forward to seeing you at the show.

Working with DCA as a key development partner, 3M has launched a new rang...

Working with DCA as a key development partner, 3M has launched a new range of S-series Headcovers

The new S-Series Headcover range provides a step change in performance and comfort, compared with existing PPE of its type.  As part of an extensive design and development programme, DCA developed new head harnesses and fabric patterns to improve visibility, appearance and comfort for the global workforce.  For the premium version DCA developed an innovative method for the user to control and redirect the air flow within the Headcover.  This unique capability improves comfort, reduces noise and enhances the level of protection available to the user.

The S-series Headcovers were recently exhibited at the A+A show, Düsseldorf stimulating the market, cementing 3M's reputation of developing class leading products. 

Link to 'Personal protection' in 'Commercial and Industrial'

DCA and Sanofi Aventis swept the board, taking Gold, International Export and G...

DCA and Sanofi Aventis swept the board, taking Gold, International Export and GRAND PRIX at the 2009 DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.

The awards were for the SoloSTAR® insulin injector pen, designed for Sanofi Aventis.

As the Chairman of the judges, Michael Bates, Marketing Director, Morrisons, summed up: 'A stunning example of how thoughtful and measured design can improve the quality of life for so many people'. 'An outstanding example of great design, combining functional style, performance and excellent presentation. The clear combination of commercial success and excellent user and physician feedback make this a worthy winner'.

DCA's Managing Director, Robert Woolston, commented: 'SoloSTAR® is a great example of an intelligent, evidence-based approach to design. The resulting success of SoloSTAR® clearly shows good design, yet again, making the difference, improving lives and achieving commercial success. We are delighted that the SoloSTAR® design has been recognised for its effectiveness by the judges of the DBA awards'.

See SoloSTAR at the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2009

During EASD 2009 (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) on the 30th September in Vienna...

During EASD 2009 (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) on the 30th September in Vienna, it was announced that ClikSTAR®, a new reusable insulin injection pen for use with Lantus®, Apidra® and other Sanofi Aventis insulins, will be launched in Canada, Greece, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, in October 2009.

ClikSTAR®, for Sanofi Aventis, was designed to provide the state-of-the-art performance of the disposable SoloSTAR® pen (see other DCA news items on SoloSTAR®) in a reusable form.

'Easy to use pens such as ClikSTAR® bring a high degree of flexibility and comfort to patients and may offer an opportunity for earlier insulinisation of insulin therapy. This may lead to better glycaemic control,' said Professor Alfred Panfornis, Head of Endocrinology and Diabetology Service, Besancon, France.

ClikSTAR® has been designed with the help of nearly 2000 patients and 500 healthcare professionals and is the product of a rigorous evidence-based development approach.

Robert Woolston, DCA’s Managing Director and Head of the Medical and Scientific sector explains: “One of our specialist medical device teams at DCA worked closely with Sanofi Aventis through an intensive development to ensure the successful delivery of ClikSTAR® to market. We are excited to see this device launched and starting to fulfil its mission for our client”.

(ClikSTAR® is a registered brand of Sanofi Aventis).

Link to 'Injection devices' in 'Medical and Scientific'

Aimed at small wards, en-suite rooms, and low usage areas such as clinics...

Aimed at small wards, en-suite rooms, and low usage areas such as clinics, nursing and care homes, the SOLO disposes of bedpans, urine bottles and other pulp items into the standard drainage system using only cold water and a small amount of electricity.

DCA's designers and engineers worked closely with Haigh's experienced in-house team to bring this ground breaking compact and efficient product to market.

The project's success was founded on an excellent open working relationship as Martin Price, Haigh's Chief Design Engineer, explains:


'DCA proved to be an effective extension of our design department bringing with them a wealth of experience and new concepts throughout each stage of the product development process. Importantly, DCA were easy to work with, confident to challenge whilst prepared to be challenged. This attitude, together with their enthusiasm, culminated in a successful conclusion of this project and with it an exciting new product.'

For more information on the SOLO product visit Haigh's website

DCA and Sanofi Aventis are thrilled to announce that Lantus® SoloSTAR® ...

DCA and Sanofi Aventis are thrilled to announce that Lantus® SoloSTAR® is a final candidate in the Prix Galien USA 2009 Awards.

The Prix Galien Award recognises technical, scientific and clinical research skills necessary to develop innovative medicines and devices, and is considered the industry’s highest accolade, equivalent to the Nobel Prize. The Prix Galien USA award committee comprises 11 individuals, including Nobel Laureates, founders of major biotech companies and editors of world-renowned biology journals.

‘Nominees for the Prix Galien USA, stand apart from other drugs and technologies in the marketplace for the amount of research and level of skill that was invested in the development of these products that improve lives,’ said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Prix Galien USA committee chair, New York University professor emeritus and editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal.

'This is a highly prestigious award that endorses the life enhancing value of design. It is exciting to be selected as a final candidate,’ commented Rob Woolston, Managing Director, DCA.

Peter Kay explains the importance of a 3D visual brand language

Peter Kay explains the importance of a 3D visual brand language

'In the early nineties a client asked me a simple question. ‘Why does it look like that?’ They were referring to a successful consumer product that we had designed. They wanted to deconstruct why it had been so successful and what they should do next. A definitive answer was difficult, and obviously required an analysis of all the communications that had surrounded the product. But my client was specific; they wanted to know how the look of the product had helped. What was it in the visual design of the product that was considered so ‘cool’ and resonated so well with its audience? Like art historians, with hindsight we could theorise and hypothesise why, but the fact was it had not been designed strategically to communicate particular messages about the brand or the product, it was a happy accident. It is difficult to repeat happy accidents. We are now in a sober period where it is vital to have a more intelligent approach to design. ‘I think concept number five is the cool one’ is not good enough, ‘softer corners look better’ is just not acceptable.’

Full Marketing Week article (pdf)

X-Putt is the latest concept from World Golf Systems, developed in partne...

X-Putt is the latest concept from World Golf Systems, developed in partnership with DCA.

X-Putt is a compact player participation golf putting game of skill and fun that can also reward high scores with a cash prize. Taking up a similar amount of space to a pool table (2.5m x 1.2m), the game is designed for use within arcades, clubs, shopping malls and holiday parks.

Launched at ATEI 2009, X-Putt is enjoying remarkable market success in the UK.  Most recently X-Putt was shown at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2009, Las Vegas.

Link to 'Gaming' in 'Commercial and Industrial'
WGS X-Putt case study (pdf)
www.x-putt.com

DCA, in conjunction with Froude Hofmann recently redesigned their robot driver, which is used wit...

DCA, in conjunction with Froude Hofmann recently redesigned their robot driver, which is used with vehicle dynamometers to remotely 'drive' cars during endurance and emissions testing.  Having designed the previous incarnation of the robot driver that helped define the market for 10 years, DCA were commissioned to implement mechanical enhancements and update the system's industrial design.
 
DCA overhauled the mechanical design to add an additional driven axis while redistributing and removing weight, allowing faster actuation while consuming less power.  Outer casework was redesigned using carbon fibre reinforced plastics, shedding further weight and revamping external aesthetics.

A lighter system allowed DCA to amalgamate several components, eliminating the difficulty of installing several sub-assemblies within the confines of a test vehicle.  DCA's engineers worked in partnership with Froude Hofmann to integrate the new system's control electronics and supervised the manufacture of prototype carbon fibre casework.

The new robot driver meets the need for rapid deployment without sacrificing Froude Hofmann's reputation for reliability under the harshness of vehicle test environments.  Thanks to this continued collaboration between Froude Hofmann and DCA, the new system received much attention at the Detroit Testing EXPO where it was launched in November (2008).

The installation of a new emergency detrainment system has just been completed for use on undergr...

The installation of a new emergency detrainment system has just been completed for use on underground and metro vehicles. DCA designed and engineered the system for Percy Lane Products, tackling all aspects from concept generation to detailed production specification. As the system is safety critical, reliability is essential over the system's 32 year design life. So detailed FEA-based structural analysis and fatigue modelling was undertaken in parallel with accelerated prototype life testing.

Careful consideration has also been given to the Human Factors aspects of the system so that it can be deployed and stowed in under 2 minutes. To make this feasible, the total mass of the system was kept to less than 15kg, adding further complications to the structural and economic challenges of the project.

The new design is a significant improvement over the existing system and ensures passenger safety in the event of an emergency for many years to come. DCA and Percy Lane Products continue to build on the positive experience of the project through further ongoing programmes of work.

Designed by DCA, Nano is the latest fire detection control panel from Gent by Honeywell. DCA'...

Designed by DCA, Nano is the latest fire detection control panel from Gent by Honeywell. DCA's specific responsibilities include the industrial design (ID) of the enclosure, including the specification of all colours, finishes, and graphics. All external 'A' surfaces were also CAD modelled by DCA. A further responsibility was the control panel button and indicator layout.

At an early stage DCA conducted user research interviews to gain a clear understanding of the needs of the various stakeholders so as to achieve significant benefits over existing products in the market place.

Nano delivers an experience that makes the fire alarm system easy to use and operate and offers aesthetics that are look good in any type of building.

DCA developed the advanced Xsight range of universal remote controls for Universal Electronics, w...

DCA developed the advanced Xsight range of universal remote controls for Universal Electronics, working closely with both the US and European UE project teams. DCA supported UE with the iconic industrial design and clear user interface as well as production assistance for both the mechanical and electronic aspects of the industrialisation.

Launched in September at IFA in Berlin, and the already receiving rave reviews, the new Xsight remote control with its easy web-linked set-up is revolutionary and is setting a new bench-mark for the universal remote control market. Combining technology and clarity, the Xsight is a feature-packed remote that's simple to configure and a pleasure to use.

'DCA was authoritative for the unique design language of the Xsight universal remote control and made it an exclamation mark in the category' comments the Xsight Product Manager.

Earlier this year DCA re-designed the livery for the complete Translink fleet. This flagship high...

Earlier this year DCA re-designed the livery for the complete Translink fleet. This flagship high-speed service is jointly operated by NI Railways and Iarnród Éireann and is highly symbolic in linking Belfast and Dublin.

DCA developed the original livery and brand identity in the 1990s, and in recognition of the success of that brand imagery, DCA were asked to revisit and update the livery for the 21st century. The new livery was carefully designed to ensure that the existing and newly liveried trains would sit well together during the transition period and, most importantly, that the new train liveries would comply with all current accessibility regulations. Building on the existing well-established and respected brand, we developed the new livery to create a modern and dynamic face for the existing fleet that is ready for the next 20 years!

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public tra...

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. In September DCA became a member of the Design & Culture Platform, one of only eight companies globally to lead a think-tank into the emotional, cultural and design aspects of public transport and journey experience.

SoloSTAR®, a disposable injection pen for the injection of Lantus® and ...

SoloSTAR®, a disposable injection pen for the injection of Lantus® and Apidra® for people with diabetes, has received the prestigious 2007 GOOD DESIGN Award, as awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

Lantus® and Apidra® SoloSTAR®, created in cooperation with sanofi-aventis, considering the input of patients, nurses and doctors, is the result of four years of intensive development and the product of a rigorous, evidence-based, intelligent approach to design.

The Lantus® and Apidra® SoloSTAR® device delivers leading performance in almost every respect. It has a lower dispense force and the largest selectable dose compared with the most broadly available pens in its class. The device is remarkably easy to use, has a discretely appealing form and is designed to facilitate extremely high volume manufacture and assembly.

The elegant form of the SoloSTAR® device, together with its ease of use and advanced mechanical engineering has been designed and developed using design consultancy from DCA Design International Ltd.

The quality and the supply of Lantus® and Apidra® SoloSTAR® meet the high standards of the medical industry.

The Lantus® and Apidra® SoloSTAR® device is being put into the permanent Design Collection of the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

Libby has been selected as one of only eight finalists for The Young Wo...

Libby has been selected as one of only eight finalists for The Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award 2007 granted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. She has been invited to a ceremony in London in January 2008 to receive her finalist’s certificate.

The Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award seeks to recognise and reward the very best female engineers that the UK has to offer, highlighting achievements of women in engineering and thus encouraging others to enter the profession. The highly prestigious and coveted awards highlight young women who have firmly established themselves as dynamic and technically excellent professionals.

The judges were particularly impressed with the way that Libby has combined her engineering skills and experience with her formal training and natural aptitude for ergonomics and user research. As a prominent member of DCA’s in-house research team, this allows Libby to interpret the findings from user research into a format that can be used to inform DCA’s designers and engineers throughout the subsequent development phases of a project.

Marketed under the GBC brand, a new pre-punched document bi...

Marketed under the GBC brand, a new pre-punched document binder has been launched by ACCO Brands in both the US and UK.

Designed by DCA, the EZClick binder uses three sizes of Click and features a fold out document support, Click storage and a document thickness guide.  When not in use the binder can easily stored in a drawer or on a shelf.

EZClick was designed in CAD with the aid of physical models to optimise ergonomics and gain inputs from customers and end users, prior to commencing the manufacturing phase.

Europe's leading flash drive manufacturer, PNY Technologies has launched it...

Europe's leading flash drive manufacturer, PNY Technologies has launched its new Attache flash drive, designed by DCA.

Nick Mival of DCA explains 'PNY required a new design which stood out in a crowded market.  We stripped away everything superfluous and created an honest product with simple USP's based on stakeholder insight.  Primarily, the design ensures the plug will always be protected because you cannot close the lid.  To do this the key transforms between two states with a very addictive fiddle factor, so not only is data protection guaranteed but you just won't stop playing with it!'

Samy Benarfa, PNY's marketing director said ' We gave DCA some very tight parameters to design within, while still expecting an innovative solution, which we got.  The result has a simple, minimal aesthetic, a great 'cap less' concept and is easily customisable.  The product is now proving to be a great success in the market'.

DCA has designed and developed a new vehicle to transport visitors around Harrison Caves in Barba...

DCA has designed and developed a new vehicle to transport visitors around Harrison Caves in Barbados, one of the countries leading tourist sites.  Working for Severn Lamb, the leisure transport systems firm, DCA helped create a vehicle consisting of a main drive unit and a series of trailers.  A simple but memorable 'lunar' design aesthetic was developed to compliment and not compete with the historic grandeur of the caves. In parallel DCA's usability team completed vigorous research and user trials to ensure a robust, enjoyable and safe experience.

John Bankes of Severn Lamb said 'After extensive research and ergonomic investigation, DCA delivered a perfect solution for transporting visitors through the Harrison Caves.  Our client has been delighted with the result and now see the vehicle as an integral part of the cave experience'.

DCA has expanded into a new studio to accomodate its increased staff numbers an...

DCA has expanded into a new studio to accomodate its increased staff numbers and create a series of project immersion spaces.

Located close to the Head Office building in central Warwick the studio has panoramic views over the countryside and Warwick racecourse providing staff with a spacious, light environment to research, design and develop great products.

Rob Woolston, DCA's managing director commented 'We are delighted with our additional studio space, it provides a great new creative environment which allows our team to grow'.

DCA is working with ROK Entertainment to bring innovative new services to mobil...

DCA is working with ROK Entertainment to bring innovative new services to mobile phone users.

The BLCX connects A/V equipment to the internet, allowing any content available in the home to be viewed on a mobile phone via a 2.5 or 3G connection.

BLCX is also a personal video recorder with on-screen programme guide, that you can watch and control from a mobile phone.

With built in WiFi and Bluetooth the BLCX allows users to connect compatible handsets to the internet for VoIP calls.