Re-Designing and Re-Branding Najad 415p Master Thesis Project, Industrial Design Engineering SAMUEL NILSSON   CHALMERS UNIVERSITY of TECHNOLOGY Gothenburg, Sweden 2015 Faculty of Product- and Production-development Design and Human Factors Faculty of Product- and Production-development Design and Human Factors Re-Designing and Re-Branding Najad 415p MASTER THESIS PROJECT PPUX05 S A M U E L N I L S S O N TUTOR: PONTUS WALLGREN EXAMINER: JOHAN HEINERUD CHALMERS UNIVERSITY of TECHNOLOGY Gothenburg, Sweden 2013   Master Thesis Project, Industrial Design Engineering Master Thesis PPUX05 Re-Designing and Re-Branding Najad 415p Re-Design and Re-Branding Najad 415p Master Thesis, Industrial Design Engineering © Samuel Nilsson Chalmers University of Technology SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Telefon +46(0) 31-772 1000 Omslagsfoto: Samuel Nilsson Print: Repro Service Chalmers 6 ABSTRACT In 2013 the core of the company Najad Yachts was acquired of Lidköpings Båtbyggeri, a year later the board decided to re-brand the Swedestar boats built by Lidköpings Båtbyggeri and use the Najad brand instead. The new boat models are re-named to Najad 415 Performance (Najad 415p) and Najad 370 Performance (Najad 370p). The work carried out to fit the boats to the existing Najad product portfolio was limited and the only change made to the boats was replacing the color of the hull stripe from blue to red. Therefore this master thesis was set up with the aim to re-design the interior of the Najad 415p so it would fit Najad’s existing product portfolio. In addition to the main aim, the company also wanted to make a face lift on the boat exterior, designing new port lights and a bowsprit were also set up as goals for the project. Designing the interior demanded extensive knowledge regarding the brand identity of Najad. Therefore a user study containing questionnaire and a online survey, were carried out in order to gain knowledge about how the brand is perceived today. A more tangible study was also carried out with the aim to extract parts and details in existing Najad interiors characteristic for the brand. These details were then used in the design process of the interior. Iterative sketching and evaluation sessions led to a final interior design proposal. The bowsprit and port light design process were carried out with an initial focus on benchmarking competitors. With inspiration from the benchmarking study the design process mainly consisted explorative sketching followed up with evaluation sessions in cooperation with Najad. Insights gained were then taken back to the drawing board making the whole design process highly iterative. The final designs were modeled and rendered in order to accurately present the concepts. Details and characteristics for the Najad brand found during the brand analysis part of project were summarized in brand identity book in order to facilitate future cooperation between Najad and design consults. The final result of the whole design project, the new Najad 415p, was showcased in a brochure. At the end of the project all work done reached a highly detailed concept level, although constructional calculations and manufacturing preparations needs to be carried out before the concepts could be turned into real products. 7 SAMMANFATTNING Efter konkursen 2013 blev Najad Yachts uppköpta av Lidköpings Båtbyggeri, ett år senare beslutade styrelsen för bolaget att låta de befintliga båtarna i modellportfolion, Swedestar 370 och Swedestar 415, döpas om till Najad 370 Performance och Najad 415 Performance. Arbetet som utfördes för att få de nya Najad båtarna att passa in i den befintliga produkt familjen var dock mycket begränsat, egentligen var det enbart randen i skrovet som byte färg från blå till Najad röd. Målet för denna masteruppsats är att designa om interiören av Najad 415p på så sätt att den passar in i den befintliga produkt portfolion. Uppsatsen kommer också innefatta uppdateringar av exteriören. Nya kabinrutor och ett nytt peke designades under arbetsgång. Designprocessen av interiören krävde mycket kunskap kring varumärket Najad. Därför så genomfördes en användarstudie som innefattade ett frågeformulär och en online- enkät för att få en djupare förståelse för hur användare ser på varumärket Najad. En mer visuell varumärkesanalys utfördes också för att kunna definiera vilka detaljer i inredningen som är karaktäristiska för Najad båtar. Dessa karaktäristiska detaljer användes sedan då interiören designades. Själva interiören designades genom iterativ idé skissning följd av utvärdering av idéer tillsammans med företaget. Processen med att designa peke och kabinrutorna inleddes med fokus på att kartlägga konkurrenter. Med inspiration från kartläggningen startade design processen som främst bestod av utforskande idéskissande följt av utvärdering och diskussion av idéer. Feedback från företaget styrde i mångt och mycket vilka steg som togs under design processen, efter att ha fått feedback så omarbetades designförslagen så processen var av iterativ karaktär. De slutgiltiga design förslagen modellerades och renderades för att på ett precist sätt kunna presentera design förslagen. Detaljerna och karaktärsdragen för varumärket Najad som varumärkesanalysen hade definierat sammanfattades in en dokument kallat, “Design Guidelines”, ett dokument som ska förenkla samarbetet mellan Najad och externa konsulter i framtiden. De slutgiltiga designförslagen var sammanfattade i en broschyr. Vid projektets slut så var design förslagen långt utvecklade med hög detaljrikedom, däremot så krävs en del hållfasthetsberäkningar samt en del arbete kring tillverkningsprocessen innan koncepten kan förverkligas. 8 1.Introduction� 10 1.1  Background� 11 1.2 D esign goal� 11 1.3  Purpose� 11 1.4 O bjectives� 12 1.5 L imitations� 12 2.Glossary� 13 2.1 S ailboat exterior� 14 2.2 S ailboat interior� 15 3.Methods� 16 3.1 R esearch and Analysis Methods� 17 3.2  Ideation and Conceptualization Methods� 19 3.3  Finalization Methods� 20 3.4  Branding Methods� 21 4.Research & Analysis� 22 4.1 C ollection of data� 23 4.2 R esult and Analysis� 25 5.Brand analysis� 33 5.1 A pproach and Implementation� 34 5.2 R esult� 35 6.Ideation� 44 6.1 A pproach and Implementation� 45 6.2 R esult� 46 7.Concepts� 50 7.1 A pproach and Implementation� 51 7.2 R esults� 52 8.Finalization� 57 8.1 A pproach and Implementation� 58 8.2 R esult� 59 9.discussion� 66 10.conclusion� 69 11.references� 71 11.1  Books:� 72 11.2  Websites� 72 12.appendix� 78 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During this master thesis project occasions where expertise and specialized knowledge has been helpful are countless, in fact, without access to these resources the project would not been as successful as it has been. Therefore I want to give a special thanks to Stefan Berne and Håkan Bengtsson at Najad Yachts, who came up with the scope for this thesis project and has supported the project since day one and all the way to the end. Their expertise regarding sailboats and boat building has been invaluable in the decision making process and for guiding the project in the right direction. Thanks to the examiner Johan Heinerud and the supervisor Pontus Wallgren at Chalmers University of Technology for giving inspiration to the project and helping keeping it on track. All the manufactures, Eric Qourning at BSE Marine, Jan Gramhstad at Ö-metall, personal at Båtsystem, that has been part of the project deserves a thank for sharing knowledge and information regarding their products. The boat designer, Håkan Södergren, the father of Najad 415p, did agree on sharing the drawings of the Najad 415p. Without him doing so this project would not be nearly as accurate as it turned out. So this man really deserves a thank. A thank to all fellow students at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering for all the support, joy and inspiration you have contributed with. Last but no least, I want to thank my parents for raising me on the boat building island, Orust. Without you I’m not sure if I would have found my passion for boats. This first chapter will give an insight in why this master thesis project was carried out. It includes background description, project objectives, aims and finally limitations. Chapter 1.Introduction 11 1.1  Background In the late 1960’s Najad Varvet AB was founded and they launched their first boat in 1971, since then Najad has built a strong brand and is one of the most well known boat manufacturers in Sweden. Najad is also well recognized on global scale, as most of the boats are sold and sailed in large range of countries. The whole boat business struggled after the financial crisis in 2007-2008, many companies went bankrupt, and so did Najad in 2011. After a couple of years with different ownership constellations, the core company and the brand was sold to Lidköpings Båtbyggeri AB. After several years without building boats manufacturing started up again in autumn 2014. In the past, Lidköpings Båtbyggeri, has been building and selling boats using the brand Swedestar. After the acquisition of Najad a decision was made to re-brand the existing Swedestar boats to Najad 370 Performance and Najad 415 Performance. The SwedeStar boats in the Najad product portfolio have not yet been re-branded to fit the Najad family of boats. In collaboration with the CEO Stefan Berne and one of the owners, Håkan Bengtsson, this master thesis project was set up and aims to re-design the interior of the Najad 415p (earlier SwedeStar 415) in order to fit in the existing boat portfolio. The project also include face lifting the exterior; a new port light design and a new bowsprit design will give the exterior a more modern look. 1.2  Design goal The main design goal is to incorporate visual elements that are characteristic for the Najad brand into the new interior of the Najad 415p. To some extent, new details will also be added to the design in order to evolve the brand appearance. In addition to the interior design part of this thesis project, the exterior of the Najad 415p will be updated, including new port lights, and new a bowsprit. 1.3  Purpose Since merging Swedestar boats into the Najad boat portfolio the lack of unity in the portfolio have been evident, such a variation in the model range could potentially hurt the brand as customers prefer distinct and coherent brands. The old Swedestar 415, now called Najad 415p, is one of the boats in the portfolio causing lack of unity. This projects purpose is to create a new interior- and exterior design for this boat in order to create a more unified product portfolio. Figure  1:  Najad 34 from 1971 12 1.4  Objectives In the process of unify the Najad 415p with the other Najad boat models, the first objective is find out what defines and characterize the Najad brand visually. With that knowledge extracted, details that define the Najad brand will be applied to a whole new interior. In this process the existing models will off course be in focus, but it is also important to take a step back and look in to the brand heritage to really understand the brand. Implementing such a holistic view makes it possible to use visual elements and/or expressions from the past in the re-design process in order to create a design that is closely related to the brand heritage. The objective for the re-design process of the port lights on the Najad 415p is essentially all about to find a port light design that suit the brand and the existing hull shape. It is important to consider that the port lights could be manufactured and therefore this design process has to involve a distributor to ensure that the design is applicable. At the moment Najad use a bowsprit system from the company Båtsystem. It is a modular system that is designed to suit all kinds of sailboats. The company’s opinion is that the system is not appealing enough for Najad boats. Therefore they want to design their own bowsprit system that can be mounted on all Najad performance boats. A list of requirements will be established with demands that have to be fulfilled. Containing boat measurements, different anchors sizes, user needs, and so on. Then a benchmarking study will be carried out before starting the creative part of the design process. 1.5  Limitations Designing a whole new interior is an extensive task; one could consider the overall interaction between user and the interior and make a thorough investigation of how the layout should be arranged to best suit the intended user. As the project does not only focus on the interior of the boat, such an approach would be too extensive to carry out. As well as the end result is considered to be of higher quality and more useful for the company if the project is limited to use the existing layout and instead focus more on the details in the interior. The overall shape of the hull and deck will keep the original shape as the molds that the boats are made from are very expensive to make changes to. Although, use of additive cores attached to the mold in order to make smaller changes to it will be considered as an option in the design process of the bowsprit and port lights. Specific knowledge regarding sailboats has been a necessity for this project. Descriptions to odd sailboat terms can be found in this chapter. 2.Glossary Chapter 14 BOW STERN/AFT HULL DECK PULPIT BOWSPRITPORT LIGHT In this section, sailboat parts frequently used in this thesis report will be explained. Bow The front part of the boat is called bow. Stern/Aft The rear part of the boat is called stern or aft. Hull The main body of the boat is called the hull. The hull is the side of the boat and the part of the boat that is in connection with the water. Deck The upper part of the boat, or the “roof” of the boat is called the deck. Pulpit In the front and rear of the boat there are stainless steel constructions, mainly made for mounting the fence that covers both sides of the boat, these constructions is called pulpit. Bowsprit In the very front of the boat an extension of the hull can be mounted in order to facilitate alighting and it does also work as an attachment point for sails, this part of the boat is named bowsprit. Port light The windows on the side of the boats are called port lights. Code 0 sail Sails have different names depending on their placement, size and usage. A Code 0 sail is a large sail mounted in the top of the mast and on an attachment point far out on the bow or on a bowsprit. Plunch Parts added to a existing mold in order to change the shape of the hull is called plunch. Figure  2:  A sailboat exterior 2.1  Sailboat exterior 15 GALLEY SALOON BERTHBULKHEAD Word and terms frequently used in the report connected to the interior of a sailboat will be explained in this section. Galley The kitchen in a boat is called galley. Saloon The area in the boat where the dinner table and the sofas are is named saloon. Navigation station The navigation station of the boat is a place made for reading maps and plan boat trips. It often contains a small table with integrated storage for maps. Berth Bedrooms on boat are called berths. Bulkhead A wall on a boat is called bulkhead, if a bulkhead only covers some of a hull section, it is called partial bulkhead. Veneer Veneer is a thin wooden sheet, often made out of expensive wooden material such as teak, oak or mahogany. This thin sheet is used to cover cheaper and less exclusive wooden materials. Plywood Most boat interiors build using plywood. Plywood is made out of thin layers of wooden sheets glued together with an outer layer in a more expensive and exclusive wooden material. Such a construction is lighter, stiffer and less expensive than massive wood. Lipping The edge of plywood sheets is not visually appreciated. Therefore the edges are covered with the same material as the outer layer of the plywood. The wood covering the edges is called lipping. Lipping can be made out of massive thick wood or thin veneer. VENEER WOODEN LIPPING PLYWOOD Figure  3:  A sailboat interor Figure  4:  Veneer, Plywood and Wooden lipping 2.2  Sailboat interior Chapter All methods used during this project are explained and defined in this chapter. Reading this chapter will give deeper understanding regarding how and why certain methods were used. 3.Methods 17 3.1.1  Benchmarking The idea behind benchmarking is to analyze companies in the same business or businesses closely related to the subject for the design project. Different aim for the analysis could for example be to look more in to business strategy, visual brand identity and product portfolios. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.1.2  Literature Study A literature study is based on reading and analyzing previous scientific papers and other publications done within the same areas as the present design project. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.1.3  Questionnaire A questionnaire is a set of questions or statements that is handed out to participants to answer. The questions in the questionnaire should follow from your research questions. There is different classification of questions in a questionnaire, closed, open or categorical. Open questions do enable probing, which allows deeper discussion regarding interesting subjects. This is a qualitative method and is used to generate new insights. Closed questions are used to generate quantitative results, often used to gain insight into the frequency which certain perceptions/opinions/behaviors occurs. Posting closed questionnaires on Internet forums is a smart approach if a high number of participants appreciated. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.1.4  Design Format Analysis A Design Format Analysis is a method used to pinpoint what visual elements defines and characterize a brand of interest. Step 1, Element Identification First, a sample of products from the brand product portfolio is picked out. A list of visual elements that the project group finds characteristic for the products are generated, those visual elements could for example be “shiny plastic”, “high contrast between materials”. Step 2, Element Ranking The element ranking is carried out in order to generate the relative weight of the visual elements with respect to how visually characteristic the element is compared to the other elements from the first step. A matrix is set up with the visual elements in the first row and column, all element is then compared individually, see figure 5, for entire table see figure 21 in section 5.2.2. The most characteristic element gets one point, the other one gets minus one point, if they are both equally characteristic, no points is distributed. When all the elements are compared to each other the result is calculated and an internal characteristic rank is generated. Step 3, Element typicality Step 3 included investigation of how representative a visual element is for the specific product family studied, when compared to the elements found in the other studied products of the product family. The occurrence of an element within a product family, is multiplied with the “frequency of occurrence”, e.i. how many of the studied products of the product family it is found. The generated value is later on used when choosing the visual elements for step 4. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 1 1 -1 1 -1 -1 1 1 -1 1 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 1 7 14 1 0.43 -1 6 4 0.43 -1 6 4 0.07 -5 1 7 0.64 3 9 3 0.36 -1 5 6 0.86 5 12 2 0 -7 0 8 Relative sum Sum Rank Weight Kontrast navbord-salong Böjda trappsteg Grabbräcken i stål Infällning under skåp Flera vinklar i rad Flush kantlist Enkel kantlistning Tydliga delningslinjer Kontrast navbord-salong Böjda trappsteg Grabbräcken i stål Infällning under skåp Flera vinklar i rad Flush kantlist Tydlga delningslinjer Enkel kantlistning Figure  5:  Step 2 Element Ranking. 3.1  Research and Analysis Methods 18 Step 4, Format Assessment The chosen products is then evaluated using this list, the product is given 2 point if the visual elements present in the product, 1 point if the partly present, 0 points if the element is not present. From the final result, the product that best represent the brand is generated, as well as the visual elements that are most frequently used. Knowledge that will be useful when designing a new product that is supposed to fit in an existing product portfolio. (Warell, 2006) 3.1.5  Ecostrategy wheel Ecostreatgy Wheel (see figure 7) enlightens a range of different aspects important to consider when it comes to optimize sustainability aspects for a product. Derived from the lifecycle of a product there are eight main areas to consider. (Brezet &Van Hemel, 1999) •  Optimize function •  Minimize environmental impact during usage •  Minimize material usage •  Optimize the material selection •  Optimize lifecycle length •  Optimize production •  Optimize waste material •  Optimize distribution 3.1.6  User Observation User observation is a method that could be carried out in different ways, open or closed observation, direct or indirect observation, natural or unnatural observation. When the users know that the observations is taking place the observation is categorized as open, a direct observation is defined by the fact that the actions observed right in front of the observer, unnatural observation is defined by the action is taking place in a lab or by using some sort of prototype. This method is preferable when the designer aims to investigate how the user actually interacts and behave within the intended context. Users are not always able to fully reproduce the actions taking place and the problems occurring in the context verbally, therefore user observations are a useful tool to gain new insights.(Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.1.7  Interview Interview technique is a fundamental method for gaining insight of users thoughts and opinions. The data gathered could be considered to be qualitative, due to that the approach during interview sessions often is open questions in combination with probing e.i a semi-structured interview. If an interview is carried out without a questionnaire it is a defined as an unstructured interview. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.1.8  KJ-analysis Quality data from interviews conducted in the research phase are often hard to grasp due to the vast amount data generated. The KJ- analysis method can be used in order to bring structure to the gathered information and will facilitate the analyze phase. Conducting a KJ- analysis starts by selecting all important quotes from the interviews and write down on separate notes. Then the notes that are connected to each other are clustered together with in certain themes. From all the piles of notes conclusions could be made, for example, the various themes will probably uncover the main issues. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.1.9  Persona Communicating conclusions from a user study can be, to some extent, summarized using a persona. The characteristics of the user group found in the user study are applied to a fictive person and via a persona story the essential information regarding the user group could be communicated. People in general can easier digest and understand information using this approach rather then when a list of requirement is presented to them. Figure  6:  Ecostrategy Wheel 19 3.2.1  Collage The collage method is basically based on gathering pictures within a certain theme, or picking pictures that is found inspiring. Then the pictures are put on a board for visual observation. This method is often carried out when the design process requires easy accessible inspiration, for example during the initial phase of a Design Format Analyis (see section 3.1.4.).(Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.2.2  Co-creation Users are often experts within the context in focus for design projects. Therefore make use of the users when it comes to ideation and evaluation is a very effective approach in order to generate new and novel ideas. A problem that could occur is that users might find it hard to think in new novel ways, as they are not trained in innovating thinking. With proper preparation this problem could be avoided by using mediating objects during the ideation session. Pictures, scale models or other objects can help the users asses and express their thoughts and ideas. Another approach to overcome this problem is to create and hand out a workbook in order to force the users to think of the intended situation beforehand. This makes it easier for them to be more innovative. (Boeijen et al, 2013). 3.2.3  Brain Drawing Brain drawing, also called the 3-6-5 method, is used for ideation and generating novel ideas. It is carried out by gathering 6 persons, each one with a papers in front of them, the paper has 5 rows and 3 columns. During 5 minutes, each participants fill the first row with new ideas, then the paper is past to the next person and the action is repeated until the rows and cloumns are filled with ideas. Using this method will generate a lot of ideas. In a short period of time 108 ideas are generated, which makes it an effective way to come up with new ideas. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.2.4  List of Requirements Users and companies have demands that needs to be fulfilled to create successful products. Establishing a list of requirement will make it easier to assess the important issues that have to taken into account when designing. A list of requirement could also very useful when evaluating different concepts, or when communicating with other companies or colleagues. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.2.5  Function Analysis Function Analysis is often used when re- designing an already existing product. The method is used to break down the functions of the product into sub-divisions. This approach then makes it easier to approach each sub- division instead of the overall function, which will be useful when ideating. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.2.6  Sketching Expressing and exploring new ideas is a essential part of the design process. Creating simple visual representations of ideas facilitates the exploration phase as well as it will make the communication with colleagues and companies representatives more accurate and efficient. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.2  Ideation and Conceptualization Methods 20 3.3.1  Prototyping Prototyping could be used in many different phases of the design process. It could be used in an early stage in order to evaluate an existing design, when organizing a co-creation session, or in the very end of the project when presenting the final product. Basically prototypes is used when the designer want to interact with the concept to evaluate proportions and overall expression, or when the designer find it useful to let users interact with concepts explore how the concept are experienced. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.3.2  CAD-modeling CAD is an abbreviation for Computer Aided Design. The method is used to create a computer model of a product. Proportions and appearance of the intended design is can be evaluated. The main advantage using CAD- modeling is the potential of change a design with little effort, making it possible to evaluate a large number of designs. (Boeijen et al, 2013) 3.3.3  Visualization In the end of the design process visualizations is often used to present the final concept. Visualizations is generated using a rendering program such as Keyshot or V-ray. Material, light, structures and various features to are applied to the CAD-model in order to create photo realistic representations of the product. The rendered pictures can then be used in presentations, due to accurate representation of the intended design. Visualizations are also useful when it comes to color and material selection. (Boeijen et al, 2013) Figure  7:  1:10 Scale model of the Najad 415p 3.3  Finalization Methods 21 3.4.1  Branding and Product Design Branding and Product design are two activities that arose with the industrial revolution. History has shown that companies working deliberately within these fields have had an advantage to their competitors. For brand strategists, understanding the feelings that the customers connect to the product is essential when defining a new brand strategy. If a brand is closely related to a product and the brand strategy is changed without understanding and considering the brand heritage, the brand strategist is risking the very foundation of the brand. (Hestad, 2013) In the process of building a strong brand, key factors are coherence and substance within the brand story. Monika Hestad suggests that in order to create a coherent brand story and not mislead the customers with ambiguity, the brand story should be based on the model presented in figure 5. The model has three layers; these three layers represent different levels of abstraction from the tangible product. The first layer refers stories about the product. The second layer, refers to the wider story told by the form of the product, it do not necessarily need to be related the actual product. The outer and third layer refers to cultural stories, with a symbolic role. A coherent brand story is only related to one or few of the suggested brand connectors. (Hestad, 2013) Brand stories with substance can be built in various ways, for example, building the brand story around the heritage of the company and preserving it, communicates extensive knowledge within specific product field and pride of the heritage. All together, it generates a relevance and substance orbiting the brand story. (Hestad 2013) 3.4.2  Visual Brand Analysis It is well established that product design contributes to increased sales and product success and therefore is it essential for companies to consider. Product design cannot solely be directed in line the business objectives, creating a strong and well recognized brand and product identity is an important and factor for success in the market place. (Warell, 2006) Warell suggests implementation of the method, Design Format Analysis (DFA), for designers new to a certain brand in order to extract existing product identity. Generating knowledge regarding the visual elements defining the brand using the DFA method facilitates and guides the designer in the process of creating products within the existing product identity. Functionality Ergonomics Production Style Co-creation Designer story Personality Heritage Ethics Origin Relation Symbol Myth Figure  8:  Overview of various product stories that can tell a brand story (Hestad, 2013) 3.4  Branding Methods Chapter In this chapter the reader get a view of the different steps taken in the research phase and how they were conducted. Followed by a description of the analyze phase and the insights gain during the research. 4.Research & Analysis 23 Figure  9:  Dusseldorf Boat Show, 28 January 4.1.1  Boat show excursions The initial step for this project was to examine the sailboat market. Observing and admire beautiful boats at boat shows are truly inspiring, it does also give an idea of what is trending in the market. A perfect kick-off for this project. Dusseldorf International Boat Show, Dusseldorf 23-31 January 2015 Dusseldorf International Boat Show, or more commonly known as Boot Dusseldorf is one of the largest boat shows in the world with over 1600 exhibitors from over 50 countries. Here you can find all types of boats, from small, 20 feet, wooden sailboats to massive, 100 feet, luxury yachts, se figure 9 (Preinergs, 2015). Båtmässan, Gothenburg, 6-14 February 2015 Båtmässan in Gothenburg has been around for 56 years, a range of boats can be seen at the fair, although the shift amongst the exhibitors towards smaller motorboats rather than larger sailboat was obvious. Actually the Najad 440 CC was the only leisure sailboat over 35 feet present on the fair. (Wallin, 2015) Allt för Sjön, Stockholm 28 February -8 Mars 2015 For 80 years the boat fair “Allt för sjön” has been a recurring event every year. Similar to Båtmässan in Gothenburg, the boat fair in Stockholm was dominated by small fast motorboats and Najad 440 CC was the only leisure sailboat over 35 feet. 4.1.2  Literature study In order to gain knowledge and find information regarding focus areas of the project a literature study was carried out. Relevant articles and literature was found online as well as in physical books. A key factor for this project to be successful was to conduct a thorough brand analysis. Literature addressing branding and product design was therefore a big asset, especially literature from the branding expert Anders Warell and Monika Hestad were thoroughly examined. In the process of getting up to speed when it came to the design of boat interiors, the book Principle of Yacht design gave a lot of important information. Dimensions, measurements and general knowledge useful when designing a boat interior, were found the in the book. Information gathered online mainly regarded materials and manufacturers, especially the sustainability research were conducted online. Other projects and masters thesis within the same area as this thesis project were assets used also found online. 4.1.3  Benchmarking A benchmarking study were carried out, containing a thorough web search for information regarding the three focus areas for this project, interior, bowsprit and port lights. 4.1  Collection of data 24 Interior In collaboration with the company, the main competitors on the sailboat market were pinpointed. These were determined to be main focus for the interior benchmarking process. The competitors’ websites and boat models in the 40 feet segment were examined. Bowsprit A thorough examination of the web gave inspiration and knowledge regarding innovative bowsprit solutions, perfect input for the bowsprit design process. Port lights The port light benchmarking was conducted within two categories, port lights that open inwards and port lights that open outwards. These two categories differs a lot from each other visually, therefore the decision to make a categorization was made. Manufacturer study The port lights and bowsprits implemented in Najad boats today are not manufactured in- house, but subcontractors manufacture them. The company suggested that the project should include a manufacturer study in order get to know more about what the advantages new subcontractors might bring. Personal contact with manufacturers of interest for the project was established during the boat shows. Meeting the manufacturers gave information that could not have been extracted from the manufacturers websites and gave a wider perspective what different design challenges that might appear later on in the project. In addition to the boat fair manufacturer study, port light manufacturers not present at any of the boat fairs visited, were contacted via email in order to generate more specific knowledge regarding their port light construction. CAD- drawings displaying previous port light systems were the main part of the information gathered. 4.1.4  Sustainablity Sustainablity analysis using Ecostrategy Wheel All of the steps included in the eco strategy wheel were included in the sustainability analysis. Additional information needed regarding specific parts of the analysis was found online. Building boats is a complex process therefore, in the end, some of the steps in the eco strategy wheel was considered not to be applicable and were left out. 4.1.5  User Study Establishing a close contact with the users is an important step in order to understand their needs. During the boat shows visited, users were approached both via interviews and observations. Interviews The boat show “Allt för Sjön” in Stockholm was visited with the aim to interview users. A questionnaire with open questions regarding sailboat interiors and a mediating object consisting of a A3 paper with 3 different sailboat interiors printed on it was prepared on beforehand, se appendix 15. Using mediating object in combination with a questionnaire made it easier to assess the users thoughts and opinions regarding sailboat interiors. In total, 6 persons were interviewed; they all were men with an estimated age over 50. The interviews took place at the boat show “Allt för Sjön”, in Stockholm, Mars 2015. Observation Several bowsprit retailers were represented at the boat shows visited. Standing and observing potential customers in the bowsprit stands generated interesting insights. While the customers examined the bowsprits they talked to each other and implicit expressed their needs without any influence by the interviewer. The retailers stands, Båtsystem and Hjertmans, were in focus for the most extensive observations studies during the boat show ““Allt för Sjön” in Stockholm, 3 mars 2015.” 4.1.6  Survey The initial step in the user study was to learn more about the users attitude and preferences regarding sailboat interiors and sailboat brands, therefore a survey was putted together. The survey contained 12 questions, mainly addressing sailboat brands, some questions about sailboat interiors were also included. The entrie survey can be seen in appendix 1. Various sailing forums were used to reach out to participants, which turned out to be an effective approach. The survey that was posted on Swedish sailing forums generated 119 answers within one week. The age varied but the 98% percent of the participants were men. 25 In this section results from the initial data collection phase will be presented together with the analysis connected to it. This part of the project is the foundation of the design process and the decisions that are to be made later on will be based on the insights presented here. 4.2.1  Boat fair excursions The boat shows in Sweden did differ a lot from Boot Dusseldorf. In Dusseldorf all the well- known brands in the leisure sailboat segment were represented, compared to one brand at the Swedish boat shows. With such a large number of exhibitors you were able to jump from one sailboat to another in a mater of minutes. This gave the opportunity to compare a vast amount different layouts and ways to build sailboat interiors. The Swedish Boat Fairs, Båtmässan and Allt för Sjön mainly generated insights from visually examine larger motorboat interiors. Although a sailboat interior differ a lot from interior motorboat, inspiration could be found in combinations of materials, lockers, knobs and so forth. Not only boat brands were present at the boat shows, many manufacturers and retailers of boat accessories also showcased their products. So these visits did also generate a lot if inspiration and knowledge regarding bowsprit and port lights. 4.2.2  Survey In order to keep focus on the outcome, the way results were to be represented was decided before the survey was created. Approaching the creation of a survey in this way makes it easier to ask the right questions. Perceptual map and COB-web in combination with regular bar graph was considered to be the best way to present the result. 4.2  Result and Analysis Figure  10:  Port light study at Allt för Sjön 26 Interior When planning the creation of the survey it was considered to be important to investigate what users find appealing in boat interiors. In order to do so, three pictures of boat interiors were presented to the users and they were asked which one of the interior was most…(positive expression). The participants had evaluate to the interiors in relation to seven different expressions, see figure 11. This approach gave a general view over what users appreciate. It was evident that the interior of the Hallberg-Rassy 412 was the most attractive one, the Najad interior scored low for the most expressions. In the graph it can be seen that the Hallberg-Rassy interior is found the most traditional and most attractive. The Najad interior is perceived as the most modern one and the least attractive one amongst the interiors. There seems to be a connection between attractive and traditional, users tend to find traditional interiors attractive. Hallberg Rassy 412 Najad 440 Hanse 415 Atttra ctive Modern Beautiful Cozy Practic Of highest quality Most tr aditional 20 40 60 80 100 Figure  11:  Result from interior survey question. 27 Functions A boat interior layout consists of many different functions, there are basic functions such as a washing-sink, fridge and lockers. For some functions the objective is to increase the comfort in the boat, for example a television or a wine cooler. In the survey, the appreciation of a range of comfort functions was investigated in order to find out what functions should be incorporated in the new interior design. Storage dedicated for wet clothes is the most appreciated function together with handrail within the whole saloon. TV and multimedia station is not considered to be a necessity according to the respondents. Port light in the hull, navigation station with a seat and shower cabin in the toilet are functions that the users do not respond unified to. Figure  12:  Result from interior survey question. 20 40 60 80 100 Would’t buy a boat without it Good to have. I don’t really care Unecassary Navigation station with separate seat Shower cabin on toilett TV or mulitm edia station Handles within reach throuhout the whole saloon Port lig hts in hull Storage dedicated for wet clothes 28 4.2.3  User Study From the interviews and observations carried out in the user study, a range of quotes was derived. In order to analyze the data, the KJ- analysis method was applied using the gathered data. Each one of the quotes were written down on post-it notes, clustered together in themes forming groups of quotes. The groups formed were then given a subject, doing so generated a holistic view over the users thoughts and needs. Five groups/themes of quotes were derived from the KJ-analysis: Storage of wet clothes Where and how to store wet clothes in the boat was an issue many of the interviewees had been thinking of as a problem. Sailing context The boat layout does differs from were it is meant to be sailed, since the context varies a lot depending on which area you sail in. Move a round in rough sea Moving around in the boat when out on the water is not an easy task according the users, at least if you are on a modern boat. Boats built in the 70’s or 80’s the interior is more suited to those circumstances, many of those boat has handles reachable in the whole saloon. General interior thoughts This group contains abstract quotes regarding interiors. Many quotes are connected to the material of interiors, making it evident that material selection is an important thing to considered when designing a boat interior. The users did also express thoughts regarding the feel of the interiors; they did not like interiors that reminded them of a regular IKEA kitchen or a caravan. Instead the appreciated interiors that were those who had a more crafted feel. In sum, it is important for the customers that the boat is built for the context they are sailing in, many issues can be derived from it; storage of wet clothes, material selection, moving around in the boat. These insights made it obvious that it is important to know whom you are designing for, what are they going to use the boat for? Cruising? Competing? Where will the boat be used? Are rough seas common? Is there a lot of rain? Statement cards A KJ-analysis is an extensive method to carry out, ending up with a sea of clustered notes, which is impossible for a second part to fully understand. In order to be able to present the findings from the KJ-analysis the result were summarized in statement cards, one of them can be seen in figure 13, all statements card can be found in appendix 3. The statement cards were primarily made for communicating with the company during the user study presentation. “the most of the boats there is made for charter” Many of the boats on the swedish boat fair are not suited for nordic climate Figure  13:  One of the statementcards made. 29 4.2.4  Personas When summarizing the user study, it was obvious that knowing what user group the re- design of the Najad 415p were aimed for will affect the design process. The specialist in the area, the company representatives, they know who buys their boats. Although, it is known that non-designers, such as the representatives, are not trained to communicate what users group their customers belongs to. Therefore a set of personas was prepared before meeting the company to easier assess their knowledge regarding their customers, see figure 14. Presenting the personas to the company lead to a long discussion regarding whom the actual buyer is. Franco and Maria was not one of them. Lars and Gunilla did match the general Najad buyer with the exception that Najad buyer usually do not dream of sailing far way. The typical Najad 415p buyer matched best with Erik and Nina, if their age were +40 with kids roughly 15 years old. The discussion made it clear what type of user the project was aimed for, and the personas Erik and Nina was updated to match the input from the company. Erik & Nina, 35+ Sailing actively several weeks with their two children. At least a couple of times every year Erik gathers his friends and compete with his boat in regattas. Lars & Gunilla 55+ Planning for the trip of their life, sail to the Caribbean. Gunilla enjoy life at sea but is not the most dedicated sailor so most often Lars is the one who handles the boat. Franco & Maria 40+ Sailing in the Mediterranean, comfort sailing around in different ports in Italy. They only sail in perfect conditions. Figure  14:  The three couple personas 30 4.2.5  Bowsprit User needs During the visit at the boat show “Allt för Sjön” users looking at bowsprits were interviewed and observed, for more information see section 4.1.1. The insights gained are listed down below. Note that these insights are not further examined in order to prove if they are correct statements/observations. They are solely insights gain during visiting boat shows. •  It is hard to get the bow ladder up if you are on the boat. •  It is hard to get the bow ladder out if you are on the boat. •  A bow ladder should have a wide angle to the bow, it makes it easier to climb it then. •  At times the ladder tends to slide up when walking on it. •  The bowsprit should be wide enough so it easy to put your foot on it. •  Handles on the side of the bowsprit make it much easier to climb it. •  Two steps on the ladder is usually enough. List of requirements The above mention demands were then listed in a more structured way using a list of requirements. Requirements occurring during meeting with the company are also a part of the list, the entire list of requirement can been seen in appendix 4. Main parts In order to get a holistic view over bowsprit design, the design were split up in the main parts, all essential for the bowsprit. The main parts are: 1. Bow ladder 2. Anchor mount 3. Bow mount 4. Handle In appendix 5 the split up bowsprit are represented in a sketch, note that this approach main were used to get a better understanding of what parts a bowsprit consist of. List of Requirements Bowsprit Facilitate boarding and alighting Counteract unfolding of the bow ladder during boarding/alighting Consent easy folding/unfolding of the bow ladder Provide a wide footstep Provide handles for alighting Enable mounting on the Najad 370p and 415p Enable unleash and hauling of the anchor Provide mounting for a 16 kg Delta anchor Stay stable during a dynamic load generated from a human being. Provide a mount for a Code 0 Sustain the load from a Code 0 Figure  15:  Withdraw from the list of requirement. 31 4.2.6  Port light In contact with port light manufacturers important limitations and opportunities regarding the design were derived. Focus were put on modern port lights (long port lights mainly made out of Plexiglas) see figure 16. More traditional port lights with metal frames are considered by the company to be a thing of the past. They want to incorporate this new, more modern, long port light in the Najad 415p. Therefore metal frame port lights were not examined in this project. Modern port lights consists of two main parts, a frame and a window, see figure 16. The frame is mounted in the hull and the window is attached to the frame with a hinge. There is two different way of mounting the hinge, either the hinge is put on the inside which enables the window to open inwards, or on the outside making it possible to open the window outwards. Explorative sketching was carried out the fully understand how these different windows is constructed, see appendix 6. Both alternatives have advantages and disadvantages. Opening the window inward does not intrude the space on the deck. The deck side is narrow and a window does occupy valuable space. Although, opening the window inwards does require splitting up the window, creating a gap in the glass. This gap needed to be properly sealed and sealing is hard in sea environment. Salt and sun often makes seals brittle and sooner or later they starts to leak. A major disadvantage for the inward design principle. Opening the window outwards does intrude the deck space, but the design freedom is greater due to that the window do not need to be split up. The seal can be protected from salt and sun on the inside of the window. An open window does not let the rain in so the design is better from a water protection point of view. During a meeting at Najad it was discussed what technical principle, inward- or outward opening, would be most favorable. The simplicity and reliability of the outward principle made it a solution that was considered to the most favorable and a decision to work further with that was made. Today Ö-Metall manufactures the port light for Najad 440 AC, due to problems with leaking seals, it was considered to be interesting to investigate other potential manufacturers. Lewmar is a well-known manufacturer of traditional port lights, they have come a long way in the development phase of modern port lights but they had no drawings ready for examination. BSI marine is an other port light manufacturer that provides the Danish sailboat brand X-yachts with port lights. Via e-mail, drawings were sent of the one of their existing port lights. The drawings gave enough information about the modern type of port light to start the ideation process, which manufacturer that will be most suitable was put on hold as it was not necessary in order continue the developing process. 4.2.7  Sustainability analysis Optimize function/Minimize impact from usage Najad boats are sailing in various conditions, from freezing climate in the artic to tropical climate in the Caribbean. Therefore is it not unusual with boats equipped with diesel heater or air condition system aboard. If the ventilation system and isolating in the boat would be designed in a more efficient way the need/ usage of heater and air condition system could be kept to a lower level. Minimize material usage Boats are built using mainly two types of materials, wood and thermosetting polymers, e.g. polyester. The wooden materials used in Najad boats is mostely exclusive wooden materials, mainly teak and mahogany imported from South East Asia and South America, which requires long distance transportation. It takes approximately 25 years before such trees are ready for harvest, and the trees are in many places a part of the valuable rainforest. Therefore the minimizing the material usage or even use another more sustainable type of wood is desirable. Figure  16:  Modern port ligths. 32 A more efficient way of using materials used building boats are not just valuable for the environment but also for the company, hard wood from the rainforest are expensive. There is great potential to minimize material usage if sustainability and efficiency is introduced early on in the design process. Here are some potential areas where the efficiency could be increased: •  Locker dimensions fitted to the standard dimension of wooden sheets. •  All CNC cut outs planned with efficiency in mind. •  Lipping and other details design to be suited within standard dimensions. Optimize the material selection Mahogany and teak are wooden materials most frequently used the boat industry, especially amongst boat brands in Sweden. The world biggest exporter of teak is Burma. Burma has been accused for harvesting rainforest, in order to export teak (Winn, 2010). Honduras mahogany is the only species of mahogany grown for commercial use today, the usage of mahogany is controversial due to the extensive illegal logging taking place. Therefore it is interesting to look into what other potential wooden material, with similar properties, that could be used with lower environmental impact. The wooden materials used for boat building has special properties making the usage so widely spread in the business. The main property that makes teak so useful is the high oil content making it water resistant, perfect for use in environment with high humidity. Another wood spice with similar properties are Iroko (Sozo Copywriters, 2013) Mahogany has excellent workability and is resistant to rot. Two properties that make it perfect for boat building, replacements spices could be Spanish cedar, Sapele, Utile. (J. Gibson McIlvain Company, 1999) The following steps in the Ecostrategy wheel were considered to be very extensive and very hard to make an accurate analysis for them. Therefore they are not applicable for this project. Optimize lifecyle length N/A Optimize production N/A Optimize waste material N/A Optimize distribution N/A Chapter In this chapter the very core of the brand Najad will be examined. Especially the visual characteristics and details defining the brand will be thoroughly investigated. The company history and the brand heritage are also key factors in order to fully understand the foundation of the Najad brand and are therefore a part of the brand analysis chapter. 5.Brand analysis 34 5.1.1  Survey The survey questions used in the brand analysis were in the same survey described in the chapter 4 research and analysis, for more information regadring the survey, see section 4.1.6 5.1.2  Design Format Analysis The Design Format Analysis (DFA) was carried out using posters as meditating objects. The mediating objects used consisted of three A0 posters displaying the Najad’s present boat portfolio together with five A3 posters displaying all the boat models built by Najad within 38-41 feet range, the posters can be seen in appendix 7. For the first and second step in the DFA method was applied separately on the present boat portfolio and the past boat portfolio due to the major variations in the interior design between the two. In the forth step, the format assessment, the results from the both were merged together. After the completing the forth step in the DFA, the visual elements with highest rating were suspected to not be characteristic for Najad boats but also characteristic for sailboat in general. If so, the high score visual elements would be useless in the work of creating an interior with a Najad feel to it.. In order to eliminate the visual elements common for sailboats in general a fifth step in the DFA were invented. The new fifth step included applying the format assessment (forth step) with the same visual elements on boat models from competitors (Hallberg-Rassy 412, Hanse 415, Bavaria 41, Arcona 430). The result from that was then substracted from the Najad format assessment (forth step), doing so eliminated the risk of arriving with visual elements that was common in sailboats in general and instead the result where solely characteristic for Najad. 5.1.3  Heritage Analysis The heritage analysis was carried out mainly by visiting Orust yards websites, Hallberg-Rassy and Malmö, and examine their boat models. Older Najad boats were also thoroughly examined and compared to boats from other Orust yards. To some extent the heritage analysis is based on the lecture “Orust boat building country” held by Torbjörn Andreasson during the boat show in Gothenburg. The author/designer in this thesis project is born and raised on Orust and his father has been working at one of the Orust yards for over 30 years, which has given exclusive insight in the boat building heritage connected to the yards and the island. 5.1  Approach and Implementation 35 5.2.1  Survey COB-web The core values for the Najad brand are Quality, Comfort, Safety, and Performance. How well these values correspond to the brand was considered to be interesting to examine. In the survey the respondents were asked to grade how well the core values suited the Najad brand, the question can be seen in figure 17. Note that “innovative”, “traditional” and “modern” were added to the question in order to find out if the users relate to the older traditional Najad brand or the newer modern Najad brand. The core vaule Safety were not included in the survey as it was not a core value with a weak connection to visuall apperance of the brand. The result was presented using a COB-web, see figure 18. Analyzing the figure you can se that Quality, Comfort was shown to be core values with strong connection to the brand, whereas the core value Performance showed weaker connection. Historically the Najad brand has had a strong connection to the Orust yards, these yards has a reputation of building strong and durable boats with high quality and comfort. Boats made for sailing the big seas, more information regarding boat building heritage, see section 5.2.4. The core values Quality and Comfort, should therefore be highly associated to the brand due to that is a part of the brand heritage, and the result from the survey reinforce that statement. Performance has not been a core value for the Najad brand for as long as Quality and Comfort, which is reflected in the COB-web. In order to incorporate Performance in into the brand, Najad needs to continue working deliberately with the performance feel of their model portfolio. Figure  17:  The question generating input for the COB-WEB 5 4 3 2 1 Komfort (4.23) Kvalité (4.32) Innovativ (2.72) Traditionell (3.73) Prestanda (2.95) Modern (3.06) Figure  18:  COB-WEB 5.2  Result 36 The COB-web does also reinforce the statement that there is a divergence between traditional and modern within Najad’s past and present model portfolio, see DFA step 1 in section 5.1.2. Modern and Traditional are contradicting expressions and should therefore end up with results that differs from each other if the brand is coherent. Although the results are closely connected, 3.06 and 3.73 respectively. Brands should strive for a coherent product portfolio in order to be successful due to that costumers easier recognize the brand if it is coherent. (Hestad 2013) Perceptual map The Najad brand is a brand with a long history and is very well recognized amongst boat owners all over the world, probably one of the most well known boat brands in the world. Although, the bankruptcies occurred the last years has caused damaged to the brand. During the same period other newer sailboat brands has increased their market share. Therefore it was found interesting to look into how the Najad brand was perceived in relation to their competitors. In figure 19 you can see the question that generated the results. Identical questions were asked for all the brands in the survey together with a picture displaying a boat within 40 feet from the brand in question. Figure  19:  The question generated input for the Perceputal Map 37 The users were asked to fill in, on a scale from 1-5, how luxurious vs. price worthiness and traditional vs. modern the brand is perceived. The result was visualized in a perceptual map, see figure 20. Analyzing the perceptual map gave an idea of how the different brands relate to each other and in return conclusions could me made. The Najad brand is perceived to be the most luxurious brand together with Hallberg-Rassy, it is also perceived to be more modern than Hallberg-Rassy. In conversation with the company they expressed that this is in line with what they aim for. In fact, before presenting the map for them they were asked to point out where they want to end up on it. It turned out to be the very same spot the brand popped up in. The general conclusion is perception of the brand do correspond to the company’s aim. The intended customers/user varies from the different sailboat models in the Najad’s boat portfolio. Intended usage and area of usage are examples of things that differs amongst the users, the most evident separation within the user group is the age. Therefore the perceptual map was split up the age of the respondents’ into account, the result can be seen in figure 20. Two conclusions could be made using this chart. It is rather evident that older users perceive sailboat brands as more modern than younger users. Brands that are perceived price worthy are considered to be more luxurious amongst older users. The usage of modern and/or luxurious elements in the design should therefore be made with the intended users group and this result in mind. Traditional Modern Luxurious Price worthy All ages Figure  20:  The perceputual map, to the left all ages, to the right ages are split up. 38 5.2.2  Design Format Analysis Step 1, Element identification Identifying the commonly used elements in the Najad boats ended up with two bunches of papers with sketches of visual elements propositions, one with the older boat interiors in mind, the other with the present boat portfolio in mind. The propositions fitted in most boat models were then picked out and used in next step. Step 2, Element Ranking The element ranking were done separately for the two portfolios. Photos of the elements generated in the first step were put together in a matrix in order to carry out the ranking, se figure 21. In total there were seven older visual elements and eight newer elements. Ranking the elements gained insight of what element is most frequently used in Najad boats, top four from the two element rankings matrix were used in step 4. Step 3, Element typicality This step includes counting the “typicality” of the visual elements with in a product family (Warell, 2006). The Najad product portfolio could be seen as a product family of boats, and the third step should include counting the occurrence visual elements within the product family. Although this step was not considered to generate more insight of which visual elements that defines the brand. Therefore, this step was skipped. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 1 1 -1 1 -1 -1 1 1 -1 1 -1 1 1 -1 1 1 1 1 1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 1 7 14 1 0.43 -1 6 4 0.43 -1 6 4 0.07 -5 1 7 0.64 3 9 3 0.36 -1 5 6 0.86 5 12 2 0 -7 0 8 Relative sum Sum Rank Weight Contrast Nav.station-Saloon Bent stair steps Handles in steel Recess under lockers Multiple angles in a row Flush lipping Simple lipping Well de�ned splitlines Contrast Nav.station-Saloon Bent stair steps Handles in steel Recess under lockers M ultiple angles in a row Flush lipping W ell de�ned splitlines Sim ple lipping Figure  21:  The element ranking of newer Najad boats, note the ranking in the bottom of the picture 39 Step 4, Format Assessment 15 visual elements, and 9 Najad boats were used as input for this step, see figure 22.The boats used are all the Najad boats manufactured within the range of 37-41 feet plus all the boat in the present product portfolio. The appearance of each visual element for the different boat models were then analyzed, a weak appearance gave one point (represented with a ring) and a strong gave two points (represented with a filled ring), if the visual element was not present at all no points were distributed. Three boats, the Najad 440 AC, 410 and 505 got the most points and therefore got the strongest connection to the brand. More interesting for this project were the outcome of what visual element defined the brand, as they will be useful when entering the ideation phase of the project. Six visual elements were distinguish and the ones that carries the brand visually: •  Stair with curved steps •  Multiple angles in a row •  Flush wooden lipping •  Veenér lipping •  Overhanged lipping •  Lipping variations Figure  22:  Step 4, the format assessment 40 Step 5, Format Assessment Competitors The format assessment process was carried out once more to eliminate visual element sailboat interiors in general, see figure 23. From step 4 two of the visual elements where eliminated. Finally these visual elements were consider to define the Najad brand: •  Stair with curved steps •  Recess under lockers •  Multiple angles in a row •  Flush wooden lipping •  Overhanged lipping •  Lipping variations Con tra st nav . s ta tio n/s al oo n Sta ir w ith cu rv ed st ep s Han dle s w . s ki n Rec es s u nder lo ck er s M ulti ple an gl es in a ro w Flu sh w oo den li ppin g W el l d e� ned sp lit li nes Vee ner li ppin g Poi nty li ppin g W oo den li ppin g Lar ge ra diu s Ove rh an ge d li ppin g Lip pin g v ar ita tio ns Lip pin g w ith sh ar p ed ge s Cham fe rs HR 412 Bavaria 41Hanse 415 4 9 10 12 0 3 0 1 1 2 2 5 1 4 7 8 3 0 0 Arcona 430 Figure  23:  Step 5, format assessment using boat models from competitors 41 Styling History Studying the format assessment outcome made it evident that the visual elements from the past and present boat portfolios varied extensively, see the cluster in the upper right corner and lower left corner in figure 22. In order to showcase the gap between the two, a styling history diagram were made, see figure 24. In the diagram there is a chasm between the past and present sailboat in the Najad family. Recognition is an important factor when building a strong brand (Warell, 2013). A chasm in the product portfolio makes it harder for the users to recognize the brand and therefore they cannot relate to core values of the company. An important task in this project will be to fill the chasm and create a design that has stronger connection to the brand and the core values. 371 390 400 410 505 Poi nty li ppin g W oo den li ppin g Ove rh an g l ip pin g Lip pin g w . s har p eg de Han dle s w . s kin M ulti ple a ngl es in a ro w Flu sh w oo den li ppin g Ven ee r l ip pin g First occurence Weak connection Strong connection Figure  24:  Displaying the styling history of Najad boats, note the chasm in the diagram. 42 5.2.3  Heritage study Boat building history on Orust can be tracked back to the 18th century, over the last 50 years the business has changed more rapidly than ever. In the 60’s, the thermosetting polymer revolution started, more commonly known as the plastic revolution that enabled industrialization of the boat building process. At the time there were around 80 wooden boat building companies on the island, many of them were forced to shut down when the industrialization change the industry, others changed focus from boat building to building boat interiors. Boat builders on Orust were reluctant to the new plastic material, they thought it was “dirty work” due to the harsh smell from solvents used. Therefore many companies outsourced the plastic work to companies around Smögen and Lysekil, specialized on plastic production, to keep the workers happy. The yards on Orust instead focused on building wooden interiors. Over time the interiors got more and more exclusive, creating a reputation, saying that Orust build boats are of the highest quality possible. (Melin, 2013) Next major change in the boat business on Orust occurred in 2013. The effect from the economical crisis was extensive, in a couple of years half of the jobs in the industry had vanished. Although, the crisis affected the companies differently. “It is probably no coincident that the companies owned by investors from outside Sweden got struck hardest. Najad went bankrupt, Malö are under reconstruction, at time same time as companies own by people with their roots in the boat building environment handled the crisis better.” Lars Nyström, industrial history researcher. The reputation and boat building heritage is of great importance for the Orust yards, including the Najad brand. In 2007 Najad were bought by a Dutch investors, a lot of money where spent on new design. The new Najad boats had a much more modern look, both on the outside and on the inside. The design ideal was changed and it was hard to tell that the new Najad boat actually were Najad boats, for example, the classic red hull line that had been one main characteristics for many year were gone. On the inside, the lockers in the saloon and the galley were made simplistic, using only veenér lipping. Traditionally the interior of Najad boats had a feel of being crafted very carefully, that feel was now gone. Instead the interiors were made more simplistic and modern way, a feel that more connected to sailboats from the Mediterranean rather than sailboats from Orust. Figure  25:  Brochure from the launch of Njad 34 in 1978 43 During the same period of time, Najad’s main competitor, Hallberg-Rassy, started to modernize their boats. Their approach although were different, instead of making the interior simplistic, they embraced the crafted feel in the new interiors. They did also abandon the classic “mirror” locker just as Najad did. The new locker design had a modern look but it kept the crafted feel. The brands was hard to separate visually for a long time, as can be seen, figure 26 and 27, the lockers in the galley is almost identical. After the companies modernization process the separation between the interiors is evident, see figure 28 and 29. Which one of these different designs strategies that were the best is impossible to tell, both strategies have their advantage. Potentially Najad would encounter bankruptcy even with the design strategy used by Hallberg-Rassy. Although, from a theoretical brand strategy point of view keeping the design close to the brand heritage, retaining recognition amongst the customers are the most favorable strategy. (Hestad 2013) 5.2.4  Conclusion During the rough years of bankruptcies the Najad brand were damaged, and the company has just starting rebuilding the brand. With the knowledge from the brand analysis and user study generated, the conclusion regarding the rebuilding of the brand is generally that the brand needs to find a way back to a coherent and substantial brand identity/story. Inputs from different sources reinforce that statement. User Study The users said they like a genuine interiors with a crafted feel. The interior of the Najad 440 AC was denoted as hard to identify. See section 4.2.3 Survey In the survey the users found the most traditional interior to be the most attractive one. See section 5.2.1 Brand Strategy Theory The theoretical brand strategy studied states that keeping the design close to the heritage are an advantage. Keeping the brand coherent is also an important part of creating a successful brand. See section 2.3 and 2.4. Figure  26:  Traditional Najad interior Figure  27:  Traditional HR interior Figure  28:  Modern Najad interior Figure  29:  Modern HR interior Chapter In this chapter the reader can follow the creative process of this thesis project, from loose sketches to more defined ideas. Finally, the discussion followed from the ideation presentation is described, in which the path for the project were pointed out. 6.Ideation 45 6.1.1  Modeling A Capaboard-model in scale 1:10 was built in order to get a feel of the volumes inside of the boat. Pictures of the model interior also made great underlays for ideation sketching. 6.1.2  Co-Creation In collaboration with other design students from the faculty a CO-creation session were carried out (see figure 30). Brain Drawing in combination the 3-6-5 method, were the creative tool used. In order to facilitate the creative process, mediating objects containing pictures of boat interiors and port lights were handed out. 6.1.3  Sketching Sketching methods were used extensively in order to explore various technical solutions and potential designs. A range of different sketching techniques was carried out during the ideation process, the techniques used were; markers plus felt pen, monochrome pencil sketching and digital sketching on a Wacom companion using Photoshop and Sketchbook Pro. Figure  30:  Co-creation session using the 3-6-5 method. 6.1  Approach and Implementation 46 6.2.1  Bowsprit The starting point for the ideation process was based on the insight that the bowsprit should consist of four main parts as stated in section 4.2.5. Different ways to combine the parts and potential materials were explored. Off course various shapes of the bowsprit also were in focus for the ideation phase. The exploration sketching during the ideation phase ended up with two main ideas that was refined and presented for the company, see figure 31 and 32. Earlier sketches can be seen in appedix 8. The first idea was to design a bowsprit with similar construction to the existing one but instead of using pipes as the main construction element, flat bars made out of stainless steel were used, see figure 31. The main idea behind this was to create a more simplistic and sleek design. The existing design is able to fit a range of different boats this solution were considered to fulfill that demand to. Laminated polyester in combination with a steel plate where used as the main construction elements for the second idea presented. The idea was to design a steel plate fitted exactly to the bow of the different boats, then a plastic part should be slided on to the steelplate, see figure 32. There are two main plastic parts in this concept. The inner part is designed to fit the specific bow, and the outer part could be used for all boats. Presentation and feedback A discussion followed the presentation of the two ideas, a misunderstanding were soon revealed. The ideation process was carried out with the assumption that the bow of the boat could not be changed, but that was not the case. An additional core, also called plunch, could be added to the mold, which enables a design that are integrated in the shape of the hull. The company explicitly expressed that they do prefer a bowsprit that is well integrated in the hull, that knowledge were brought back to the drawing board and use in the concept generation process. Splitting the bowsprit in two separate parts was an appreciated idea and was kept in mind for further exploration. Figure  31:  Bowsprit concept: flatplate Figure  32:  Bowsprit concept: plastic 6.2  Result 47 6.2.2  Port light The exploration and ideation process for the port lights mainly regarded the shape of the port light. Many sketches and iterations within potential shapes of the port lights were create, see appendix 9. Combinations of materials within the port light, were also a part of the ideation process. Combining different materials with Plexiglas, elaborating with for example teak or stainless steel in order to make the design more interesting was the main focus. Presentation and feedback Four different ideas with different material combinations where presented for the company. However, the ideas did not impress them, they though the problems with such a new construction would be to hard to overcome and demand to much work. Instead they gave more attention to some simple ideas made early on in the project using illustrator, see figure 35. The idea of having long port lights covering a long distance of the hull did catch their attention. The idea of combining materials were put in the trash, and the work to find the perfect shape of a long port light started. Figure  33:  Bowsprit concept: flatplate Figure  34:  Metal concept Figure  35:  Long port light concept 48 6.2.3  Interior The ideation process for the interior part of the boat could be divided into three parts, first off, exploring with the visual elements generated from the Desgin Format Analysis (DFA), Co- creation session, and at last all the insights were summarized into presentation sketches. From the DFA, eight visual elements defining the Najad brand were derived. Starting to sketch with those elements on top of mind quickly generated a whole range of ideas, the ideas were summarized in three “galley concepts”, see figure 36, 37 and 38. Carrying out the Co-Creation session resulted in 75 unique ideas, the best ideas were then summarized in two A4 pages, one page with locker design ideas and one with drawer front ideas, see appendix 10. Figure  36:  Concept Performance galley Figure  37:  Concept Najad galley Figure  38:  Concept Traditonal 49 Before the presentation for the company, the ideas from the co-creation session were sketched in different layers in a Photoshop document within the galley of the boat. By turning on and off different layers different generated various concept galleys. All the layers within the Photoshop document were put in a morphological matrix, the rows in the matrix contained different ideas for a specific part. For example, the first row contained four different lipping ideas, see figure 39. Presentation and feedback The idea was to use the morphological matrix after presenting the ideas, so decisions regarding what ideas to go further with could made using the matrix and finally end up with a number of concepts to continue working with. Although, the discussion got stuck and the plan had to be changed rapidly, instead of creating new concepts using the morphological matrix it was used as a mediating object. Questions regarding the company’s opinion concerning specific ideas were discussed using the matrix instead of generating concepts. In the end the questions that was brought to the presentation were answered and gave important input for the design process. The decision to only present the ideas within the galley were taken since it would be to much work to sketch all the new visual elements in all parts of the boat. At the same time, it was considered to be easier to grasp the ideas when presented within the same place in the boat. The plan was to use the input from the company to make decisions regarding what ideas to continue work could be made and then apply these to the rest of the interior. Figure  39:  Morphological Matrix Galley Lipping Lockers/Drawer fronts Knobs/Handles Bench Color Sliding doors Logo in interior Chapter After the ideation phase the feedback from the company was brought back to the office and the concept phase started. In this chapter the work during the concept phase is presented, initial sketching followed by CAD-modeling. Accurate renderings of the concepts generated the presentation material for the concept meeting, that material is also a part of this chapter. 7.Concepts 51 7.1.1  Sketching Sketching methods used in the concept phase were mainly used to further explore the ideas presented after the ideation. To some extent, new techincal approaches and design proposals were also explored. A range of different sketching techniques was carried out during the ideation process, the techniques used were; markers plus felt pen, monochrome pencil sketching and digital sketching on a Wacom companion using Photoshop and Sketchbook Pro. 7.1.2  CAD-modeling In the concept phase a CAD-model the boat interior and exterior were created using Rhino 5 for Windows. Visualization In order to be able to present the concepts in an efficient and accurate way visualization of the CAD-model were carried out using V-ray for Rhino. 7.1  Approach and Implementation 52 7.2.1  Bowsprit The design process of the bowsprit continued after the ideation presentation by sketching new concepts. Focus was put on designing bowsprits that were integrated in the hull. Explorative sketches initiated the concept phase, new shapes and form combinations were generated, see appendix 11. Experience from earlier presentations at Najad had shown that more exact representations of the design ideas led to deeper discussions. Therefore the design process continued with CAD-modeling of two concepts bowsprits, and then rendering the result. The advantage of getting a more exact representation of the bowsprits together with the boat also made possible to evaluate how well the bowsprit concepts was integrated with the hull. Two concept were generated: Concept 1 Rounded, see figure 40. Concept 2 Edgy, see figure 41. Both of the concepts are quite similar when it comes to size and proportions,.The difference between them are basically the shape. Concept 1, Rounded has a more organic shape with large radius, hence the name. Concept 2, Egdy has smaller radius and therefore got an more sharp appearance. Presentation and feedback The concept was evaluated in collaboration with the company and they appreciated both concepts, although the edge concept was found slightly more appealing. During the meeting other important opinions regarding the design of the bowsprit was derived: •  the bowsprit should be as short as possible •  a bow ladder does not need to be integrated. How to incorporate the mount for the Code 0 (see section 2.1) in the bowsprit were discussed. The discussion concluded that there is two different ways of integrate the Code 0 mount, either the mount is place where the bowsprit still is in contact with the hull or if the mount is moved forward it have to be connected to the hull via stainless stays. Which one of the solutions is most suitable will be examined in the finalization phase of the project. Figure  40:  Bowsprit concept: Round Figure  41:  Bowsprit concept: Edgy 7.2  Results 53 7.2.2  Port light With the input from the company, a sketching session with focus on long port lights, exploring different radius variations, angles and window distribution where carried out, see figure 42. In order to present the concepts in an accurate way the sketches were turned into port lights in the CAD-model. The idea was to present two port light concepts; one inspired from the old Najad boat and another from the newer Najad boats. From the port light inspired from the older boats, three variations of the design were added to the initial concept due to that the shape felt to static and acquired more design features. Figure  42:  Port light concepts, concept no.1 and concept no. 2 second from the top and so on. 54 Four port light concepts were rendered and brought to the concept presentation at Najad. Concept 1 Inspiration from the modern Najad boat led to the design of the first concept, mainly from the Najad 505. Concept 2 Older, more traditional port lights with strong connection to the brand heritage have always been divided in several parts. Therefore a design with separation within the long port light was interesting to elaborate with. Concept 3 and Concept 4 are rather similar to Concept 2 and therefore is not presented in the report but they and be seen in appendix 12. Presentation and feedback The evaluation of the concepts together with the company led to a definite answer, the first concept was the most appealing one. It does have a modern look, expressing more performance than the other concepts, which might appeal the intended personas (see section 4.2.3). Although, the other concepts were closer related to the brand heritage and therefore potentially more suitable for the brand. Evaluation of the concepts via a survey was brought up as a suggestion to get more information and knowledge before making the final decision. The response to the suggestion was not very positive and therefore further no evaluation was carried out. The first concept was used for the continuing design process. Figure  43:  Port light Concept 1 Figure  44:  Port light Concept 2 55 7.2.3  Interior During the ideation presentation, the company suggested that four lockers and drawer front concepts should be generated and brought to the concept presentation. Exploration and sketching with inspiration from the co-creation session and all the brochures collected at boat fair were carried out. The session focused on creating ideas that would fit in to the visual elements generated from the Design Format Analysis, see section 5.2.2, the crafted feel connected to the brand heritage were also on mind, locker sketches can be seen in appendix 13. From the sketches four concepts was developed. Concept 1, Under lipping Concept 2, Side lipping Concept 3, Various lipping Concept 4, Original lipping Figure  45:  Concept 1 Under lipping Figure  46:  Concept 2 Side lipping 56 The concepts, 1, 2 and 3 express a crafted look, an important feature in order to fill in the gap with in the brand portfolio. Concept 4, original lipping, was not really a new concept, it is directly copied from the locker and drawer used in Najad interiors today. It was made a concept in order to use as a reference. Presentation and feedback The discussion with the company regarding the concepts new information regarding the lockers came up. A new sandwhich material with foam core and 4 mm veneered plywood on each side was presented as a potential material to use in the 415p. The material is lighter than conventional plywood materials, and therefore suitable to use in a performance boat. There is one main issue though, for every thing needed to mounted on a locker or drawer, such as a knob or a hinge, the foam core needs to be replaced with massive wood. Concept 2, side lipping, is a perfect construction to use together with the sandwhich material as the knob and the hinge and be directly mounted on the lipping, see figure 45. The company also thought that the concept was visually appealing and therefore the concept was considered to be the foundation for the continued work with the interior. Figure  47:  Concept 3 Various lipping Figure  48:  Concept 4 Original Chapter In this last chapter the whole project is wrapped up. The final design proposals and the intention behind them are explained and presented. 8.Finalization 58 8.1.1  CAD-modeling The CAD-model used for creating the concepts was the starting point for the final CAD-model. New design features and details were added to the intial model and finally a whole model ready for rendering had been created. 8.1.2  Visualization In the finalization phase, same visualization procedure as in the concept phase was used. 8.1.3  Brochure In order to showcase the overall result from this thesis project a brochure displaying the new Najad 415p were created. The foundation for the brochure was taken from the existing Najad brochure and it was created using InDesign CC. 8.1.4  Design Guidelines A graphical guidelines document has already been created for the Najad brand. This document was updated with the findings from the brand analysis part of the project, two chapters were added to the existing document, materials and visual elements. InDesign CC was used to update the document. 8.1  Approach and Implementation 59 8.2.1  Bowsprit The process of designing the final bowsprit concept started off from the concept edgy presented in section 6.2.1. During the concept meeting at Najad implementation of a bow ladder was discussed, the company representatives suggested that a hook ladder from Båtsystem (see figure 49) would be the most suitable solution. The down side with a hook ladder is that it requires a lot of storage room when it is not used. If the bowsprit instead is designed with a casing ladder (see figure 49), no extra storage space is needed. A decision to create not just one final bowsprit concept but two, were made. One concept fitted for a hook ladder and one fitted for a casing ladder. Casing ladder Measurements for the casing ladder BKT73T was found at Båtsystems website. The concept CAD-model were used as an starting point, although changes to the original model had to be done due to that the casing was higher and wider than the concept bowsprit. The final casing bowsprit concept can be seen in figure 50. Changing the initial proportions of the edgy concept in combination with the smaller radius at the edges pointing down affected the appearance of the bowsprit evidently. The result was not satisfying as the bowsprit look a lot like a box, not a sleek, beautiful bowsprit. Hook ladder The hook ladder BU75P were considered to be the most suitable ladder Båtsystem could offer, mainly due to the width of the ladder, 220mm. A sleeker ladder made it possible to keep the initial width of the bowsprit concept and therefore no changes of the initial model were needed, except fitting two hook mounts on the top of the bowsprit. 8.2  Result Figure  49:  Left, Casing ladder. Right, Hook laddder Figure  50:  Casing ladder bowsprit Figure  51:  Hook ladder bowsprit 60 1. 5. 4. 3. 2. 4. Construction In an early stage of this project the principle for the inner construction of the bowsprit were set. Metal steel plates welded together create the core of the bowsprit and brings structure and stiffness to the bowsprit, see figure 53. One of the main reasons for fitting a bowsprit on the Najad 415p is to enable a mounting a Code 0 on to the boat, such a mount is basically a ring. The forces acting on that ring are extensive and will break the bowsprit in two pieces if no extra support is added to the main structure. The common solution to that problem is to fit one or two stays on steel structure of the bowsprit. A solution widely used in the business and was therefore considered to be trustworthy and solid. Implementing stays on to the main structure directly connected to the Code 0 mount and the same time make room for the anchor required some iterations before a satisfying solution was met. Assembly and Manufacturing The final bowsprit concept are made out of five main parts. 1.  Main structure, laser cut stainless steel plates welded together. 2.  Inner plastic part, made out of reinforced glasfiber coated with gelcoat. 3.  Outer plastic part, made out of reinforced glasfiber coated with gelcoat. 4.  Code O mount, laser cut stainless steel bent into the proper shape. 5.  Supportive stays, two stainless rod stays machined into the final shape in a lathe. The assembly can be seen in figure 52. Important to note is that part 3-5 are not specific for any boat model but can be fitted to other Najad boat models. Only part 1 and 2 need to be specialized for each boat model which is a great advantage. Further examination Even if this concept might seem to be quite detailed and ready for manufacturing there are still thing need to be considered before creating the first prototype. Calculations are needed to make sure that the main structure and the stay has the proper dimension. The plastic parts are molded and there might be necessary to add more split lines in order make it possible to manufacture. Assembling and jointing the different parts together has not been considered at this stage and that will definitely be a necessity before taking the next step. CODE 0 MOUNT SUPPORTIVE STAYS WELD MAIN STRUCTURE Figure  53:  Bowsprit Construction Figure  52:  Exploded view of the bowsprit 61 8.2.2  Port light At the concept presentation the company made it very clear what they were looking for in the new port light design. They wanted a long sleek port light with a Najad logo at the middle, displaying the model number. From there it was a straight way to the final design proposal. Using the knowledge from speaking with the port light manufacturer BSI marine and the drawing they shared, the final design were created, see figure 54. The port light covers almost the whole upper deck, which creates a sporty modern look. In the middle a Najad logo is fitted and it is made out of laser cut stainless steel. The plexiglas window is split into 4 parts, from the middle and back two separate parts in order to enable opening the windows independently. From the middle and to the front of the boat the is on esingle window that is not able to open due to that it would clash with the sheeting mechanism on the deck. This was not an easy decision to make, but it was the only way to do it because there was no other applicable solution to the problem. On the other hand, there are plenty of windows in the saloon and there are no need to being able to opening them all. Further examination Next step in the process of incorporate this port light in the Najad 415p would be to establish a closer contact with the manufacturer to investigate if the design is possible to manufacture. A more accurate 3D-model is also a necessity to make sure that all the measurements are correct. Figure  54:  Sideview of the new port light, note the split lines at the back. Figure  55:  Najad logo on port light 62 8.2.3  Design Guidelines In the start of this project the company shared a Najad graphical guidelines document, this document was merged with the results from the Design Format Analysis and was renamed to Design Guidelines, see the whole document in appendix 14. The major change made consisted of the six visual elements that characterize the brand, see figure 56. Figure  56:  Withdraw from the Design Guidelines document created. 63 8.2.4  Interior With feedback from the concept meeting in mind and the visual elements derived from the DFA the final interior was created. The process started with modeling the whole interior in 3D and every detail created was made with some sort of rationale steeming from earlier work. In order to explain the rationale behind these details the different parts of the new interior will be gone through one by one. Galley Corian bench In the galley the material of the bench top does make an evident impact on the visual appearance. Therefore the material choice was made carefully. Corian is a modern material which is easy to shape, so even if the bench in the boat has a complex shape, the process of creating the bench is rather simple and the bench could be made in one single piece. Many of the modern Najad boat uses Corian in the galley, and the CEO Stefan very much pushed for using this material during the discussion using the morfogical matrix (see section 6.2.3 ), the new interior and therefore it was finally designed with a Corian bench top. Side lipping locker One of the main objectives for the new interior was to create a more crafted feel, thus both the survey results and the interviews had shown that customers do prefer boat interiors with a crafted feeling, see section 4.2.2. and 4.2.3. Side lipping was considered the locker concept that was most suitable in the new interior. The concept visually attractive and together with the new foam core material it is a perfect match as it actually makes the manufacturing less complex compared to using veneer lipping, see section 7.2.3. Upper lipping drawer Using the same rationale as for the side lipping locker the drawer front were design with a upper massive lipping, with one exception. The only thing that is needed to be mounted is the knob on the upper part of the drawer and therefore the massive lipping is place on top instead of on the side as for the locker case. Recess under locker In the galley and the whole interior, recess under lockers is used as design feature. This feature is stemming from the DFA conducted, and is one of the design features that define the Najad brand. Flush lipping In the present Najad product portfolio, flush lipping is use to a large extent and therefore flush lipping is used not only in the galley, but through out the entire interior. Traditional partial bulkhead Analyzing the survey result and the interview conducted, a correlation between traditional and attractive could be drawn. The idea of using traditional design features, tweak them, and apply it to the new design was one of the foundations for the creative process. One of the main differences between modern Najad interiors and traditional boat interiors are the partial bulkhead splitting the galley and the saloon. In Najad boat the bulkhead is hidden and traditionally it is shown. A concept with a traditional partial bulkhead was created and it worked out very well and was kept for the final design proposal. Figure  57:  The galley of Najad 515p 64 Starboard Saloon Contrast Navigation station - Saloon The main rational for using different color in the navigation station and by that create contrast between rest of the saloon can be explain from the DFA. This contrast was one of the visual elements characterizing the Najad brand. Skin Handle In the galley and the saloon two leather handles are place on the partial bulkhead on both sides. During the user study and in the survey conducted, the need and appreciation for handles within range in the whole interior was evident. Handles with skin were also one of the visual characteristics derived during the DFA and therefore handles was considered a necessity in the interior. Side window At the boat shows visited one of the most obvious trends amongst the competitors was windows in the hull, almost every boat had one of more hull windows. This trend was discus