In 2015, Gerber Knives found themselves in a tough position. Assisted-opening* knives were exploding in popularity, but our offerings were either budget-minded imports, or aggressive military-spec knives. To compete with Benchmade and Kershaw we needed a high value knife that would appeal to a wide audience.
Through market research, our product management team identified a set of parameters that would place the knife in the sweet-spot of the market. It had to be US-made, with a price point right around $80. It needed to be easily pocketable for every day carry. Finally, it needed to be rugged enough to satisfy the tactical crowd, without looking overtly militaristic or scary.
We condensed the results of our research into three key user insights. These influenced every aspect of the knife’s design, and became our ‘north star’ in making design decisions.
How a knife feels when being opened plays a huge part in user perception of quality. A mechanism that is too forceful, vague, or tinny sounding would turn away savvy users.
The knife should open on the first try, for every user, every time. Effortless ergonomics inspire trust with both novice and experienced users.
A knife’s styling can be polarizing. What inspires confidence in one user can be scary for another. It would be crucial to find a size and form language that appeals to a wide range of users.
The surfaces of the inner handle are angled to provide grip in the direction the user’s hand wraps around the knife. The harder the user grips the knife, the more traction the texture provides.
The thumb-stud is the most critical touchpoint of an assisted-opening knife. A ramped profile maximizes contact area with the thumb, and reduces perceived effort. Micro ridges grip the user’s thumbprint, preventing slipping.
A formed wire pocket clip is more comfortable in the hand, and less likely to scratch something the user bumps into. It can be mounted to either end of the knife, allowing users to customize their carry style.
Interviews with experienced and novice users revealed what they liked and disliked about competitor knives. Through these interviews we identified common pain points.
Starting with the full use-cycle of a pocket knife, we mapped users’ priorities and pain points for each step. This helped identify design opportunites, and kept us focused on benefits instead of features.
For cost reasons, we had to reuse a spring mechanism from an existing knife. This presented a challenge, as our mechanism required more force to open than the competition's. This meant increased user effort, and potential thumb pain.
Designing for the low-end of high-end is an exercise in managing priorities. By filtering our design opportunities through our manufacturing constraints, we were able to identify areas worth splurging on.
How the knife feels when being opened defines its character. Optimizing the experience of pressing on the thumb-stud to open the knife was essential to creating a product that felt solid and reliable.
Designing in molded plastic allowed us more control over the feel of the knife in the hand. By placing grip elements only where they were needed, we could design a knife that would offer a confident grip without being prone to snagging.
I created a design theme that would guide the visual direction for the knife. It was essential to balance aggressiveness with approachability, to create an aesthetic that would play well with a wide audience.
The first step in designing the visuals of the knife was establishing a silhouette. Because we would be reusing an existing mechanism, I worked over a mechanical underlay.
Working in molded plastic meant we had a huge opportunity to create unique and functional textures. We focused on textures that would provide unidirectional grip, working with the mechanics of the hand.
Because ergonomics and hand-feel were critical to the knife's success, I began making low-fidelity foamcore prototypes early in the design process. Working with the engineering team, we refined the form through foam models, 3D prints, and eventually fully functional prototypes.
The US-Assist launched at Outdoor Retailer in Summer 2016, where it won four awards, and garnered an enthusiastic response from press and showgoers.
