Airbow Framer

The market is dominated by one incumbent - Paslode. GlobalForce - a new start-up tasked ThoughtFull to design and position a new product technology. ThoughtFull built market understanding of competitive products locally and globally to ascertain the baseline performance needed at a minimum. ThoughtFull built deep empathy for users workflows and painpoints to provide both functional and emotional problems to solve; - high priced nails - nailguns couldn't be used in all weather conditions - builders use Butane gas - causing waste and negative health effects - inconsistent nail penetration causing extra hammer work - aspiring towards tools that conveyed a higher level of professionalism

Being a start up with no history, no credentials and little funding makes challenging a global market leader a tough challenge. We ensured we were designing the things that REALLY mattered to builders - things the incumbent weren't delivering. Right through the design process we built deep empathy with the users, understanding what would make their lives on site better, what would make their business better and what would make the lives of home owners better. Everything we conceived from key features, brand, form, name, identity through to diagrams and language were all tested with users every step of the way.

The resulting product, the first in an anticipated series of Airbow® untethered power tools, delivering better product performance as measured through product testing across; all weather use, firepower, consistency of shot and nail penetration. Airbow® core product performance alongside the use of air versus gas, reduced decibel sound and kick-back with no need for batteries has effectively differentiated the product in the marketplace, delivered consumable savings to the builders, provided a new revenue stream for the distributor (own brand nails) and has secured distribution across New Zealand's largest building supplies network.

Doesn’t tip forward - it draws the centre of gravity lower, into the palm of the hand to create better balance with an extremely comfortable firing experience. Easy on your ears - with a mere 115dB peak decibel rating (Tested to EN 12549: 1999 and declared to EN ISO 4871). Low kick back - through smart design, the product reduces pressure on the wrists, shoulders and elbows. Airbow® Framer takes any nail. This means the retailers who stock them can sell their brand of nails as opposed to only being able to sell the nailguns nails – improving the profitability of the retailer and reducing the consumable cost to the builder. Emits nothing but air - a departure from combustion system emissions, dumping of used fuel cells, or limited-life lithium batteries that the market leaders are responsible for. Builders are now not exposed to additional Butane gas emissions on site, and the planet benefits from a power tool that uses nothing but air. Everyone wins.