A helmet for all disciplines of mountain biking.
This project was developed in cooperation with ABUS-Security Tech Germany. However, to avoid confusion, all Abus logos have been changed.
VISION
It is time for a re-invention of the bicycle helmet.
Why do I need different helmets for each discipline of the sport? What if I only needed one helmet and could adapt it to the current user scenario? The convertible helmet should not represent a bad compromise, but can be considered a benchmark in any form.
TASK
Development of a convertible helmet for the company "ABUS", suitable for use in all disciplines of mountain biking.
MARKET RESEARCH
The project begins with a market analysis that examines the current market size and key industry players. ABUS itself, as well as the competition, was closely scrutinized. Following the competitive analysis, the brands' product portfolios were compared and current trends identified. In addition, target groups were defined and customer needs were identified. Finally, legal and regulatory requirements were examined, distribution channels identified and sales forecasts prepared.
ACTION ANALYSIS
The most important part of this research is the action analysis, as this is where most of the knowledge was gained. Abus provided us with a number of helmets for testing purposes, and I examined the mountain bike helmets for all user scenarios. I also ordered all the benchmark convertible helmets to test and understand their technical construction. After identifying any problems, I was able to turn the findings into potentials.
CONCEPT PHASE
These collected potentials were sorted by importance and I decided to focus on a few of the hundreds of potentials that were explicitly related to the use of the helmet in mountain biking. For these potentials I collected a lot of concept ideas, which I visualized in the next step.
CONCEPT SKETCHES
VISUALISATION OF THE CONCEPT IDEAS
The concepts were visualized in sketches, compared in the morphological box, and a selection was made, resulting in three different consolidated concepts.
MAIN GOALS
Converibility
SIMPLE ADJUSTMENT
Safety
HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARTS
Intuitivity
INTUITIVE
USE
Comfort
MAXIMUM WEARING COMFORT
CONCEPTS
Three completely different concepts for the customer to choose from
THE
ADD-ON
This concept allows you to convert your beloved half-shell helmet into a safe full-face helmet with low-cost add-ons. This is especially interesting for newcomers to the sport or for children who want to get a taste of the sport in a safe way.
THE CONVERTIBLE
This concept is based on a helmet that can be used for uphill riding and hot summer days by means of a detachable chin bar, but can also be used as a fully functional full face helmet for downhill riding when the chin bar is attached. This makes the helmet suitable for use in all disciplines of mountain biking.
THE
EXPERT
This concept is aimed at the enduro enthusiast who considers himself an expert in the field of helmets and is willing to invest a lot of money in a high-end helmet with the latest innovations and technologies.
DESIGN PROCESS
Development of the final design language.
DESIGN LANGUAGE
After analyzing the Abus mountain bike helmets in detail and defining the Abus design language, I was able to implement it and apply it to my convertible helmet. The design features that are typical for Abus were adopted and less successful design elements of the existing products were developed further.
DESIGN DIFFICULTIES
After countless design variations of the side view, the difficult part began: transferring this design language to all other sides of the product. I had to constantly check whether the successful design elements in the side view would also look good from the rear or from above.
DESIGN OPTIMIZATION
The final step was design optimization, where every detail had to be thought through and planned in detail. Here, the last problem areas were eliminated to achieve a consistent design.
"COMBINING TWO WORLDS"
FEATURES
This helmet sets a new standard for the ultimate user experience.
FULLFACE HELMET
Despite the removable chin bar, this helmet is downhill certified and offers good protection even in the toughest use scenarios. This helmet is not a bad compromise, but the ultimate all-rounder for mountain biking.
INTUITIVE OPERATION
The chinbar locks are conveniently placed for intuitive operation. The smart design of the clip-on mechanism also allows the chinbar to be snapped back into place with one hand, where it automatically locks into place.
SELF-TIGHTENING
CHINSTRAP
Similar to a car seatbelt, this chin strap automatically tightens and adjusts to a jerky pull. This eliminates the need for a cumbersome buckle and makes putting on the helmet easier than ever.
ABUS COMBO
THE NEW STANDARD FOR HALF-SHELL AND FULL-FACE HELMETS
Even with the chin bar removed, the helmet should be perceived as a fully functional, well ventilated helmet and, despite its light weight, should convey confidence in the product.
FEATURES
This helmet offers everything a mountain biker could wish for
GOGGLE-FIT
The glasses are now part of the standard equipment on a bike trip, so a helmet should be designed to keep the glasses in place even during the roughest use.
COLOR VARIATIONS
In addition to "Forest Green", there is a simpler variant "Ash Gray" and finally a more daring helmet color, "Dune Brown".
PACKAGING
The packaging has also been designed in the typical Abus style. With the large print of the helmet's name, the familiar plain cardboard box is much wilder and stands out as a mountain bike helmet package.
PROTOTYPING
FINAL PRESENTATION
One half of the helmet was printed using SLS and then attached to a mirror to create the optical illusion of a complete helmet. The prototype was printed in three parts, sanded, and finally bonded. Using magnets, the chin bar could be removed and the helmet presented in both modes.
This project was developed in cooperation with ABUS-Security Tech Germany.
