Making Motorola cable modems… sexy?
Roles
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Design Direction
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Concept Design
Tools
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Adobe Illustrator
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Adobe Photoshop
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Adobe Dimension
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Blender
Summary
Cable modems, for all their cutting-edge tech, aren’t viewed with the same admiration as the latest Apple gadget.
For this project we re-envisioned cable modems as a style-forward lifestyle product customers would be proud to display next to their flagship OLED TV or Playstation 5.
About Minim
Minim, Inc. delivers intelligent software to protect and improve the WiFi connections we depend on to work, learn, and live. Headquartered in Manchester, N.H., Minim holds the exclusive global license to design and manufacture consumer networking products under the Motorola brand.
Cable modems are boring
Minim didn’t become the market leader in cable modems by resting on our laurels. We are always looking for ways to innovate and disrupt the status quo.
We can admit it, cable modems are boring. Most people rent them. Savvy people buy them. Proudly displaying one in your home, no matter how much you paid for it, would be a weird flex.
However, that is exactly what we sought to change with the industrial design of the Motorola B12. Could we make a cable modem our customers wouldn’t hide in the dark recesses of an entertainment system? Could we make a cable modem… sexy?
Giving cable modems a "hot girl" makeover
The project kicked off with the requisite research phase looking at industry trends in product and interior design. We also pored over user and industry feedback on our legacy products to identify common complaints and suggestions. In the end we identified the following characteristics on which to focus the redesign:
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It should NOT be visually identifiable as a modem
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It should be small and unobtrusive
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It should blend elegantly with home decor
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Device status indicators should be minimized and streamlined
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The design language should be extensible to future Motorola networking products
We explored numerous interpretations of the desired characteristics. Design concepts were reviewed and discussed with stakeholders from the Design, Marketing, Sales, Product, and Hardware Engineering teams. Once a design direction was reached, we worked with a contracted Industrial Designer, the Motorola Marketing and Design teams, and the ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) to refine the concept and create the final design.
The resulting product is a compact, elegant device the size of a pint of ice cream. The glossy black plastic and sharp edges emblematic of the category have been replaced with smooth curves wrapped in a dynamic textured fabric.
Thermal venting, an important consideration for a device of this type, provides maximum airflow while enhancing the beauty of the device through a pattern of concentric rings of holes emanating from the central Motorola logo.
The multiple status indicators of previous modems were replaced by a single RGB LED hidden neatly beneath the fabric exterior.
Reception
Recently launched, initial reception to the new design has been overwhelmingly positive. It currently sits at 4.7 stars on Amazon with reviewers taking note of the “...really nice design that blends into any decor”, “...lets it melt into the background next to your TV or on a small table near your coax connection”, and “...not being an ugly plastic box with constantly blinking lights.”
Sexy accomplished!