Case Study: The Warming Surfaces Company

Strategic Design | Startup Pivot | Ecosystem Innovation

Project overview

I worked closely with The Warming Surfaces Company startup to transform internal challenges into a streamlined, digital platform that allows the startup to understand their market & contacts better and improve their brand image.

Client

Early-stage startup The Warming Surfaces Company (TWSC)

aiming to dominate the “warmth” industry with their Halia® heating tech.

Role & Team

Lead Designer & Strategist

Interdisciplinary (business, marketing, engineering, branding) team

Challenges

Vague brief

Chaotic partnerships

No clear product-market fit

Initial Problem Definition: ‘Help us rule the Warmth Industry… Somehow’

The startup’s BRIEF was a moonshot, no product, no target market, no roadmap, just:

“Become the leading brand for warmth.”

Breaking their core issues down:

<aside> 🌀 Chaotic Branding: Clients didn’t understand Halia’s (the startup’s technology) value.

</aside>

<aside> 📉 Partner Overload: Too many potential contacts, but unclear who to work with

</aside>

<aside> ❓ No Clear Focus: Should they target furniture, apparel, or industrial heating, and with what product?

</aside>

Design Journey:

HaliaLab Story Pitch

Our final prototype was pitched at the Gala by me and one of my teammates. Watch below the first minute and a half of my part of the pitch:

https://youtu.be/H1Xm83fTy48

The first 1:30 of the HaliaLab presentation pitch performed at IDBM Gala 2024