Strategic foundations
In 2021, Goodmans approached RODD during a moment of transition. The brand had been acquired and its new international management was eager to establish a design-led position in a crowded, competitive market.
Our challenge was to reinvent an ailing consumer electronics brand and relaunch it into the international market with a new sense of belief. We set out a new roadmap, defined new guiding principles that relied less on tech-supremecy but celebrated ‘beautiful simplicity’, honesty and affordability.
A distinct design identity
Together with their leadership, we crafted a product, UX and packaging language that worked across DAB audio, streaming audio and connected devices. With an honest approach to design identity, each product expressed the shared spirit of simplicity, integrity and visual authenticity.
Industrial design with clarity
The new Goodmans brand took shape through picking careful battles – starting in the brand's historic heartland, DAB Audio.
Rocka, a punchy DAB radio, opened the door to a more design-centric audience with a clean, contemporary form factor.
The Aspect soundbar typified the brand's appetite. Unable to compete with the investment made by leading audio streaming brands, we were given an off-shelf sound cabinet and asked to do our best. The result was an elegant, modernist soundbar that, through a simple change in orientation from horizontal to vertical, becomes a streaming sound tower and automatically pairs with a second speaker.
The products looked considered, because they were - fighting for consumer experience wins in every brief - regardless of the price point. This mindset established the strategic intention set early in the partnership.
Connected product ecosystems
With Goodmans eager to enter the connected home space, our role expanded into consumer experience.
iCee, a cloud camera, was one such example of holistic brand experience with industrial design, digital experience and packaging. We developed the electro-mechanical layout with the OEM, created a flexible form that worked across multiple positions and shaped an interface that delivered reassurance and simplicity.
This level of integration and trust demonstrated the value of a long-term partnership where strategy and design shaped a unified experience.
A partnership that shaped a brand
The breadth of the Goodmans portfolio reveals the strength of the relationship. Strategic design informed product roadmap. Brand value guided industrial design. Digital experience unified with physical form.
Through our partnership, Goodmans gained a portfolio that felt cohesive, a design language with simple beauty and a clearer presence in a competitive landscape.
