ABOUT

Whilst I was at Seymourpowell we de-stigmatised the stairlift.

Stannah already made the world’s best-selling stairlift so why did they update their range? Insights from ethnographic research we conducted revealed a number of key insights and unmet needs, the most telling being that the stairlift was seen as a distress purchase for ‘desperate’ users who cannot climb stairs independently, thus making it unattractive for anyone who considers themselves in a less urgent category - a large untapped market to unlock.

The final design solution was the creation of a modular stairlift system with two models that between them could have broader appeal. Solus was designed to appeal to younger customers, and Sofia to appeal to Stannah’s more traditional audience. Both offered improved functionality and safety, including patented ergonomic control pod and bespoke seatbelt system. In an attempt to move away from the institutional look and feel of other stairlifts, they were far more akin to other household products at the time using softer lines, tactile materials, integrated design and fresher colours.