Designing the best user experience

One would not associate warehouse trucks and forklifts into design objects like more traditional items, say furniture or clothing. However, Rocla in Finland is a pioneer in industrial design. Rocla was the first to understand the effect design has on the product usability and improving its competitiveness. Its advanced product design thinking has resulted in many prestigious design awards.

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One of the reasons why Rocla is succeeding is its strong research and development expertise. A pioneer in industrial design and usability, Rocla puts people at the heart of the design and product development process. We believe that by focusing on the end user's work process and comfort, we can help our customers in the best possible way. Best user experience in the market is the main design driver for product development. Rocla’s high quality industrial design and usability of the products has been rewarded multiple times in international design contests, like Red dot and Fennia Prize.
Rocla’s R&D designs a new product together in cooperation with the production, purchasing, sales and marketing. This way of working, called concurrent engineering, stands for development overlapping with other functions of a company. Therefore it is possible, for example, to take into consideration the production requirements right from the beginning of a new product development.

Getting the innovations out

Rocla’s strength relies in its speed and flexibility. The company can quickly react to customer’s needs and is rapidly producing new innovations to the market.
When it comes to warehouse trucks and forklifts, the importance of design comes from two things: The truck is both a working station and a tool. It needs to provide good physical ergonomics while maintaining its efficiency in the environment. A truck needs also to be cost-effective and worthy of its price. This means that one must design more and more “humane” machinery, without decreasing its performance.

Co-creation with customers and users

Combining profound understanding of customers’ processes with innovative product development and design is one of the key elements of product development process. Extensive user and environment studies at logistics centers and customer premises are the starting point for product concept creation. Interviewing and observing customers, drivers, and the logistic processes helps R&D to understand the challenges and further develop products that boost customer’s operations. Customers and drivers also take part in testing new products already in the development phase, where designers get valuable feedback.