5 minute read
MEET THE PRODUCT AND DESIGN TEAM
Behind every great SONAS product is a team of imaginative experts, who generate ideas, transcend creative limitations and deliver carefully designed products to meet customer needs. The product and design team at SONAS Bathrooms embodies the company’s core values, through supportive and open collaboration, the team continuously strive to deliver ambitious, innovative designs that deliver long term sustainable vitality for the product offering and the business. The team is made up of seven – two product developers, a product designer, product analyst, product marketing executive and two graphic designers. Spanning three continents and five nationalities, the Product & Design team are tasked with designing and developing all of the company’s new products, with full ownership of design and specification managed in house.
The team have been busy preparing the company’s 2023 second edition brochure, which launches this July. There are a number of new products and trends that they have been working on. “It’s very fast paced and there’s always something to do, with deadlines to meet – but that’s what makes it fun. Everyone rows together, and we all play a part in developing the product and delivering it to market”, Junkal Arenaza – Product Analyst.
The dynamic duo of Francisc Pentek, a qualified engineer and James Quinn, a stalwart within the bathroom industry for the last 25 years, are the team’s product developers. Together, they oversee and manage the development of new products across the companies ten product categories. “Our role is to look at the market, understand the customer needs and see how we can address this, either by enhancing existing products or developing new innovative designs”, says Francisc Pentek. The team carries out a lot of research as part of their product development process, generating new ideas and prototypes to present to sales teams and customers. James Quinn added, “The most important part of developing a new product is understanding how it will be accepted by the customer once we’ve introduced it to market. Their valuable insights play an instrumental role in shaping and perfecting our innovative offerings." The responsibility for design of these products sits with Barry McGrath, Product Designer. “I love working with James and Francisc, and digesting the brief for what the design requires. Francisc is quite technically minded, whereas James is very customer centric.
As a designer, it’s a great balance between the two guys and helps bridge the boundaries between function and design. I think that’s why it works so well.” Once the product has been designed and developed, it is then handed over to the marketing and graphic designers to translate those designs and product benefits. “Our job is to tell the why, the story behind the products and how our products make people feel”, Karla Santana, Marketing Executive.
“The team does an outstanding job designing and developing our products, and I am aware of the significant influence that effective messaging has on our customers. So, we need to ensure that our message hits the mark.
The company’s main communication tool for showcasing their products is their brochure, managed by Aoife Farrell, Graphic Designer.
As a graphic designer, I understand the importance of accurately representing the hard work and dedication that goes into designing and developing our products.
Crafting the imagery and layout of the brochure is a crucial responsibility that I take seriously. Recent independent research*, indicates that printed brochures play a significant role in the bathroom consumer journey, with over two thirds of consumers relying on them for information. Therefore, it is essential that we structure the brochure in a manner that enables customers to envision our products in their homes with ease.”
The team was recently joined by their newest member, Hillary Oaker as a graphic designer. “I’ve only just joined the team and straight away I was made to feel so welcome. What’s great is that the team are genuinely interested in my ideas and what I have to contribute.” The team and overall product development is overseen by the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ger Fahy, who has been with the business for nearly seven years now. “I think the main strength of the team is the individuality each member brings.
I love how this influences the dynamic of our work. Everyone has something to contribute and with so many perspectives, we get a great blend of ideas that helps us deliver products that the consumer is looking for.” Product vitality is a key metric for the team, ensuring that the offering remains fresh and ahead of new trends. The team are already developing new products for their 2024 collection with some exciting collections that will no doubt enhance the vitality SONAS brings to the bathroom industry across the UK & Ireland.
