Launched in 1964, GP Batteries started manufacturing 9-volt dry batteries in Hong Kong. The award-winning brand has grown to become one of the world’s largest suppliers of portable power, from rechargeable batteries and power banks to flashlights and batteries for electric vehicles.
GP recognised that to create outstanding products, it needed to understand the demands of its consumers in the coming years. It also understood that the product design process shouldn’t be based on arbitrary decisions. There was a need to look at various factors, including consumer lifestyle shifts and how that affected purchase decisions.
Power banks have become a necessity for digitally wired consumers. However, there’s a perception that power banks are boxy and utilitarian. To push the boundaries, GP decided to redesign its flagship product, the M-Series, focusing on a stylistic point of view but without compromising the functional performance of the product.
GP created a range to encapsulate a hi-tech package of electronics and batteries in the form of a stylish and user-friendly mobile power device.
WGSN Insight reports, including the Future Consumer white paper, provided brand insight into consumer behaviour shifts for the next two years. This helped GP look at the bigger picture and translate how these shifts would affect the portable power bank sector.
Colour also plays a crucial role in its product design direction, so GP’s design team referenced various WGSN colour reports to track where trends are headed. The colour forecasts were used not only for its products but also for packaging and marketing materials.
Results
In 2022, GP launched the M2 Series PowerBank, combining power with fashion. This product features a minimalist design with a rounded edge, which is a departure from the typical flat-form box shape, and a wide selection of on-trend colours, in line with consumer expectations and attracting a broad audience. Shortly after its launch, the M2 Series PowerBank won the Red Dot - Product Design 2022 award for its innovative and outstanding product design.
“WGSN offers detailed and in-depth analysis on consumer insights and product design trends. The combination of visuals and texts allows us to be more efficient as everything is in one place. I’m very impressed at the response rate of the WGSN team – they have published so many reports around trends such as the metaverse and NFTs before these even became mainstream.”
Hamid Bekradi, Head of Product Planning & Design at GP Batteries
