Nowa: Elevating Staplers to Lifestyle Products

Future Factory LLP's Innovative Design Wins Golden A' Design Award

The core design DNA of Nowa was to elevate it to the status of a lifestyle product. The design phase focused on producing a consistent form and visual language over all the size variants in the family. The result is a range of staplers that come in three different sizes to suit different usage requirements and in multiple colours, aligning with contemporary design trends.

Nowa staplers are available in two different materials to fit the users' choice. The handle and the base are manufactured in ABS plastic as well as sheet metal. The seamless form and consistent look achieved using both materials are a result of close attention to design details. Nowa staplers are designed for structural rigidity, ensuring a long life. All plastic parts are moulded in a single material (ABS), making the products recycle friendly.

Nowa staplers feature interesting functional benefits. The rotating anvil switches between stapling and pinning. It is convenient and is incorporated seamlessly into the base. A handy staple remover is provided at the back which also holds the staples for easy disposal. The staplers come with anti-skid pads to achieve a firm grip on inclined working surfaces. The design of the handle and the base create continuous surfaces, that help in providing a smooth, gentle grip to the user’s hand.

The design direction emerged out of a detailed aesthetic study of stapler designs available in the international market. Special emphasis was given to European design sensibilities, since this range was meant for that market. Different models were analyzed in terms of ergonomics so as to achieve maximum comfort. Finer usability issues were identified, that could be addressed through design.

The challenge was to upgrade the functional aesthetic of traditional staplers to something more appealing and in tune with the times. This range was meant for the European audience, necessitating a good understanding of design sensibilities prevalent in the region. The design also factored in the challenges of designing for different materials – metal and plastic, without compromising on the family look.

This Design was awarded Golden in A' Art and Stationery Supplies Design Award in 2018. Golden A' Design Award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.