Author: Simon Cornelius

Charting New Waters: Navigating the Highlights of 2025 boot Düsseldorf

Written by Simon Cornelius on January 23, 2025. Posted in Innovation, Our team.

When one of our product design clients, Barton Marine, invited me to come along with them to boot Düsseldorf, one of the world’s premier yacht and watersports show, I jumped at the chance. Over 200,000 visitors attend annually at this huge event, which takes place over 16 exhibition halls with more than 1,500 companies showcasing their latest innovative product launches.

Key Takeaways from My First Visit to boot Düsseldorf

My first visit to boot Düsseldorf was both fantastic and enlightening. As a newcomer to the show, I was blown away by the innovation, design, and sheer scale of the maritime industry on display. It wasn’t just about boats – it was about the future of boating and marine technology. Here are my key takeaways and learnings from the experience:

1. The Rise of Electric Outboards

One of the most exciting trends I observed was the emergence of more mainstream electric outboards, particularly aimed at the smaller boat market. As electric motors become more compact, they are providing designers with more freedom to innovate. This has led to more dynamic, cutting-edge design languages in the outboard motor space. Notable standouts were Tohatsu’s electric options and race engine specialists Ilmor’s ION range. These electric outboards are setting the stage for a greener, more sustainable future in boating.

2. Sailing Boats Are Sexy Again!

Sailing boats are making a stylish comeback! I was particularly impressed by the Flaar 24, a sailing yacht that boasts a fully composite construction. It’s designed with sleek, race-inspired lines that give it an athletic yet elegant look. The best part? This boat can be both raced or cruised, making it versatile for any sailing enthusiast. It’s clear that the design world is embracing more streamlined, performance-driven aesthetics in the sailing sector.

3. High-Tech Rigging

Another area that has seen significant innovation is rigging. High-tech components—such as those using 3D printing and Formula 1 technology—are making their way into the higher-end market. A prime example is the Barton Marine Furler system, designed by Cornelius Creative, which was launched late last year. The incorporation of cutting-edge technologies into rigging systems is revolutionising how boats are equipped and how efficiently they perform.

4. Multi-Use RIB Boats

The popularity of multi-use RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) boats has soared. These versatile boats are now equipped for a range of activities including cruising, fishing, camping, and even extreme sports. The ability to use one boat for multiple purposes is making them a top choice for adventure seekers and families alike.

5. Brand Collaborations Bring Excitement

I also noticed a strong trend of cross-industry brand collaborations that are producing some truly stunning product designs. Automotive brands like Porsche, Brabus, and ABT have partnered with boat manufacturers to create eye-catching vessels that combine the best of both industries. These collaborations are clearly drawing crowds and elevating boat design to new heights.

6. The Reality of Yacht Design: Size Over Elegance

One trend that stood out in the yacht sector was the shift in design driven by berthing rules. To maximise interior space, naval architects are making yachts with wider, more stunted bows. While these boats may offer more usable space inside, they do sacrifice some of the traditional, elegant lines that many people associate with luxury yachts.

7. Superyachts Are in a League of Their Own

Finally, it became evident that superyachts are truly out of reach for the mainstream. The grandeur of these vessels was undeniable, but I quickly realised that these behemoths are reserved for an elite clientele. So much so that I couldn’t even get on one to take a closer look! It was a reminder of the exclusivity of the superyacht market and how it caters to a very select group of individuals.

Conclusion

Boot Düsseldorf was a great experience, offering a glimpse into the future of boating and the incredible innovations happening within the industry. From electric outboards to cutting-edge rigging systems and sleek sailing yachts, it’s clear that it’s an exciting period in maritime innovation. I look forward to seeing where these maritime product trends will take us in the years to come.

#CES2024 – Products for a Better World?

Written by Simon Cornelius on January 12, 2024. Posted in Innovation.

The Consumer Electronics Show took place this week in Las Vegas, and one of the main talking points of this year’s show was Tech for Good and how technology can help solve the world’s problems.

We’ve been thinking about how we can incorporate ‘Design for Good’ into the products we develop.

What is ‘Design for Good’ and why should we care?

We all have a responsibility to look after the planet and make as minimal an impact as possible. Design for Good is creating products that solve a problem in a sustainable and UX driven way.

Designing products with Circular Economy (CE) in mind – choosing materials for their longevity and recyclability to keep them in use for as long as possible. Single use plastics are no longer acceptable. At Methven, we were one of the first in the bathroom industry to introduce CE on a stainless steel range of tapware that could be recycled/or re-machined the next time the customer wanted to renovate their bathroom to reduce the number of components being disposed of.

I recently bought a Smeg coffee machine – a fantastic example with minimal waste and plenty of recyclable packaging. The product is extremely well built, has easy to clean and service components, and is designed to be energy efficient. We chose a bean to cup machine rather than pods to cut down on waste. It’s an investment to last years rather than low-cost, “disposable” FastTech which has sadly become more popular in recent years, despite the WEEE directive. One such example is the growing number of disposable vapes, which is having a huge environmental impact as a result of the amount of single use plastics as well as lithium batteries being incorrectly disposed of.

To help with product life longevity, user interfaces now tend to be frequently updated, which means we don’t need to upgrade our products so often. Over-the-air updates mean products, like cars for example, can be updated at a reduced cost via Wi-Fi and with an increased rate of adoption as you no longer have to drive it to a garage.

Inclusive Design

Inclusive design is at the forefront of our minds, ensuring that products are usable by as many people as possible, particularly marginalised groups, but essentially thinking about any person’s ability to use a product, regardless of age, gender, culture or language.

For example, smart glasses, while still in the early adopter phase, are becoming more popular with brands such as Ray-Ban launching fashionable ranges that no longer look like they belong on a set of Star Trek. Plus they’re equipped with technology that can be understood by even the least tech-savvy consumer, and allow users to make and receive calls, livestream on socials, listen to music and capture precious photos. Will they replace our phones in the future?

Smart glasses can assist users with visual impairments, such as adjusting colours for users with colour blindness or providing text-to-speech capability for reading labels and other printed materials for anyone with low vision. People with mobility issues can see real-time information about accessible routes and facilities, as well as visualise and interact with digital maps and directions. Users who are hard of hearing can see translations and directions.

This tech will move over into sportswear, with distance runners, for example, able to easily see their splits and mile markers without taking their eyes away from the route.

Look out for innovation in healthcare. With mental health a key subject in our societies, keep a close eye on manufacturers using virtual and augmented reality to address social isolation, and look out for discreet ear buds that double as a heart rate monitor, removing bulky medical units worn around the wearer’s neck.

The AI issue is well-discussed on many platforms, particularly the potential risk to creative jobs. But as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I envision a world where AI doesn’t remove product design jobs but rather is used as a tool to help designers learn about users to further improve future designs. Some examples include learning thermostats that have revolutionised the way we consume energy at home, self-driving cars and customer service chat bots.

Our homes are (normally) our biggest investment, so companies are responding with a wave of new AI enabled smart tech to help us customise our homes. Top trends are energy efficiency and automation to help homeowners save time and money, whilst also thinking about security and wellbeing. It’s estimated that 19% of US householders now own a smart appliance (fridge, washing machine, dishwasher…) and this number will only continue to rise as AI improves its learning into how we use products to optimise its function.

We’re excited to see what technology emerges from this year’s CES, and we’ll look forward to discovering products designed for a better world.

Celebrating three years in business

Written by Simon Cornelius on March 17, 2023. Posted in Business, Our team.

By Simon Cornelius

Three years ago, I incorporated my business Cornelius Creative Ltd on Companies House and off I went to conquer the product design and marketing world. Little did I know that just six days later we’d enter our first (of several) national lockdowns due to a little thing called Covid-19 (you may remember it…)

Those times almost seem like a dream now, three years later. No longer am I working from the spare bedroom, we have a team of five working from our new 800 square foot office that we are currently renovating to create a welcoming workspace featuring a client meeting room, prototype workshop and staff area.

Celenbrating three years in business — Celebrating our third birthday with a caterpillar cake!

We’ve worked with some incredible clients, including SharkNinja, Bathroom Brands Group, Furnitubes International Ltd and Barton Marine to name just a few.

The idea behind Cornelius Creative was always to provide a holistic product design and marketing service for our clients, helping them to develop and launch commercially successful products. I believe that we’re achieving this for our clients and staying true to our core values to be Respectful, Innovative, Passionate, Authentic and Supportive.

To date, we’ve worked on 130 projects on everything from sports equipment to consumer products, marine accessories to sanitaryware. We’ve offered everything from market research, concept generation, industrial design, computer generated images and animations and product prototyping.

Here are some of our headline achievements from the first three years:

We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us on this beginning part of our journey – from our family members for their never-ending support, our wonderful clients who have put their trust in us to deliver their products, our reliable network of suppliers who keep us operating, and of course our fantastic team members who make Cornelius Creative what it is.

We couldn’t have achieved any of this without you all.

Here’s to the next three years, and beyond!

Author: Simon Cornelius

Charting New Waters: Navigating the Highlights of 2025 boot Düsseldorf