We love solutions that offer multiple sustainability benefits.
The vision was to create a product that could perform better, last longer, and give people a feeling of confidence and joy when they used it. I felt a better-designed umbrella would elevate its value in the market, matching the potential of any other well-designed fashion forward product.
The industry was seemingly focused on making products quicker and cheaper, with very little effort in making them better. Consumers had lost respect for umbrellas, and I felt this needed to change.
The goal for BLUNT was never actually to make a sustainable product, it became sustainable organically through our intention of making a quality umbrella. This means sustainability is integrated right through the business across all touchpoints.
Sustainability for us is all about our product’s lifespan and giving consumers a better experience over time. It's a really simple sustainability message for consumers: if you buy a product that lasts longer, you’re doing better for the planet.
Every BLUNT comes with a two-year manufacturer's warranty, which brings multiple brand benefits. When people come in for a repair they get that human-to-human contact and when we can either fix their umbrella on the spot, or repair it and send it back out to them, it's such a valuable customer interaction.
We love solutions that offer multiple sustainability benefits. For us, it always comes back to sustainable product design.
Inspired by the simplicity and modular compatibility of Lego, BLUNT treat each component of the umbrellas like a product in itself. This means considering how each individual part fits with others, with the aim of making the whole product easy to connect.
The plan for the future is not to have a whole lot of workshops around the world but to get to a point where, if something goes wrong, we simply send a component out and you pop it in yourself – as easy as Lego.
“We learnt that the more focused you are in trying to find a solution to a problem, the more special the result will be once you find it.”
Quote by|Greig Brebner
This modular approach has real benefits when it comes to manufacturing, supply and logistics. Instead of moving bulky products worldwide, we're shipping smaller, more compact components. There are huge efficiencies in that, and big sustainability benefits downstream.
Putting sustainability requirements into the design of a product, service or business model can be massively constraining. But, rather than a negative, it should be seen as a huge opportunity. We learnt that the more focused you are in trying to find a solution to a problem, the more special the result will be once you find it.
One of the world’s biggest problems we believe, is products that are here today, gone tomorrow. People want more and more, cheaper and faster. We're trying to slow this down and build value over time, allowing people to develop deeper relationships with products and create a more meaningful experience. It's about delivering less of those quick dopamine hits, and more of the nicer, long-lasting oxytocin love feelings.
By investing in a good quality, long-lasting product you love, you’re saving money in the long term and doing the right thing for the planet. It's a win-win!
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