
The City of Espoo was one of the first Catchbox customers and storytellers. Today Catchboxes are used by happy customers around the world.
To design is easy. To come up with new ideas that truly change the way we work is difficult
Encounters—the source of innovationInternational, talented Aalto University students met at Aalto Design Factory. They became friends. In order to pass a course organised by Aalto and Stanford University, they needed to create something new. And they noticed a problem that many had, but no one had noticed. They had succeeded in posing a new question. At countless lectures and conferences it was difficult for audience members to ask questions. To solve this, the team set about to create the world’s first throwable microphone that could be easily passed from one audience member to the next. The idea for Catchbox was born. The City of Espoo helps startups growThe team was excited about their idea. To see how far they could “fly with it” they applied for participation in the incubation programme Summer of Startups organised in the neighbouring Startup Sauna and supported by City of Espoo. During the nine week programme the team validated their business case, worked on endless prototypes of the product and tried to figure out a working business model. Choosing the wrong business modelAfter Summer of Startups the team got an office where they built a few throwable microphones. Everybody loved the concept. 18 months of hard work led to a better design and product. The tailorable “skin” of the product made it best suited for professionals who organise events. And the surrounding ecosystem including the City of Espoo with active links to global players helped the team succeed. |
Presidents, ministers but most importantly—enthusiastic voicesThe City of Espoo was one of the first Catchbox customers and storytellers. Today Catchboxes are used by happy customers around the world. The customers are served through a network of global partners. Sales happen either on the Internet or via established sales channels. The Importance of design in product development—A way of thinkingDesign has been an essential part of Catchbox from the very beginning. At Catchbox design is a way of thinking. We are not the only ones—many companies have realized the importance of design integration, from startups to large corporations. |