Liberty Hardware – Closets by Liberty
Closet organization is a constant struggle, and a massive market. Yet so many solutions seem to miss the mark for the mass market consumer. A unique opportunity was presented to Liberty; a large retail partner approached and asked us to develop something new and better. I was assigned as the Design Lead for this new category, part of a small group of 2 marketers, one engineer, one graphic designer, and myself. In 2.5 years, we dove deep into where other DIY systems fall short, what consumers really desired, and produced a truly innovative system unlike any other, at an approachable price point. Closets by Liberty received the 2020 Platinum ADEX award for Design Excellence, and was included in Design Journals Best Products of 2020. You can learn more about the system at www.closetsbyliberty.com.
The process for developing this system was multi-faceted, with rounds of design, research, iteration, prototyping, and development. We bought every DIY system out there, and I built them all. We worked with contractors, pro organizers, sales associates, and users to find every need and address them.
Walking through the images here, we begin with general market research, identifying storage systems for closet, kitchen, and laundry being a primary pain point with our market. Some key factors were taken into the first round of high level sketch concepts (Note: sketches shown were generated by multiple designers).
- There is an inherent distrust among this DIY market for wall mounted installation. Finding studs and hoping for the best is scary, and can lead to lots of holes in walls, a specific concern for renters. It also means the system will essentially be permanent, even if in theory it can be removed and rebuilt elsewhere. Therefore a floor-based system was essential.
- Customizability is really important, and not just with first installation. Users want the ability to cater to needs that change over time. Reconfiguration should be doable quickly, with minimal or no tools, and with as few limitations as possible.
- Redoing your closet organization is a big project; too big for most to swallow. It is the biggest hurdle to purchasing a new system. Even “simple” systems are multi-day projects, with lengthy complicated instructions, and require lots of tools. Users want something far more simple, with few to no tools, that can be done in an afternoon instead of a weekend. Even shopping for the right configuration is a huge project in itself, since you end up committed to that particular configuration more often than not.
- Safety is a huge industry concern, in the wake of IKEA’s dresser recall for products tipping. But most people still don’t install anti-tip measures. They are designed as an afterthought, can be unsightly, and again, require finding studs. Users just don’t bother. This process needs to improve.
So the need was established for a floor-based, super customizable system that’s really easy to reconfigure, requires little to no tools, can be assembled in a few hours by even a novice, and ensures a user will install it safely. At a mass market price point. Easy peasy, right?
Round one sketches focused on a few ways to accomplish that end goal, at a high level. The details were not worked out, but we presented panels with a handful of different approaches for how a closet system could in theory tackle these issues.
In the next image, I translated the results of those high level concepts in 4 iterations of the winner from round one. These 4 approaches all met the needs we identified, and were all different iterations of the version selected by our panels. These were both rendered for quantitative online research, and prototyped for qualitative.
Once we had results from that, we were on to working out the system details. I lead a series of brainstorm session to focus on both the structure of the system itself, as well as the components and modular accessories therein. Those led to a refined set of concepts that were sketched out (next image), and proven out in prototypes.
Once I developed the final concepts, I worked with our Engineer and vendor to create a works-like, looks-like prototype. We then presented the concept along with 2 current market leaders in our targeted pricing segment in another qual and quant round of research.
We had a winner, but now needed to finesse the design. I dove into the finer aesthetic details, from the drawer fronts, color and hardware combinations, and design of the frames and support structures. This led to, you guessed it, more research! We needed to resonate with our customer, and heard that voice at every stage.
What resulted was one of a kind. Closets by Liberty is based on a simple set of aluminum extrusions that package minimally, but offer incredible strength and versatility. The frames have no front or back, top or bottom, so they are incredibly easy to assemble. Each frame contains recessed side channels to both conceal the holes for the accessory brackets (gotta look pretty), while also forming a snap in channel to help align parts in assembly, as well as serve as a connection method for future accessories. The anti-tip mechanism is fool proof; it needs to be installed in order to complete assembly, and with the slide and lock system, guarantees you’ll hit a stud and secure your system with minimal effort, and no erroneous drilling. The system takes just a couple hours to install, and only needs a handful of screws to assembly. And the best part, all shelves, drawers, clothing rods, and other accessories attach with a shared drop and lock bracket, so all components can install anywhere along the height of the system, and can be moved around and reconfigured in seconds.
That’s a big story to tell. I know, I wrote it. How do you sell that to customers in-aisle though? We developed a highly visual in-store display that helps customers easily identify what components they are buying and intuitively walks them through the shopping journey. Once again, user research allowed us to get this right.
For the online experience, I developed a series of animations to show how the multitude of innovations work, and just how versatile the system is.
I’m happy to say I’ve installed this in multiple spots in my house, and it absolutely checks the boxes. And the nature of the system allows new accessories to be added all the time. Since initial launch, Liberty has added a shoe storage shelf, extra wide rods and shelves, extra narrow rods, shelves, and drawers (to accommodate an even wider range of spaces), and rods that can attach directly form system to wall. And there’s more to come.