Thousand founder Gloria Hwang had a theory that designing stylish, functional bike helmets would encourage more people to wear them—and save lives in the process. Their focus on design and utility helped them cruise up to $11.5 million in revenue last year.
Let’s examine her design principles, and how they guided the brand’s growth and impact, and how you can co-opt them for your own brand and products.
Merge Form and Function
Gloria found that recreational bikers wanted something functional and safe above all else. However, they wouldn’t actually wear it unless it looked good. “There’s a way to elevate style so you’re proud to wear the products,” she says.
Working with an industrial designer, Gloria created a helmet that met safety standards but leaned into a more minimalist and retro-inspired design.
Being functional and safe is the baseline for a helmet, but by merging that utility with style, Gloria built a product people were proud to wear and share.
At Thousand, the dance between form and function can be the spark for new product lines or entire brands. Their philosophy – take something beautiful and make it utilitarian or shift something mundane into a statement of identity.
Give Customers the Opportunity to Personalize
Thousand leaned into customization options because customers were picking their helmets to better fit their personalities. Letting customers customize the product and make it their own boosts retention and advocacy.
“It’s all centered around this idea of, ‘How can products help you express your personal style?‘” Gloria says.
Thousand produced the same core product in a variety of colors. But they also offered an upsell letting customers order them monogrammed transforming the helmets into one-of-a-kind statements without increasing inventory requirements.
Focus on Functional Details
Thousand patented the PopLock, a feature built into the helmet that gives riders a way to attach it to a bike lock. If the helmet gets stolen, Thousand will replace it for free.
This addresses the pain point of having to lug a helmet around with no safe way to leave it with the bike.
Small changes to a product can dramatically change its perception. Look at all the different types of expensive water bottles and tumblers. Tiny differences like the way a lid latches or how a straw is attached can help differentiate your products.
Make Your Products Inclusive
Thousand has intentionally created more inclusive products, and not just by offering a wider range of colors. Gloria says:
“Most small bike helmets don’t actually fit women because they weren’t designed for them. Our size range really takes into account different head shapes and genders.”
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
“We’ll sample 10 different versions of a similar color to settle on the final one we want,” Gloria says. Thousand often goes through many iterations to find just one piece of their product.
It’s important for founders to be the advocate for their customers, especially when working with manufacturers. Even if a design is more complicated for a manufacturer, it pays to push for the features you really want.
By designing helmets more people actually want to wear, Thousand has grown the market and achieved their mission of saving lives.
📩 P.S: We have a free newsletter! Get the latest marketing insights, trends, and case studies used to grow client businesses. Sign up here: diacreative.beehiiv.com/subscribe
🎙️ In a regulated industry like Health, Wellness or Medical? Check out our podcast “Pioneering Perspectives” wherever you listen to podcasts or on our site https://diacreative.com/podcast
