There's a secret to designing and engineering products that last decades.

These days, the life of a product model is something best measured in dog years. With tech companies and auto makers conditioning us to expect new designs on a yearly cadence it's rare to see a one outlive a jar of peanut butter. For just a moment, see if you can remember a single electronic product that has been available and unchanged for 20 years. It’s not easy.

A lot has changed in the past two decades…

Try to picture the year 2000. If you were one of the cool kids you were rolling through the mall in your brand new Heelys, rocking out to Bye Bye Bye on your discman, while feeding your Tamagotchi. Or, you were a nerd, sitting at home with your Furby, playing Sim City on your colorful iMac G3 (thanking your lucky stars Y2K didn't cause the world to implode). Apple had yet to launch its first iPod, and was the several years away from releasing the first iPhone. Blockbuster dominated the home video market. Tesla hadn’t even been founded, yet.

Fast-forward 20 years. Smartphones are ubiquitous, physical video rental locations have effectively disappeared, and Tesla is [or recently was] one of the most valuable companies on the planet. Your smartwatch has more computing power than your old G3. Kudos if you can still stay upright on Heelys.

Products tend to come and go. Trends change. One thing that hasn’t changed? Quality design and engineering stands the test of time.

A long-living livesaver

When a company named Defibtech first partnered with us in 2000, they had proprietary technology and a mission to create a cost-effective, user-friendly AED (Automated External Defibrillator) that would be suitable for both first responders and untrained users.

We knew that, given the urgent nature of an AED’s core functionality, we needed to create a device that was simple, intuitive, and approachable. The product design, engineering, and user interface had to support instant deployment under the most stressful circumstances. Leveraging our development process—which relies on an unbreakable link between design and engineering—our team created a game-changing, low-cost product in a matter of months (not years). We not only made it simple, we made it rugged (IP54) to withstand impacts, water ingress, and even being dropped from 15 feet onto a hard surface. Our electrical engineering team worked closely with Defibtech to ensure the electronics were secured, yet easily serviceable.

Today, over 20 years later, the LifeLine AED devices are still serving their mission around the globe, with tens of thousands deployed (you've likely seen then in an airport or grocery store), and thousands of lives saved. Defibtech is a clear leader in the AED space worldwide, and the survivors and their families are the biggest winners.

So, while other products have come and gone, thoughtful, integrated design and engineering have kept Defibtech as relevant and successful as ever.

Yes, there is a difference between the consumer product lifecycle and that of professional equipment. But we'll tip our hats to any company with an electronic device that remains unchanged and competitive for over two decades. 

“The unit is very simple in its design, with only two buttons and no moving parts or lids to slow the rescue, the Lifeline AED will ensure a smooth rescue process every time”.

This level of sustained excellence isn’t easy to come by.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re developing life-saving medical devices, specialty tools, or consumer products—you deserve a development partner that know what it takes to create products that endure, have a great user experience, are well engineered and deliver a great return on your investment.

Ready to experience the benefits of working with Ideaz firsthand?

Book a free consultation and discover how our award-winning product design and engineering team can bring your vision to life.