TRICO SpeedSet™ Wiper Blade
Consumer Products
Proprietary wiper blade system offers an improved customer experience with an easy and simple installation process
But first, history
On a wintry day in 1902, when a New York trolley operator moved a windowpane to stick his head outside and view the road conditions, 36-year-old Mary Anderson, of Birmingham, Alabama, had sympathy for the driver—and her fellow passengers who were subject to the chilly blast.
Immediately, she began to conceive a design for a “windshield wiper” that could be operated by a driver from within the vehicle. On November 10, 1903, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 743,801, entitled “Window-Cleaning Device,” to her.
Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately, such innovation wasn’t seen as integral to the operation of early motor cars. Anderson was never able to attract any investment; by 1916, her patent expired before she was able to reap any royalties or licensing fees from technology advancements and changing consumer needs.
The opportunity
Historically, the installation process of a windshield wiper has been anything but user-friendly. For the DIY individual who chose to do it at home rather than consult a professional, the process was typically memorable in the worst of ways. Trico — the American company that invented the windshield wiper blade in 1917 — knew this. To find a better way, they came to Nottingham Spirk for their product innovation services.
Paramount Pictures
Utilizing our Insights Team, we dove into the user experience to find the biggest challenges and areas for opportunity. This quickly revealed a somewhat obvious, yet highly impactful idea. What if you only needed one type of windshield wiper for easy installation? Of course, with varying models of cars and varying trims, this would require some incredible creative power to design a one-size-fits-all solution. Our team got to work, and the SpeedSet™ Replacement Wiper Blades were born.
A-HA!
What if you only needed one type of windshield wiper for easy installation?
With every new car make and model, there seemed to be changes made to the end of the windshield wiper arms. The slightest adjustment of angle would make a traditional windshield wiper useless. This created a moving target for our team. The solution was a QuickClick technology that would remove that concern from the equation all together.
Users would no longer have to find the perfect match for their car and it was easy to apply. When tested by users, this new design was described as, “easy, simple, durable.” Additionally, all-weather premium blades were added for extra endurance, lasting 3X longer than the average blade.
By leveraging unmet consumer needs, our innovation team invented a proprietary wiper blade system that offers an improved customer experience with an easy and simple installation process.
Our Work
Consumer Products
Sherwin-Williams Twist & Pour™
Easier to ship, shelve, carry, open, pour, and store.
Consumer Products
Matco RevelX Automotive Toolbox
Reimagined modular toolbox system with tech integration.
