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Jomi development: big "OO" and "Aahaa" moments in 2013

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Looking back, we can safely say that 2013 was the craziest year. Ever. The development roller-coaster took us on a ride from the core idea to prototyping, testing, developing, designing, re-designing, and some more prototyping.

Below we are going to bang the drums and wrap up 2013 by listing some thoughts and key-learnings.

Idea into shape

First, there was an idea of Jomi- a device that can remind users of a basic need to stay optimally hydrated. The idea emerged from Andre's personal lack of ability to drink enough during the day at the office. As the wheels started grinding, the idea slowly began to develop into the concept of Jomi. It had different shapes initially, varying from a bottle to a sleeve to a simple band. The challenge was not so much to build the product, but to put it in a shape that would make most sense, and to fulfill the needs of everyday users.
 

Image0001.JPG Image0005.JPG

There is never enough of talking and listening

And that could be only done by talking and listening to you, the potential users, and to people with more knowledge of building weird stuff, and the people who actually know how to bring the weird stuff to life.
We started from the basic idea and entered startup competitions, which helped us shape this idea into form. We competed in Ajujaht, and were rewarded with funding for product development. We went to Web Summit and pitched the idea with shaking knees, and were chosen among the TOP 18 startup ideas in Europe, and where our exhibition booth was filled with people who came to gaze our prototype. Every encounter we had last year, any additional feedback or new idea that was presented to us, enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of the product. For this, we are extremely thankful.

Rule of the year: If something seems too simple, then it most definitely is not

Creating a simple Band with a few electronics in it seems easy enough, right? Well, technically you just need a few chips and boards, some wires, perhaps a few lights, and fit it into a mold that goes around a bottle. Boom. Done. In reality, however, simplicity is a complex interplay of clever engineering, countless days of racking the brain to come up with a visually appealing design, perfectly fitting electronics, and simple usability of the product. This all takes calculative planning, since most likely the hacking can lead into a 2 month wait period for some new, crucial piece of electronics that may or may not work out in the end. So, our biggest takeaway is that when something seems too easy, then you're likely to run into some unexpected surprises.

Design VS design

Yes, there is a big difference. Around autumn we found it out the hard way when we were getting more in-depth with actual product manufacturing. The design we initially had come up with would have just been rocket science to produce (or just very heavy on the wallet). Well, back to the drawing board we went ( see Rule of the year).
We needed some additional help, and this time we teamed up with an awesome industrial designer Tiit Liiv, who has re-designed the product from the ground up, and given a new shape to the whole concept. Even though we are finishing the design process, this was a pretty hard nut to crack even for a seasoned designer. We are eager to show you our newest casing renders that we are prototyping right now, but we'll keep those for the Kickstarter videos. Feeling excited! 

Late night design hacking with Tiit Liiv

Late night design hacking with Tiit Liiv

Testing, testing one-two:

The infamous loop of year 2013 has been prototyping-testing-prototyping, which has taken our electronics from a huge protoboard to a small-scale device...and we still aren't done!

First protoboard

First protoboard

Rev 1 electronics

Rev 1 electronics

Rev 4 electronics

Rev 4 electronics

And last but not least- there is always light at the end of the tunnel. 

Hopefully sooner, rather than later, we will proudly bring Jomi to the limelight and let you make it shine.

Thank you all for your continued feedback and support!


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