Water bottle design thread

pianoman
pianoman Posts: 706
edited June 2009 in Road buying advice
As a keen cyclist who has an interest in computer graphic design I've just come up with a new idea for a drinks bottle that I would hope to make appealing not only to cyclists, but also fitness enthusiasts who frequent their local gym.

I've uploaded a picture of what I've designed for one side of the bottle to gauge people's opinion, but I thought I would also start a poll on what colour of bottle they like the look of best (or indeed, what colour of bottle they own)

Before the idea is summarily dismissed, I thought I should point out that the colours are not necessarily representative of the mass market - this choice of magenta logo on a black background is aimed at the young female market e.g. 20-35, and there is a certain well-known department store that sells fitness equipment (and have recently begun selling Ridgeback bikes) who do not advertise drinks bottles on their website, who might like something "exclusive". Other lettering colours could include orange or sky blue in this logo design, which itself is only a working idea and is not yet finished.

I could also do a "kids" version, with red lettering on a blue background and a font choice similar to that of the Lego "duplo" logo from years gone by. I would also have a guide printed on the back of the children's bottle explaining the importance of staying hydrated explaining the 500ml/hour concept (which is well-known amongst fitness enthusiasts, but may not be the first thought a parent has when encouraging their child to get active)

Most drinks bottles seen in sports shops (other than football merchandise) are either clear or bright colours (think Specialized and Trek, neither of which are sold in this department store), and I think the colours I have chosen would look quite funky on a modern bike such as the Ridgebacks, especially with a black bottle cage. Also, they would stand out well on the shelves and sit quite nicely next to the fitness equipment.

drink4.jpg


I've split the colour choices into broad categories with multiple colours in each. This is only to give me some guidance as to whether the black bottle is a good starting point or whether people prefer their yellow (eg Powerbar) or blue (such as Lucozade Sport) drinks bottles. Get voting :P
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Comments

  • surely - ones that match my bike? (or is it just me?)
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Make sure you market a good percentage of them "triathlon specific". This will enable you to, quite possibly, double the price and get you much better margins than selling the same thing, at a lower price, to just plain cyclists.
  • Mikelyons
    Mikelyons Posts: 154
    edited June 2009
    surely - ones that match my bike? (or is it just me?)

    +1
    No, It's not just you.

    I can get away with Black, White or Silver.
    Even Red is OK, because my tyres are partly red (Specialized Armadillo)

    Having said that, I've just bought a blue bottle which clashes completely.
    But it was only £1.44 from Tesco & I needed a bottle urgently because it was a hot day & I'd forgotten a bottle.

    Mike
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Match the bike. Defo.
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    for a properly balanced poll, you need to add another option:

    1. Light and bright e.g. yellow, green
    2. Mainstream appeal e.g. red, blue
    3. Contemporary, sophisticated e.g. silver/black

    and

    4. Couldn't give a flying fck what colour they are, so long as they don't leak
  • sicknote
    sicknote Posts: 901
    Mikelyons wrote:
    surely - ones that match my bike? (or is it just me?)

    +1
    No, It's not just you.

    I can get away with Black, White or Silver.
    Even Red is OK, because my tyres are partly red (Specialized Armadillo)

    Having said that, I've just bought a blue bottle which clashes completely.
    But it was only £1.44 from Tesco & I needed a bottle urgently because it was a hot day & I'd forgotten a bottle.

    Mike

    I have just bined two of them as it was like try to pull my teeth out, opening then after a short time :roll:
    Happy I got them for about 97p when on sale.
  • Slow Downcp
    Slow Downcp Posts: 3,041
    Match the bike, but not black - on a hot day it will warm up faster than a white bottle. I assumed this is the reason the bluk of bottles are white or clear.
    Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    Hmm........something says that "hardcore" cyclists like their light colours! Maybe the black and magenta would still sell in stores selling other fitness-related equipment where "style" trumps "function". You sure don't see many cyclists in all-black jerseys.

    As for pricing - the more you have made the cheaper they become (obviously) so maybe a major fitness retailer or store with a large fitness department is the type of company to aim this product at, rather than the cycling community. I still believe that there is room for a "new" bottle graphic degisn in the market. Now, Duncan Bannatyne, do you have a Bikeradar profile?
  • schweiz
    schweiz Posts: 1,644
    free ones that come with the isostar powder, free ones that come from the bike shop when you buy a new bike, free ones that come from the LBS when you're cheeky enough to ask, free ones that come from 'bike to work', free ones that come from races or sportives.
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    It's interesting to see how many votes came in for the dark colours, though.

    Maybe it implies that there are people out there who like the design and who would buy it - just not for cycling, rather for other fitness activities.
  • schweiz
    schweiz Posts: 1,644
    PianoMan wrote:
    It's interesting to see how many votes came in for the dark colours, though.

    How many!!!? There's 6!! and the option was black or silver. Silver isn't a dark colour!! And a sample size of 8 isn't going to get the ONS worried!!
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    If you look in the categories there's nothing saying that "sophisticated" means the same as "black" Some might think yellow is still fashionable, each to one's own. I'm only trying to judge the likely popularity of funky black bottles with edgy graphics among fitness enthusiasts such as ourselves.

    On hot days, I've had bottles of all sorts of colours go warm. Just fill your bottles at every feeding station on the sportives - that's what you pay your £20-50 entry fees for :P

    And on audaxes, surely you would use the controls and nearby newsagents to fill up with ice cold water :P
  • morxy
    morxy Posts: 114
    I prefer transparent bottles (e.g. SiS) so I can see, at a very quick glance, how much liquid I've left. Plus they're colour neutral so they match any bike. Win win!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    I think I've only ever bought one bottle, out of the ten or so I have, that was an SIS one...
  • 2tired2ride
    2tired2ride Posts: 285
    Clear as you can see how much water you have left.

    Also is the "drink" logo the logo you propose?

    What software are you using? Can you not photoshop your logo onto different coloured bottle for us to see?
    "If we all had hardtails we'd all go down the hill, just slower"
    Nick Larsen


    Voodoo D-Jab Ti
    Boardman Road Team 09
    Boardman Urban Team 08
    Falcon 3 Speed
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    edited June 2009
    Well I only used the one and only GIMP for a first attempt. And no, I don't have Photoshop as yet :wink:

    I think the more I hear from you guys, I might be barking up the wrong tree by aiming it at cyclists, though I still think it would look fashionable on the shelves of a fitness store or gym chain. Oh and Powerhouse Fitness, anyone? I don't see any bottles on their website - maybe there are some in stores, maybe that's should be called "Market Research Part 2"

    Yes the "drink" logo IS depicting one side of the bottle I propose, though as I said before, a sensible health message about the need to stay hydrated would go on the back of a kids bottle for the under 8's (over 8's just tend to buy the bottle of their football team in most cases)

    That one would be blue with red lettering - very different to the one you see :D
  • Philby
    Philby Posts: 328
    As for pricing - the more you have made the cheaper they become (obviously) so maybe a major fitness retailer or store with a large fitness department is the type of company to aim this product at, rather than the cycling community. I still believe that there is room for a "new" bottle graphic degisn in the market. Now, Duncan Bannatyne, do you have a Bikeradar profile?

    Bannatyne already has a design for drink bottles in his gyms - silver text on a black bottle.
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    I hope you're not Duncan in disguise :P

    No I wasn't after his money, it's a low-cost item that doesn't require much initial outlay to produce a good quantity. So at least I could flog them to local shops in mini-boxes if no big names wanted to place a large order.

    Anyway, here's the original design tweaked with a "raindrop" dot on the "i". I've superimposed it on top of a black Zefal branded bottle, just thought I should acknowledge that. It's not my favourite bottle shape, there are others that look more slimline and would probably be cheaper to produce - remember, cutting costs is all important too.

    drink5.th.jpg

    I could also upload this with red lettering, though that might not distinguish itself too well from the black. Or I could go for something else such as fluorescent yellow or even just simple white.

    Or would light blue fit with the "hydration" message which is central to the brand name, and also the raindrop? All very interesting comments I've had so far.
  • jonmack
    jonmack Posts: 522
    If you wanna collab I'll happily put some designs together.

    I have a clear High 5 bottle which has red lettering, and a white Elite (I think) bottle which has black and red lettering on it, I ride a Bianchi, so that goes to show I don't really care.

    Clear, preferably with markings on for volume of liquid, and leak proof are all I look for in a bottle really.
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    And here's one for those who said it should match their bike - in particular for those Ribble and Dolan carbon devotees out there (Mythos/Hercules, I know)
    blackwhite.th.jpg


    and the blue/red one for the kids, with "!" as standard:
    redblue.th.jpg

    I'm saving all these ideas on my computer, would make a nice "Assos-style" range where you simply choose your colour. I'll probably thicken the bottom line to stand out a bit more.

    Personally (not wanting to shoot my own ideas down) I'm not as big a fan of the black and white one, though the blue and red looks cool and would be even better with a yellow teat. That would mean three primary colours accounted for, and all for our most important sports stars: the kids, our Chris Hoys and Andy Murrays of the future!
  • System_1
    System_1 Posts: 513
    As a graphic designer myself I reckon you're thinking about colour a bit too much. You'll never find the 'ideal' that appeals to the majority which is why any manufacturer/company making branded bottles will offer them in a range of colours. Maybe concentrate on the actual logo/style.

    That said, in the end it's just a drinks bottle that costs a couple of quid and is the last thing anyone is looking to accessorise with. If I'm in need of a bottle I'll buy one that matches my bike if it's on the shelf but I'll not go hunting for one that matches. It's just a bottle and I care more about being hydrated than what it looks like.

    Personally I think you're going to struggle to sell a drinks bottle as a fashion item. They're the kind of disposable thing that companies slap their logo on as a marketing tool to be given away or sold dirt cheap in the same way they do with keyrings, pens, mousemats, etc. I don't think you're going to get any big companies giving you money for this when an in-house designer can knock something up for free. There's no profit margin in these things.

    I know that sounds really harsh, but you're obviously very keen on the design side of things and that's to be commended, but your efforts might be better placed elsewhere. Keep at it. Jersey designs are a good place to start. That's one thing that cyclists do care about how they look. :D
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    This may sound harsh but that looks like something a kid knocked up un MS paint :D
  • arnie-77
    arnie-77 Posts: 61
    bikefood_product_bottle.jpg

    Yellow for me, and got them in exchange for my ratty old ones.
    http://www.mybikefood.com/exchange/

    Matching bottles to bikes?... pah!
    "Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving." A. Einstein
  • Rich-Ti
    Rich-Ti Posts: 1,831
    If this is intended to be a money-making scheme, please don't waste your time.

    That graphic does nothing for me and (as someone who works in the management of design and packaging) isn't going to sparkle on the shelf of any shop. You might like it, and there's no reason not to get some made up for yourself, your friends etc (which is easily done through many sources) but I honestly wouldn't waste your efforts trying to take this to shops to sell.

    Sorry, but I prefer to tell it like it is - come up with a range of bottles with a recurring theme and maybe a key message and you might get taken seriously, but one bottle on it's own will do nothing. Think Foska as your main competition, and check out their range of (frankly hideous) bottle designs... even then you only really see them collecting dust in the 'Action Bikes' type stores of this world.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    PianoMan wrote:
    I hope you're not Duncan in disguise :P

    No I wasn't after his money, it's a low-cost item that doesn't require much initial outlay to produce a good quantity. So at least I could flog them to local shops in mini-boxes if no big names wanted to place a large order.

    Anyway, here's the original design tweaked with a "raindrop" dot on the "i". I've superimposed it on top of a black Zefal branded bottle, just thought I should acknowledge that. It's not my favourite bottle shape, there are others that look more slimline and would probably be cheaper to produce - remember, cutting costs is all important too.

    drink5.th.jpg

    I could also upload this with red lettering, though that might not distinguish itself too well from the black. Or I could go for something else such as fluorescent yellow or even just simple white.

    Or would light blue fit with the "hydration" message which is central to the brand name, and also the raindrop? All very interesting comments I've had so far.

    As a Creative Director/Designer with over 20 years of experience in the business of design, I would respectfully suggest you work on the design of the logo a bit more before worrying about the colour scheme.


    As for bottle colour - as others have said, clear is the way to go as you can easily see how much fluid is left inside.

    Good luck!
  • pianoman
    pianoman Posts: 706
    It's obviously generated enough interest as a topic to warrant over 500 views :D

    I think we're also stumbling across another reason why the design would not be ideal for cyclists: we often exercise for longer durations than people in other sports or the aforementioned gym users, so we always want to know just how much is left in our bottles at a glance - it's certainly far from ideal having to pick the bottle out of the cage and "feel" for whether the bottle is empty, though it hasn't stopped me buying two Campag water bottles to match my bike. Other fitness enthusiasts don't have to worry about when they can drink or how much they need quite so much.

    Regarding the point about making a small quantity to try and flog to friends etc: it is possible to get an order of just 100 made, further reducing inital outlay (and I do have more money than that to play with) and it also cuts out the idea of me being the "middle man", rather the designer and sales person. This is what "System" was getting at when he mentioned the fact that big companies can get any design they want printed in-house for free, then given away as promotional items.

    Rich-TI: I respect your comments entirely, it is always good to hear from industry experts. I understand that there never would be big money to be had in this, I just never had the chance to spend any time on graphic design when training for my current career at university (the user name should be a hint as to my profession) it was just me attempting to combine some of my other interests. I would also propose the addition of some graphics at the top of the bottle similar to that of a heart rate machine (by that I mean the zig-zag lines on a read out e.g. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonwebber/3061229085/, for something a little more edgy)

    Maybe others could try designing something with cyclists in mind? That way, maybe an idea will come along that someone would actually like to place a large order for. Then, we would have the first ever "BikeRadar Entrepreneur".

    Designers: The balls are in your court :D
  • Rich-Ti
    Rich-Ti Posts: 1,831
    PianoMan wrote:
    Maybe others could try designing something with cyclists in mind? That way, maybe an idea will come along that someone would actually like to place a large order for. Then, we would have the first ever "BikeRadar Entrepreneur".

    Designers: The balls are in your court :D
    With all due respect, you've asked a question and then completely ignored the answers - quite a number of people mentioned the only bottles they own were or are freebies. What this tells you is that people aren't actually all that interested in their water bottles being flashy / graphically attractive as long as it does the intended job, and doesn't leak.

    Even me as a design professional and COMPLETE bike tart - I couldn't really care too much about what my water bottles look like! They're probably the least significant part of my bike!

    I don't think there's really a market for what you are trying to suggest, and for those who do pay out on bottles they probably want something along the lines of the CamelBak Podiums or the SiS bottles with the measuring marks on them (which are often free anyway). There's certainly never going to be an entrepreneur from it!

    Honestly, save your energy.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    softlad wrote:
    for a properly balanced poll, you need to add another option:

    1. Light and bright e.g. yellow, green
    2. Mainstream appeal e.g. red, blue
    3. Contemporary, sophisticated e.g. silver/black

    and

    4. Couldn't give a flying fck what colour they are, so long as they don't leak

    Those of us who fall into category 4 are not going to be spending money on a fancy bottle as long as our current ones don't leak; therefore pointless trying to design/market them towards us.
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    completely agree with Rich Ti and Bompington....

    Pianoman - this is a sh1t idea - give it up before you waste any more of your life on it....
  • DaSy
    DaSy Posts: 599
    Clear for me too...

    I like to be able to see how much is left in the bottle at a glance.
    Complicating matters since 1965