Role: Product Designer

Company: Iconic Ventures
Brand: ILO Vapor // Levata CBD

Drove new product development from need-finding and initial concept, through prototyping and development stages, to final manufacture. Worked with an external design agency to develop company/product branding, packaging development, co-branded products, point of sale displays, marketing materials, pop-up events, and more.

2019

When I joined the company in early 2019, they had one product on market: DabTabs. These small, measured dose tablets are placed in a device and heated until they vaporize the cannabis concentrate that is suspended inside the porous structure. They are made from water filter grade ceramic and manufactured in the US, making them a much safer alternative to traditional cannabis vape cartridges.

There are some user experience challenges with using DabTabs through traditional “dabbing devices”. These devices are often complex and costly, usually use an open flame source, and are generally not portable. My task: to design and develop devices that work with DabTabs technology, solve for user pain points, and innovate for the future of cannabis.

When I joined the team, ILO was working to bring their first device to market: the TabRig. This vaporizer device was specially built to work with DabTabs in a form factor that was discreet and portable. The TabRig was slated to cost around $80 at retail and took over a minute to reach vaporization temperature, while also having trouble managing its heat from burning the user. I was hired to solve these issues and bring a final version of this device to market.

What I delivered instead was the DabTabs GO, a device that could retail for $20, heat up in 10 seconds, and properly managed its heat to not harm the user. This was a great solution to allow people to consume DabTabs on the go, and was minimally designed in order to get a final manufactured version on the market just one month after finalization. The GO fits nicely in a user’s pocket and utilizes a familiar form factor that consumers are already comfortable with.
The GO launched in two versions: the cartridge top portion that could connect to 510 batteries the user already owns, as well as an All-In-One version shown above.

To satisfy ILO’s original vision behind the Tab Rig, and to create more options on the market for consumers, I also worked to foster a co-branding partnership with Shatterizer, a fantastic Canadian based company who had a product similar to the TabRig in their development pipeline. Together we designed a new coil system that works with DabTabs and updated some of the stylistic elements in a second generation version of their original flagship device.