Design Futures collaborate with Bailey of Sheffield to develop revolutionary quick-release stainless steel bracelet clasp
Industrial designers at Sheffield Hallam University have collaborated with a local jewellery firm to develop a revolutionary new product.
Bailey of Sheffield, a firm which engineers stainless steel jewellery at their base in the Portland Works, enlisted Design Futures to design a unique quick release clasp for a stainless steel bracelet, a feature that is not readily available in the jewellery market.
The clasp provides a high level of security and also allows the wearer to take the bracelet on and off with one hand.
The CABLE bracelet clasp was developed by industrial designers Anthony Jones and Nick Dulake, at Design Futures, a commercially focused product and packaging design consultancy group based within Sheffield Hallam University.
Made from marine grade stainless steel, the bracelets are all hand finished at Bailey’s workshop at Portland Works in Sheffield.
The project is part of an ongoing partnership with the company with Design Futures helping develop bracelet beads with kinetic designs, embedded technologies and functional features.
Scott Bailey, founder of the company said: “The output from the Design Futures team has been second to none. Early on in the process, Anthony and Nick took great time to deeply understand not only what we needed in terms of a short term project, but what we were trying to achieve as a company, and for that I am truly grateful.
“When we are out and about at shows and exhibition, the development work and design assistance with Sheffield Hallam University is a large part of our story that we proudly tell everyone.”
The patent pending spring loaded mechanisms that are used in the bracelet clasps are hand built by the team in the Bailey workshop at Portland Works, and consist of nine separate precision components.
Anthony Jones, principal industrial designer at Design Futures said: “There’s a lot of development to take a product like the clasp from concept to finished product, including multiple prototypes and close working with machinists to achieve a smooth failsafe mechanism.”
Design Futures Packaging, recently recognised at the UK Packaging Awards where they picked up Design Team of the Year for the third time, also supported Bailey with the development of their CABLE bracelet packaging.
For press information: Greg Mattocks-Evans in the Sheffield Hallam University press office on 0114 225 3685 or email g [dot] mattocks-evans [at] shu [dot] ac [dot] uk
Anthony Jones is principal industrial designer and Nick Dulake is a senior industrial designer at Design Futures, based within the Art and Design Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.