Zebra Technologies teamed with Cesaroni Design to develop a new product in the low cost segment of the thermal desktop printer market. We focused on aesthetics, user interface and production flexibility to design an improved product for package labeling, asset tracking and address labeling for office and business applications.

Human factors considerations were vital to the product development process. The design team examined a variety of conventional media handling interfaces. The product designers determined that most users require special training to operate competing desktop units. Cesaroni Design concluded that our client could achieve a dominant position in the market by offering a quick and intuitive loading process that is unseen in competing products.

The design team developed two tactile buttons that combine resistance from a steel spring insert and compression from the surrounding parts to secure the printer head. The printer head rotates open more than 90 degrees when the buttons are depressed. This feature provides a generous clearance for loading.

The product designers integrated an efficient manufacturing strategy for the client to effortlessly modify and expand the product line. The sophisticated system of the design relied heavily on innovation to simplify the manufacturing process. Production efficiency kept costs low translating into substantial savings for the consumer.