The Farino Carrier Case Study

Product name: The FARINO Carrier

Product protection in place: Trademark & Registered Design

Product website: carriedbyfarino.com

 @carriedbyfarino

The FARINO Carrier is the only uniquely top-loading travel or city bag on 360 rollerblade spinner wheels.  It is cabin sized with a laptop pocket; designed for those who need versatility on the ground and in the air too.

The background

Paola Farino is a busy theatrical agent living and working in central London, “I was fed up with lugging heavy bags from A to B. On a business trip to America, I bought my first suitcase with  spinner wheels and thought ‘Why can’t I move all my stuff around this easily every day?’ I tried to put a top opening carrier on spinner wheels on my Christmas list that year and found that one simply did not exist.  My sister said ‘if it doesn't exist, you should make one...'  Famous last words!” The Farino City Carrier was designed to take the weight off the city dweller’s shoulders – literally. It is the world’s first ever carrier on 360 rollerblade spinner wheels, that is top-opening and is also suitable as hand luggage on most international airlines. It’s exactly what she needed, and judging by the reviews, what others needed too! But where to start? That’s when she found Innovate.

Development with Innovate

We worked with Paola to develop the design. Our designers explored the different avenues of design and created different prototypes to test various elements. We all worked closely to ensure this was exactly what Paola had in mind, but ensuring sound and quality design. After Innovate, Paola was able to take the developed and tested prototypes to manufacturers who then created manufacturable products. Paola decided to go down the self-manufacture route. “Both the bag and the frame have been manufactured in China – the frame directly with the factory and the bag using a developer in North London, whose factory is in China too.”

Protection?

Not everything is patentable, and Paola was aware of that. Due to the design being the most unique thing about it, she applied for Registered Design protection. She also had her logo Trademarked, recognising the importance of building a brand – and a stylish one at that!

Whats next?

“I’m really enjoying the ride.  I launched at the London Design Fair and the feedback was extremely positive, not to mention securing some extremely stylish first customers!” Paola aims to keep marketing the idea and build a business to create a range, including 'The Local', targeted at the shopping market, using the unique four-wheeled frame to design a shopping trolley which not only looks more stylish than 99% of the trolleys on the market, but will also allow the shopper to wheel heavy loads weightlessly by their side, instead of pulling it behind. "It will be a revolution when it arrives!" Paola has some well learned advice for inventors in the same position: “Seriously consider the branding at an early stage of the process and allow plenty of time to develop the marketing strategy as getting the word out is a long process!”   “Innovate were an essential part of the early process of bringing my vision for the FARINO Carrier to life.  It was really useful to have someone to work alongside who had a good and varied knowledge of the different aspects of the product and seeing the CAD images in our first presentation meeting is an experience I will never forget.  It was SO exciting!”   If you have a great idea like Paola, send us some information for a free and confidential review.