KOR ONE
— Founders of KOR Water
Personal hydration with style to eliminate the use of disposable bottles and ensure a brighter future.
What We Did
A bottle head of its time, the KOR One water bottle was designed to address our mobile hydration needs in a more sustainable way. Growing from our successful launch of those first BPA free vessels, RKS expanded KOR’s portfolio of products into other relevant segments. Through RKS’ Psycho-Aesthetics Mapping of Personas, Brands and Products along with Day-in-the-Life Studies of consumers, the team learned that these segments were all driven by the consumers’ desire to take control of their health in a more sustainable and functional way. Armed with new consumer insights, RKS briskly developed a comprehensive Business Expansion Strategy comprising Brand Trajectory and Product Proliferation Plans that would define KOR Water’s future product roadmap. New growth opportunities were identified in four different categories: Beverages, Filtration, Enhancements and Containers. In addition to proposing high-potential product design concepts, RKS provided KOR with an expansion plan for sequentially building brand equity. As a result, KOR Water has been able to grow market share year over year. KOR Water is now a global brand launched in over 100 countries with six hydration vessel product lines holding numerous design awards and patents.
Psycho-Aesthetics™
Product design is more than just winning awards; it’s about creating emotional connections between the product and the user. Our human-centered approach, Psycho-Aesthetics, helps us understand and quantify these connections. Our design firm uses it to create innovative products, technologies, services, brands, and more. We aim to create solutions that are relevant and impactful, using our approach to grow our clients’ businesses. With Psycho-Aesthetics as our foundation, we work with clients to establish a common language that can be used throughout our relationship. The opportunity zone for the Kor One Water bottle was found in the enriched quadrant of the PA Map. When mapping the competitive set, we found that other bottle brands don’t have strong personalities. They are more basic, staying in the bottom left corner. There are no big competitors in the right-top corner. It’s KOR’s ideal position.
By recognizing the growing demand for healthier and more eco-friendly solutions, RKS expanded KOR’s product portfolio to cater to various consumer segments. Through meticulous research, including Psycho-Aesthetics Mapping and Day-in-the-Life Studies, RKS gained invaluable insights into consumers’ desires to take control of their health while minimizing their environmental impact.
With these insights, RKS swiftly developed a comprehensive Business Expansion Strategy that encompassed brand trajectory and product proliferation plans. By identifying growth opportunities in categories such as Beverages, Filtration, Enhancements, and Containers, RKS outlined a clear roadmap for KOR Water’s future. By proposing innovative and high-potential product design concepts, RKS not only contributed to the expansion of KOR’s offerings but also provided a strategic plan for building brand equity.
As a result of RKS Design’s contributions, KOR Water has experienced remarkable success, expanding its market share year after year. Today, KOR Water is a global brand available in over 100 countries, offering six hydration vessel product lines that have garnered numerous design awards and secured multiple patents.
With the KOR One water bottle, consumers can enjoy the assurance of BPA and toxin-free materials, a no-worry cap for easy drinking, a leak-proof design for peace of mind, a no-slip base to keep the bottle secure, and a protected spout that blocks out germs. The integration of these elements of industrial design into the KOR One water bottle exemplifies RKS’s commitment to creating products that prioritize functionality, sustainability, and user experience.
RKS Project Spotlight
KOR ONE
“From KOR’s humble beginnings, RKS has been a cornerstone of our success to use design and innovation to create and redefine the sustainable hydration category. Ravi and his team at RKS see with more than mere eyes; they engage all five senses, plus the heart and mind, to understand human desires at a fundamental level and then masterfully articulate that understanding into products that connect emotionally.”
— Founders of KOR Water
What We Did
Psycho-Aesthetics
Product design is more than just winning awards; it’s about creating emotional connections between the product and the user. Our human-centered approach, Psycho-Aesthetics, helps us understand and quantify these connections. Our design firm uses it to create innovative products, technologies, services, brands, and more. We aim to create solutions that are relevant and impactful, using our approach to grow our clients’ businesses. With Psycho-Aesthetics as our foundation, we work with clients to establish a common language that can be used throughout our relationship. The opportunity zone for the Kor One Water bottle was found in the enriched quadrant of the PA Map. When mapping the competitive set, we found that other bottle brands don’t have strong personalities. They are more basic, staying in the bottom left corner. There are no big competitors in the right-top corner. It’s KOR’s ideal position.
RKS Project Spotlight
GameVice
Child Safety Network
