Rute worked with Werner Ladder to develop the feet of their 6100 series ladders. Adding details in a refined way within very tight constraints is something Rute is often asked to do by our clients. In this case Werner Ladder wanted a design feature to make a standard inexpensive ladder look proportionally better.
The original foot was flat, thin and slight. The material, the manufacturing process, the way the foot mechanically connected to the ladder leg and the part volume was already determined and could not be changed.
Doing all of our sketches in CAD meant that every concept we presented was already designed with the correct volume and mold-ability. Making this initial decision dramatically sped up the total development time. It also gave the client more confidence in choosing the final concept.
The effort resulted in a foot that gives this inexpensive ladder a more consumer-friendly look with proportions that makes the design look more durable strong and able to do the job it’s meant to do – hold up your weight.
