All Nippon Airways (ANA) – Japan’s largest airline –unveiled the results of its long-standing partnership with Acumen Design Associates and internationally renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
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Firefly is a wearable that helps accelerate sports recovery after exercise and minor injury. It’s portable, has no leads or wires, and is worn behind the knee. Once attached, it delivers painless electrical impulses to gently activate the muscles of the lower leg to increase blood circulation.
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Acumen Design Associates has been recognised at the prestigious London Design Awards 2016, winning awards for its pioneering design work on both the geko® and firefly® devices. Taking home awards in two separate categories: the firefly® device won Gold in the Sport & Active Lifestyle category, whilst geko® was awarded Silver for Best Medical Product Design, and no doubt raises the bar for competitors.
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BBC NEWS INTERVIEW ACUMEN CEO&FOUNDER IAN DRYBURGH
February 2017
In this exclusive live interview with the BBC, Ian Dryburgh, CEO and Founder of Acumen Design Associates lifts the lid on the innovations that have come from the Acumen studio studio, from premium aircraft interiors, to lifesciences and even round paper towels!
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The upgrades to United’s international business class mean more comfort on long-haul flights. Polaris, United Airlines’ new take on international business class, is meant to evoke the North Star—a shining beacon (get it?) in the industry. What we have is a little more straightforward: new seats, new lounges—all very welcome (if not quite revolutionary) upgrades to United’s long-haul flights.
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United Airlines today revealed its new business class cabin experience on-board their B787’s, A350’s and B777’s.
United will be the first airline in the world to fly this unique seat design invented and patented by Acumen. This highly original cabin configuration combines in-line seats with angled seats to create the industry’s most space efficient super business class layout. United are so impressed with the design that they are installing it across their entire fleet. This completely new ‘herring-line’ configuration will create a major disruption in the lay-flat seating market.
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Wired Magazine review the winners of the 2016 Crystal Cabin Awards. Acumen Design Associates are recognised as Etihads design partners for this highly original cabin layout that optimises the B787 fuselage.
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Acumen Design Associates discuss how they might re-imagine supersonic aircraft interiors by harnessing the supersonic flight itself as the passenger experience. Anthony discusses reconfiguration of the fundamental layout of the ‘tube,’ the service style, and how the passengers might interact with their environment by integrating emerging technologies.
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London’s financial, creative and tech industries are dependent on high quality Internet broadband connections to function effectively, however In a recent survey of 33 top European capitals, London lags in 26th place on the list for download speeds. Mark Jordan interviews Acumen’s Anthony Harcup to understand why reliable, high-speed internet is fundamental at Acumen in the design of luxury aviation interiors.
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Acumen Design Associates are delighted to announce that our work on ‘Ora’ the all-round kitchen towel from British company Better All Round has been recognised by the Design Business Association, after it was presented with a Silver award at the 2016 DBA Design Effectiveness Awards. The DBA Awards champion the role of effective design in the creation of business growth, and has showcased the best partnerships between businesses and design agencies since its inception almost three decades ago.
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Choice has never been greater for aviation passengers. From top-tier airlines to lower-end competitors, travellers can opt for a luxurious ‘hospitality’ experience, a simple ‘transport’ experience and everything in between. Skift Aviation Editor Marisa Garcia speaks to Acumen about the importance of brand differentiation in a competitive industry landscape and the potential for innovation in premium economy.
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On a mission to satisfy customers’ desires, commercial airlines are adopting the idiom “the sky’s the limit.” Ian Dryburgh, CEO of Acumen Design Associates, a London-based transport design firm that invented The Residence by Etihad and the first Bed in the Sky for British Airways says, “The airline industry is trying to rediscover the romance of travel—that moment in history when transatlantic travel was in its infancy and was really exclusive.”
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Luxury Magazine caught up with Ian Druburgh to find out more about Acumen Design Associates. Ian founded Acumen Design Associates in 1981 as a multidisciplinary design consultancy. A named inventor on patents spanning many industry sectors, his commitment to innovation is the bedrock of the brand.
In a career spanning more than 30 years, he has enjoyed award winning success in a wide range of industry sectors from the Marine to Aerospace, FMCG, Life Science, architecture and high performance products. With a broad market knowledge and strong brand awareness, Ian brings a unique perspective and insight to any new product development program aiming to achieve market leadership.
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A ‘physically small company, doing the biggest jobs’ is how Ian Dryburgh describes Acumen: a high-profile, multi-award-winning company, which has a seemingly endless portfolio of design projects for planes, trains and automobiles. Arguably the most high-profile design of Acumen is the ‘Bed in the Sky’ for British Airways, launched in 1996, which saw the first flat-bed design used on a commercial plane. The design flipped the airline industry on its head with the birth of a new market sector dedicated to luxury travel.
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What will the private jet of the future be like? Ian Dryburgh, CEO of Acumen Design Associates, a leading aviation and transport design company, that created ‘The Residence’ for Etihad and the first flat-bed in the sky for British Airways, believes that the potential for customizing the luxury travel experience is more needed than ever.
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Having designed the industry’s first diagonally positioned lavatory in the early 2000’s, Acumen discuss how lavatory design could be holistically integrated into the cabin to benefit the both passenger and airline…
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It is no surprise that Etihad, of the United Arab Emirates, has taken our top spot again this year, reinforcing its position as carrier ‘Number One’. The latest Business Class cabin found on the 787 and A380 exceeds the already faultless Business Class on the rest of its long haul fleet, with each glorious seat (designed by the gurus at Acumen DA, as part of the EDC) offering aisle access, fully-flat beds and dine-when-you-want menus.
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This Month FX Magazine asked Acumen Design Associates what we’d design if there was no problem-solving in design. Acumen’s Bujar Muharremi response is the Antarctic land yacht…
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TheDesignAir’s Jonny Clark gives a comprehensive review of the Etihad A380 First Class passenger experience. Alongside an in-depth critique of the ‘First Apartments’ Jonny covers the check-in at Abu Dhabi’s terminal 3, and goes on to reveal a trip which captures the essence of an exceptional guest experience – recapturing the golden age of travel with un-paralleled service, food and seating product.
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Design Air TRIP REPORT: Etihad A380 Business Class
February 2015
TheDesignAir’s Jonny Clark gives a comprehensive review of the Etihad A380 Business Class passenger experience. Alongside an in-depth critique of the ‘Business Studio’ seat Jonny covers the check-in in London’s Heathrow terminal 4, the boarding and the pre-flight drinks – right through to the on-board meal, the in-flight entertainment and even the passenger amenity kit.
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This month Business Jet Interiors International interviewed Acumen Design Associates to understand more more about The Residence by Etihad, the new VIP aircraft interior onboard their flagship A380’s.
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Acumen Design Associates latest design work on Etihad Airways’ ‘First Apartments’ First Class suites has been recognised by TheDesignAir after the airline was awarded first place in the Top 10 International First Class cabins 2015.
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(Nudge)™ The Smart Wearable Belt
December 2014
With the global rise of wearable technology The Metro‘s James Day stopped by Acumen Design Associates with the challenge of designing a custom piece of wearable tech for the Metro’s readers. Acumen is no stranger to the wearable-tec market having already designed the FireFly™ Recovery Device which is used by athletes at all levels including professional premier club players and elite GB athletes for accelerated sports recovery and improved performance.
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We are delighted to report that the Ora round paper towel has won in the Household Product category at the Grocer Awards 2014. The awards ceremony was held at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, London. Oday Abbosh – CEO of Better All Round collected the award.
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Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad’s new interiors have pushed Airbus, Boeing and it’s cabin supplier list to new limits – and they may push the whole industry too. Acumen Design Associate’s Ian Dryburgh, Nigel Lawson and Ant Harcup are featured in this in-depth article behind Etihad’s recently launched A380 interiors project in this months Aircraft Interiors Magazine:
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Jonny Clark from The Design Air stops by the Acumen studio to get the inside story of the seat design from Acumen’s Nigel Lawson and Anthony Harcup. This, the second of four in-depth articles, focuses in on the seat design process for The Residence and the First Apartments, from the first blue sky sketches through to the finished articles.
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Seen as an all-round British success story, the Firefly and Geko devices have been developed and brought to market by Acumen and Firstkind, following a three year programme. The device adheres to the back of the leg and provides electrical stimulation to the perineal nerve; this triggers the body’s built in mechanisms to increase blood circulation and can help in a range of conditions, from DVT prevention to athletic performance enhancement.
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Aircraft Interiors Article
December 2011
Ian Dryburgh of Acumen Design Associates asks if there is a more sophisticated, weight-efficient and attractive approach to providing on-board personal privacy.
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Contour’s Bob Lovel discusses the innovations which have driven the aircraft seating industry forward.
“Contour has taken the lead in developing next-generation products together with long-standing design partner Acumen. Creators of the original ‘Bed In The Sky’ for British Airways, the AA Flagship Suite and many other benchmark products, this latest collaboration has delivered Venus, the super-first-class standard-bearer. Growth, innovation, design – the decade ahead promises to be even more exciting than the previous one…”
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Cathay First Class Suite wins 2008 Skytrax Award
September 2008
Following the 2007 launch of their first class product, Cathay Pacific won the prestigious Skytrax ‘Best First Class 2008’ for this luxurious and private cabin, designed in its entirety by Acumen.
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‘Freedom’ is a ground-breaking new economy seat design that positions passengers in opposing directions to increase personal space. This is achieved by reversing the centre seat and overlapping adjoining armrests.
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Stephen Armstrong gets up-close and personal with the best selling business class seat in the market. Read the full Wallpaper Magazine article here.
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Following the 2003 refurbishment of the Mallard Mk3 Coach interiors, Rail magazine review the old vs new cabins. Launched to great acclaim by the Queen in 2001, it remains in service today.
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Air France Espace Premiere First Class
March 2004
Following the 2002 Launch of AirFrance’s L’espace Premiere, Acumen’s Simon Lunn discusses the design philosophy behind Air Frances flagship furniture inspired FC suite in this product design case study.
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Following extensive wind-tunnel testing and development trials, Acumen raced their soapbox at the world famous Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2002. In front of an audience of 140,000 and up against a bluechip field of automotive companies, Acumen achieved 2nd place as runners up to McClaren with a maximum speed of 57mph.
Acumen’s leader board success achieved national press in T3 magazine, Motorsports Now, Design Week, and Aircraft Interiors magazine among others.
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Following the 2000 Launch of American Airline’s Flagship FC suite, Acumen CEO Ian Dryburgh discusses the design philosophy behind the world-first ‘swivel-seat’ in this product design case study. Read the Aircraft Interior article here.
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IndustryNow interview Acumen’s Ian Dryburgh and Britax’s Ben Bettel on successful creative partnerships in the premium aircraft interiors industry. Read the full article here.
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Ian Dryburgh interviewed by Evolution Magazine
December 1999
Acumen CEO Ian Dryburgh talks to Christine Aziz about his beginnings as a designer at Mercedes Benz, the rise of Acumen and the underlying philosophy behind one of Britain’s leading design houses. Read the article.
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Acumen’s Fred Brown discusses the ways in which an interior designer can influence passenger preference and even airline selection. Read the article here.
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Following the huge success of their groundbreaking ‘Bed in the Sky’ for British Airways in 1996, Acumen are recognised by Design Week as top UK Design House. Read the article here.
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Design Week interview – Acumen – High Flyers
April 1997
Design Week’s Emma O’Kelly talks to Acumen’s Ian Dryburgh, Russel Mulchalsingh and Simon Lunn about the magic behind one of the UK’s leading design houses. Read the article here.
