Boxlock
Protecting packages from porch pirates
Consumer & Retail
Boxlock
The Challenge
We partnered with Brad Ruffkess, the founder of BoxLock, to address a simple challenge: Create a lock for porch boxes and lockers that doesn’t require additional keys, codes, or instructions for delivery personnel.
The Solution
BoxLock is a smart padlock that protects deliveries from package thieves. Delivery drivers simply press the button to scan the barcode on packages, whether it’s from USPS, UPS, Amazon, or others. BoxLock verifies the recipient and the package’s delivery status instantly and unlocks only for packages at the correct destination and out for delivery that day.
Our team designed, prototyped, and helped throughout the engineering and production process to launch BoxLock into the market.
The Approach
We tackled this project using an agile and iterative process. Work was done in sprints, starting with technical prototyping, enclosure and lock design, and testing to determine improvements. By combining design, engineering, and strategy in parallel, we developed a desirable and technically feasible solution in a very short time.
/ Design and prototyping
Prototyping began by using off-the-shelf components to quickly build the functionality and test as soon as possible. From this, we fleshed out the desired interactions for BoxLock, and refined the technical package and enclosure.
Once we had a standalone functional prototype, we shifted our focus to optimizing and refining the electronics and mechanics. We explored the aesthetic design and balanced the appearance with technical constraints in order to achieve a version that was both user-friendly and feasible.
At this point, we settled on the triangular form of BoxLock and developed a package that could be reproduced for testing.
+$20,000
US Dollars raised from Kickstarter and Indiegogo contributions.
/ Pilot
Before investing in mass manufacturing, we wanted to test the product and gather learnings to improve it. We produced twenty BoxLocks using rapid prototyping processes and sent them to users for a limited pilot test.
We validated the user experience of the BoxLock and app, and determined improvements to the design, technical package, and software. With these improvements, we were ready to share it with the world through crowdfunding platforms.
/ Market Validation for Boxlock Smart Lock
We tested the consumer market using crowdfunding platforms. BoxLock was launched first on Kickstarter, and then on Indiegogo, gathering $78K of support and indicating a clear value to homeowners. This also helped us identify additional B2B and B2C use cases for BoxLock, outside of the initial challenge.
/ Design and Engineering for Manufacturing
With sufficient support and both business and user validation, we were ready to bring BoxLock to market. A custom locking mechanism and electronics package were designed for the production version. The exterior was also refined to fit additional manufacturing constraints.
Impact
BoxLock launched on Amazon Prime Day 2018 and sold out within the first hour. Today, it’s is available in the U.S. at more than 5,000 retail locations, including The Home Depot and Ace Hardware. It is the only nationally available smart lock that protects deliveries made by all major carriers and nearly 500,000 drivers.
BoxLock has been featured on Techcrunch, Forbes’ Top 6 Smart Home Gadgets for a new home, and Shark Tank.
