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Consumer Segment Manager

Group photo of Active View™ product.

Rubbermaid Active View™ Lands On Store Shelves

Active View™, code named "Pilers," was the product line that was still in development when I left Eldon. Through ethnographic research, we had identified a need for an alternative way of organizing all the piles of stuff that so many of us try to maintain on our desktops.

In the frantic everyday of work, we found that many people were so inundated with so much information and numerous projects, that they were no longer filing things because they knew that things would slip through the cracks... "out of sight, out of mind." Being a market leader in desktop and file storage office products, with countless products in nearly every conceivable color, material, and configuration, we were a little puzzled at all the disorganized desks we saw. Once we identified it, we realized that the problem was right under our noses, somewhere in one of the piles on our own desks.

Like the disorganized supply cabinet, we had identified a problem that ran so deep as to be accepted as part of life. And like Shelf Savers™, we saw an opportunity to introduce products that helped solve this universal problem by working with the user, rather than trying to force them to organize the "proper" way.

Brave New Product Development World

The Consumer Segment Manager was a new position created as part of a reorganization and new strategy for new product development. This new role was the product of the success of Shelf Savers™. Shelf Savers™ demonstrated an ideal situation... the development of not only new products, but the introduction of a new product category to the industry. Realizing that continual company growth needed more than just line extensions, a new approach had to be crafted.

The Consumer Segment Manager was the new approach. Unlike existing Product Manager positions where line maintenance is constantly competing with new product development, the CSM's were 100% new product focused. However, Product Managers would still be utilized to manage existing lines and development of close-in line extensions. This freed up the CSM's to move further outside of existing products and identify new grounds for exploration, through identification and understanding of consumer segments. By identifying the problems and needs of specific consumers, new product development could take on a much more targeted direction.

Project Keeper Photo of the Project Keeper cascaded open and in use.Whether simply helping to better organize your desk, keeping constantly accessed information, or better organization to projects, the Project Keeper provided a unique new way to organize. See the Project Keeper in action.

Band-It Photo of the Band-It in use.Developed to help contain piles of stuff that we all lug off to meetings, home, into accounts, etc. It was designed to provide its contents protection from wear while also allowing easy visibility and access.

Project PlatformPhoto of the Project Platform in use.Location, location, location... the most valuable office space is the desktop. The Platform was developed to help take the piles vertically and free up more of that precious space. The added benefit was better visibility of all the things that were so important that they were on the desktop to begin with.

Project Stepper Photo of the Project Stepper in use.We found that many people cascaded files on their desktop, but with so little desktop, there was no easy way to move everything when you needed extra space and those neatly cascaded files ended up in disarray at the slightest bump. Going one step further, an elastic retaining strap was added to allow the user to temporarily hang the Stepper vertically to maintain multiple "desktops." The included labeling system and erasable marker allows instant customization by the user.

Project Sleeve Photo of the Project Sleeve in use.Similar to the Stepper, the Sleeve provided a means to organize various pieces of information in labeled slash pockets. The Sleeve was made so that it could hang for long-term use.

Task Trays Photo of the Task Trays in use.After seeing many consumer desks with overflowing letter trays, we developed the tray that stacked on top of the pile, rather than trying to fit the pile between trays. The Task Trays also featured the reusable labeling system, to open ends, and two walled ends to help contain and straighten when needed.

Note Tracker Photo of the Note Tracker in use.Finally an actual place to put all those little adhesive notes, freeing the computer monitor from the frenzy or for use near the phone or other area where there isn't a monitor to receive those important messages.