The Challenge
Despite Oral-B's leadership position in the power toothbrush category, we faced mounting pressure from competitors like Philips Sonicare and increasingly sophisticated Chinese private-label brands. More importantly, our deep consumer research revealed critical pain points that were holding back the entire category:
- Noise & Annoyance: Existing electric toothbrushes were loud and disruptive, creating an unpleasant twice-daily experience
- Ergonomic Issues: Handles were larger than necessary, making them uncomfortable to hold and maneuver
- Incomplete Clean: Consumers wanted—and deserved—a deeper, more effective, longer-lasting clean
- Technique Sensitivity: Effectiveness depended heavily on proper technique, which many users struggled to master
The Opportunity
We saw an opportunity to reimagine the entire category through breakthrough technology that would deliver superior cleaning while making the experience genuinely enjoyable—transforming brushing from something people had to do into something they wanted to do.
My Role & Commitment
As Senior Director of Design, I led the comprehensive design strategy for what would become Oral-B's most awarded and commercially successful product innovation. My responsibilities spanned the full spectrum of design leadership:
- Design Strategy Development: Defining the overall design vision, approach, and execution plan
- Shape Language & Form: Creating the distinctive iO aesthetic and ergonomic architecture
- CMF Strategy: Color, material, and finish selection across the entire platform
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Interfacing with marketing, R&D, and manufacturing teams globally
- Team Building & Management: Leading and growing the Kronberg industrial design team to meet future category needs
"In mid-2014, my family and I relocated to Kronberg, Germany on an expat assignment to be co-located with the R&D and commercial teams. This wasn't just about the project—it was about building the design capability and team alignment that Oral Care needed for the next decade of innovation."
For two years (2014-2016), I lived in Germany, leading our industrial design team while working side-by-side with the product development, engineering, and commercial teams. This deep collaboration was essential to bridging the gap between breakthrough technology and compelling user experience.
The Design Process
Deep Consumer Understanding
We started with extensive consumer research—engaging over 6,000 people to understand not just what they said they wanted, but their actual behaviors, frustrations, and unmet needs. This revealed the jobs-to-be-done framework that would guide our entire development: Make brushing effective, enjoyable, and effortless.
Technology Partnership
Working closely with the product development team in Kronberg, we explored how their breakthrough Linear Magnetic Drive technology could be translated into a product that felt revolutionary in users' hands. The technology was proven in the lab—my job was to make it sing in the bathroom.
Form, Function & Experience
I led the development of the iO's distinctive shape language—creating a slimmer, more ergonomic form that felt natural in the hand while housing sophisticated technology. Every detail mattered: the interactive display, the pressure sensor ring, the premium materials, the satisfying magnetic charging connection.
Rigorous Validation
Over six years of development, we conducted extensive clinical trials (43,000+ trial days) validating not just cleaning efficacy but the complete user experience. We refined, tested, and perfected until we had something truly extraordinary.
Design Development Journey
From initial concept sketches to final production, the iO development journey showcased iterative refinement and collaboration across industrial design, engineering, and manufacturing:
The Breakthrough: Linear Magnetic Drive
Replacing traditional friction-based motors with a frictionless magnetic drive system that delivers focused energy directly to bristle tips—resulting in a quieter, smoother, more effective clean with zero wasted energy.
Key Innovations
The Oral-B iO platform represents a complete reimagining of the electric toothbrush through five interconnected innovations:
Linear Magnetic Drive
Replaces traditional friction motors with a frictionless magnetic system. Energy goes directly to bristle tips—not wasted in noise, vibration, or heat—for a whisper-quiet, ultra-smooth brushing experience.
Micro-Vibrating Bristles
Revolutionary brush head combines Oral-B's signature oscillating-rotating motion with gentle micro-vibrations. Unique tuft-in-tuft bristle design reaches deeper between teeth for superior plaque removal.
Smart Pressure Sensor
Intelligent guidance system displays green when pressure is optimal, red when too hard. Automatically adjusts brush speed to protect gums and enamel while ensuring effective cleaning.
AI Position Detection
3D tracking technology monitors brushing across all surfaces of your teeth. AI-powered coaching ensures comprehensive coverage and identifies missed zones for a truly complete clean.
Interactive Experience
Intuitive OLED display provides real-time feedback, mode selection, and motivating celebration (like a smiley face) when you finish. App integration offers deeper insights and personalized coaching.
Premium Design
Slimmer profile, sophisticated CMF strategy, and thoughtful ergonomics create a product that looks as premium as it performs. Magnetic charging base provides satisfying connection and rapid recharge.
Clinical Validation
Clinically proven results: 100% cleaner teeth and healthier gums in one week vs. manual brushing. 6X more plaque removal at the gumline. Significant improvement in gingivitis. These aren't marketing claims—they're proven outcomes from rigorous clinical testing.
Business Impact
The Oral-B iO transformed from concept to category leader, generating hundreds of millions in revenue while capturing market share across every region where we sell. But the impact goes beyond financials:
- Market Leadership: Gained significant market share in all regions, establishing new premium category standards
- Professional Adoption: Became the favorite among dentists worldwide, with strong clinical evidence supporting recommendations
- User Transformation: Changed how millions of people approach oral care—making brushing something they want to do
- Competitive Response: Forced competitors to completely rethink their product strategies and technology investments
- Category Expansion: Grew the premium electric toothbrush segment, attracting users from manual brushing
Awards & Recognition
The most awarded electric toothbrush in Oral-B history, recognized for both design excellence and technological innovation:
Highest honor for design excellence and innovation impact
International recognition for outstanding design quality
Prestigious acknowledgment of design achievement
Recognized as breakthrough consumer electronics innovation
Key Learnings
Co-Location Accelerates Innovation
Relocating to Germany to work alongside the R&D and commercial teams wasn't just convenient—it was essential. The daily collaboration, rapid iteration, and shared problem-solving accelerated development and ensured technology and design evolved together rather than in sequence.
Deep Consumer Understanding Drives Breakthrough
Engaging 6,000+ consumers wasn't about validating predetermined solutions—it was about truly understanding the job-to-be-done. This deep empathy guided every design decision and ensured we were solving real problems, not imagined ones.
Technology + Design = Experience
The Linear Magnetic Drive was revolutionary technology, but technology alone doesn't win. The iO succeeded because we transformed that technology into a complete sensorial experience—from the whisper-quiet operation to the satisfying magnetic connection to the celebratory smiley face. Every touchpoint mattered.
Patience With Purpose
Six years from start to launch is a long development cycle. But we never compromised on getting it right. The extensive clinical validation (43,000+ trial days) and iterative refinement ensured we launched something truly exceptional rather than merely new.
Outcome
The Oral-B iO represents the most successful innovation in Oral-B's history—and one of the most impactful projects of my career. By leading the design strategy through six years of development, relocating my family to Germany to embed with the team, and driving alignment across global design, engineering, and commercial organizations, we created something that fundamentally transformed the category.
Growing from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue in under five years while earning every major design award demonstrates what's possible when breakthrough technology meets thoughtful design leadership and deep user empathy. More importantly, we created a product that genuinely improves people's lives—clinically proven healthier gums, more effective cleaning, and an experience people actually enjoy twice daily.
The iO platform continues to drive Oral-B's premium positioning and has established new category standards that competitors are still working to match. This wasn't just about designing a better toothbrush—it was about reimagining what oral care could be.