Fake Bake | Designing confidence
Who are Fake Bake?
Originating in the USA, Fake Bake was the first self-tan to combine naturally derived tanning agents DHA and Erythulose. The range was an instant success and quickly became a global phenomenon with fans including Britney Spears and Sienna Miller. In 2001, salon owner Sandra McClumpha introduced Fake Bake to the UK, developing the product into a premium spa and salon treatment.
The Business Need
Not content with the (very successful) import of the product, Fake Bake UK wanted to revolutionise the spray tan market with the development and launch of a ground breaking application system.
Our Activities and Deliverables
4c designed a mobile spray tanning booth and gun to be used by trained Fake Bake therapists – saving time, money and ultimately changing the way fake tan is applied in and out of salons across the UK. As we progressed through the project we identified additional commercial opportunities. Consequently, the project evolved into the design and development of a suite of complimentary products. Each of these products required extensive research into user requirements, competing products and design trends, followed by concept generation, concept development, prototyping and manufacture.
The Result
The mobile tanning booth designed by 4c gave Fake Bake’s therapists more confidence in the delivery of their service and provided their clients with a more pleasant experience. Now described as the ‘Charlie’s Angel’ of spray tan applicators, Fake Bake’s mobile systems are in full production using a network of suppliers and have even been featured on national television.
Capabilities Utilised
- Concept development
- User centred design
- Service design
- Industrial design
- Mechanical engineering
- Prototyping
- Field trials
- Design for manufacture