Travel Connection Pack Concept May 1995
I was employee number twenty and joined from IBM to transform this carrying case maker into the leading provider of mobile computer accessories worldwide. I created the look and feel that still pervades Targus mobile accessories. As research and development lead I conceived products and led design and development. Some products were sourced, others invented or completely reimagined by me. I selected opportunities; found and vetted sources and fabricators; oversaw industrial design and packaging.
On the marketing side, I devised business, product and marketing plans; promotions, communications and training. I also installed and managed PORT’s first tech support team and established a formal Public Relations program. I spearheaded PORT’s entry into Retail. Within two years of launch the accessories lines I introduced were contributing in excess of 20% to company revenues per annum and provided impetus for the Targus acquisition.
I designed a tiny adapter that allowed for locking a computer using a portable steel cable. Without the adapter, the DEFCON 1 was just a luggage alarm. The adapter snapped into the Kensington slot found on all laptops and it transformed the DEFCON 1 into a mandatory part of the corporate deployment toolkit with every new machine sold, along with carrying case and other PORT accessories.
Travel Connection Pack Europe
DEFCON 1 Notebook Lock and Alarm
The media dubbed my design for the Travel Connections Packs as “James Bond Kits.” At the time, connecting to the internet required telephone modems, and traveling without adapters meant not connecting in-country. Until my introduction of the three-product line, adapters were sold individually, or in a loose bag with no instructions. I devised the organization, packaging and documentation to create highly intuitive self-contained collections optimized for the global traveler.
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