Experience Enrichment - Heavy Gloves

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." - Muhammad Ali

My approach to this project was fundamentally simple. Identify the target market and develop the product towards their needs. I say fundamentally simple because it looks easy on paper, actually going through with this game plan resulted in a lot of head scratching, torn paper and broken pencils.

The target:

• Male
• 20-30
• Interest in Boxing & Motorsport

Rather than approach a broad market I decided to focus on a target who's interests share a common trait. These people tend to gravitate towards activities which instill adrenaline for significant lengths of time, not only that, but these activities are both quick to pick up, but take years to master. So the relationship the target will have with his interests are often a lifelong undertaking and in some cases bordering on obsession. Needless to say, they tend to be passionate about what they do. The fierce nature of these interests lets us assume that the target is competitive and will often strive to work harder in order to excell farther than his peers.

This mood board helps demonstrate the demeanor and attitude of this particular target market.


When conceiving concepts directed towards my target I went with the approach of 'performance enhancers'. I wanted to develop a product that will allow my target to improve his abilities within his interests, therefore fulfilling this competitive ideology. The concept I decided to pursue were weighted boxing gloves which I so cleverly named "Heavy Gloves".


Standard commercially available boxing gloves range from 8oz (220g) to 22oz (624g). It's common for boxers to shadow box (performing a mock fight with an imaginary opponent) with heavier weights (generally 1kg to 4kg) in order to improve the strength and speed of their punches, as well as develop muscle endurance and stamina. While training with smaller weights is common, and indeed brings great benefits, it doesn't change the fact that your training with tiny weights, generally intented for women who power walk (please excuse the sexism).

The secondary feature of the gloves is to allow the ability to conveniently provide fast and dynamic performance of pushups, particularly plyometric, or clap pushups. This is a common and vital exercise for boxers, as it trains the pectoral, shoulder, and arm muscle groups, muscles vital for punching power. These activities, while possible, aren't a good idea to do while wearing boxing gloves. The force of the pushups puts unnecessary fatigue towards the gloves padding, wearing them out faster, and the frictional properties of leather covered in sweat are often non-existant.

I wanted to design a weighted training aid that will, rather than bring forth this negative and embarrasing association, instead insight intimidation towards those witnessing the user train. The gloves will not be used on the bags, instead will be used to enhance shadow boxing, roadwork (running) and other 'old school' training methods. My original concept, as was raised during one of our studio sessions, looks too much like a standard boxing glove, which could lead to a very painful misunderstanding if used for sparring. I went on to further develop my product, going through a few foam sketch models before arriving at my final design.

Modified Pleasure Analysis


Final Design


As you can see the design has deviated from that of a boxing glove and has instead manifested into a more organic 'fist like' form. I attempted to go forth with a stylised fist in order to steer away from gloves which would end up looking like Hulk Hands, which, while may appear intimidating for children, gives the opposite impression towards adults. I also eliminated the wrist enclosure, the reasoning behind this is that when performing a clap push up, it ends up being more dangerous to lock the wrists in place should something go pear-shaped than having them free.

The final finish is no longer padded leather. As sexy as leather feels, it does not serve a positive purpose to the application of the product. I have instead decided upon a rubber external coating, allowing great frictional capabilities along the contact surface of the glove and allowing a durable and abuse resistant exterior.

Rather than go for a steel frame as described in my concept poster, the final product will be constructed out of an injection moulded plastic, most likely polycarbonate or a similar stiff and impact resistant polymer. This allows for the organic form of the glove, as well as centralising the weight in the handle, which will remain as steel.


Overall I was very pleased with the direction the product developed, from its original conception to the final model. I believe the changes I have made in its design were absolutely necessary and work only to enrich the experience for the user. Perhaps the gloves could benefit from more refinement in its form, but I quite like the squared off sillhouette it produces, allowing for that intimidating factor that I was seeking.

"Without discipline, no matter how good you are, you are nothing! One day, and I might not be around; you're going to meet a tough guy who takes your best shot. He'll keep coming because he's tough. Don't get discouraged. That's when the discipline comes in." - Mike Tyson