THE TRADITION OF DANISH DESIGN

In a long history of our products we always followed a simple rule – to focus on evolution. From the iconic Flex 1 unit to XO 4 - it is easy to find traces of this approach. In XO CARE we combine quality and aesthetics in order to create the most ergonomic dental solutions. And it should come without surprise that for the design of our flagship unit XO 4 we chose to collaborate with a legendary design studio - Jacob Jensen Design. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly does it take for a dental unit to bare a sign: MADE IN DENMARK.

JACOB JENSEN DESIGN

Established in 1958, Jacob Jensen Design is Scandinavia’s oldest and most award-winning design consultancy.

"WE ARE THE ORIGINATORS OF DESIGN LANGUAGE FOR BRANDS ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE PERCEIVE DESIGN AS A VOCABULARY THAT IS UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYONE."

Jacob Jensen was among the last of the great Danish designers belonging to the golden era of the 1950s known as Danish Modern. He was the first Dane to train as an industrial designer and is considered a pioneer in Danish corporate history. He is particularly well known for the groundbreaking design language he developed for Bang & Olufsen. The new design profile transformed the company from a Danish quality brand to an international icon.

Although Jacob Jensen’s fame is primarily due to his B&O designs, he designed several hundred other products for a wide range of clients. Jacob received more than 100 international awards and is represented at museums across the world. In 1978, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York emphasized his international significance with its exhibition Bang & Olufsen - Design for Sound by Jacob Jensen. MoMA has included 19 Jacob Jensen Design products in their design collection.

In 1990, Jacob Jensen handed over management of Jacob Jensen Design to his son Timothy Jacob Jensen. He was apprenticed to his father from 1978 to 1981, and today Professor Timothy Jacob Jensen is the main shareholder, group CEO and chief designer of the studio.

XO 4 PROJECT

In 2004 XO CARE came to Jacob Jensen Design with a brief to design a dental solution that would differentiate XO CARE nationally as well as internationally, with the product design of an ergonomic dental unit, which should provide comfort and safety for the dentist and the patient and optimize workflow and clinical productivity. Jacob Jensen Design carried out extensive research to establish XO 4 as the benchmark for performance in ergonomic design. Every detail is designed to accommodate the complex flow of movements and tasks, which the dentist goes through in the course of a working day.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Phase 1

JJD were given the liberty of thinking outside the box and attacking the problems in an untraditional fashion. This approach resulted in a large number of creative and novel ideas and concepts, which were presented as sketch models in 1:5 scale. Several of the design details originating from phase 1 can still be seen in the final product.

Phase 2

The number of concepts was narrowed down to three distinctive design directions; the square, the triangular and the curved proposal, all presented as high-finish 1:5 scale models.

Phase 3

The almost final model is a well-composed combination of various characteristics from the previous phases presented in a 1:1 scale model.

Final product

The final product is a combination of various characteristics from the design phases. In 2007, the XO 4 Total Dental Solution won the prestigious Danish Design Award.

AN IDEAL FORM

Timothy Jacob Jensen has described his approach to design process as follows:

"One of the eternal laws of our planet is action - reaction; in nature and in culture. A creation demands a reaction. The success of a creation is dependent upon commitment, idea, communication and the evolutionary process until perfection is reached. Being aware of these components, one can achieve results that reduce vulnerability and strengthen recognition and survival."