Colin Finkle

Industrial Designer. Author.

Black gloss–powder-coated steel retail display prototype for Braun grooming devices. Five products (shavers, trimmers, laser hair removal handset) are mounted on clear PETG brackets. Below each device, a clear acrylic channel holds a product information card. The magnetic back panel features raised white acrylic “Braun” letters on the left and the gold tagline “Good design is built to last.”

Braun Touch & Learn Display

For Best Buy Canada

Retail Display for Braun’s Line of Shavers, Trimmers, and Laser Hair Removal with Touch & Learn Modules.

Black gloss–powder-coated steel retail display prototype for Braun grooming devices. Five products (shavers, trimmers, laser hair removal handset) are mounted on clear PETG brackets. Below each device, a clear acrylic channel holds a product information card. The magnetic back panel features raised white acrylic “Braun” letters on the left and the gold tagline “Good design is built to last.”
Prototype retail demo display for Braun’s shavers, trimmers, and laser hair removal devices, showcasing modular, theft-proof mounting and replaceable magnetic graphics.
  • Client: Procter & Gamble (Braun brand)
  • Retailer: Best Buy Canada
  • Objective: Develop a high-end, adaptable demo display for shavers, trimmers, and laser hair removal devices
  • Role: technical sales support, industrial design, technical drawings, cut patterns, and prototype coordination
  • Materials: Steel, Acrylic, PETG, Magnetic Sheet, Cardstock.
  • Manufacturing Processes: Metal fabrication, plastic fabrication, CNC router, CNC laser cutting, 2-axis CNC wire bending, etc.
  • Key Challenges: High degree of fit and finish, modular futureproofing, theft prevention, replaceable graphics
  • Outcome: Praised by Braun brand manager and Best Buy merch teams; core innovations reused in subsequent display programs by P&G

Client

Procter & Gamble’s Braun brand had an opportunity with Best Buy Canada to secure a premium above-shelf demo display spot, competing side-by-side against Philips’ in-store fixtures.

The Challenge

Design a retail display that reflected Braun’s signature minimalist, high-class aesthetic while being durable and adapting to future products.

Objectives

  • Allowing shoppers to experience the fit, finish, and function of Braun shavers, beard trimmers, and laser hair removal devices
  • Enable quick swap-outs of graphics and products as new SKUs launch.
  • Maintain a clean look by hiding all mounting and fastening elements.
  • Implement robust theft-proofing without adding visual clutter.

Scope of Work

  • Partnered with P&G’s Merchandising Manager and the Best Buy sales rep to flesh out the project brief.
  • Developed detailed CAD concepts in SolidWorks to present.
  • Worked with the creative design team to present renderings to the client and their stakeholders.
  • Worked with print production designer to take brand assets and make print-ready artwork.
  • Coordinated with metal fabrication, plastic, and print shops to produce the prototype.
  • Inspected the product to define safe and secure attachment points that do not interfere with the battery.

Key Innovation

  • Product modules slide along and are clamped to a rail hidden inside the display.
  • Store sales reps can open the acrylic hood on the display, remove modules of discontinued SKUs, add modules for new SKUs, and swap graphics.

Materials & Manufacturing

  • Steel framework powder-coated in gloss black for durability and brand consistency
  • Custom brackets engineered to avoid internal electronics and battery compartments.
  • Black acrylic (piano black) and raised white acrylic logo letters.
  • Magnetic sheet back panel for easy graphic updates and acrylic channel for product cards

Design Challenges

  • Concealing all bolts and fasteners to preserve Braun’s sleek design language
  • Engineering PETG bracket screw points to avoid short-circuiting device electronics.
  • Designing a theft-proof clamp mechanism that remained visually discreet.

Results & Impact

The prototype received enthusiastic praise from Braun’s Canada brand manager and the Best Buy merchandising team. Although the display did not advance to full production, the touch-and-learn tether system and modular design principles were successfully integrated into subsequent retail fixtures for razors, shavers, trimmers, and laser hair removal devices. This enabled P&G to invest in touch-and-learn displays, knowing they would be both secure and future-proof.

Retail display showcasing six Braun grooming devices—electric shavers, trimmers, and epilators—mounted on a shelf with individual product cards. The backdrop features the Braun logo and the slogan “Good design is built to last,” emphasizing brand identity and design philosophy.
The display was designed to the high standards and simplicity the Braun brand is known for. The mounting system for the display modules is seamlessly hidden.
Retail display featuring Braun electric shavers mounted on clear stands. A hand is interacting with one of the devices. Behind the shavers, lifestyle images show people using the products. An informational card highlights features of a specific shaver, including branding and product details.
The products can be pulled off the display so potential buyers can feel the quality of Braun’s products. A retracting tether system prevents theft and pulls the product back on it’s stand.
Close-up of a metal assembly featuring a blue panel mounted to a black steel frame using bolts and brackets. The image highlights fastening techniques and structural integration.
The key innovation on the display was the modular clamping system that enable store sales representatives to easily remove product modules of old SKUs, and install new products.
Engineering drawing sheet for a Braun retail display prototype, featuring four detailed views and two comprehensive parts lists. The drawings include exploded views, dimensional annotations, and assembly instructions. Materials listed include powder-coated cold rolled steel (CRS), acrylic, ABS plastic, PETG, and alloy steel, with finishes such as clear, black, and multilayer car paint. Each part is labeled with its number, description, material, thickness, color, quantity, and weight.
A sampling of the 50 page technical drawing package for Braun’s modular display stand, detailing materials, finishes, and assembly.
Technical drawing sheet featuring sectional and detailed views of a Braun mechanical component. Sections N-N, M-M, L-L, and K-K show cross-sectional profiles, while details P, T, R, and U (all at 1:2 scale) highlight precise dimensions and design features for manufacturing and assembly.
Technical communication to fabricator to mount custom brackets to the display product in safe areas that do not interfere with the battery.