Sustainable Redesign of Wishbone Balance Bike

Product & UX by Evan Thomas

Completed
June 2025
Category
Product & UX
Location
Auckland
Role
Industrial Designer

About this project

Wishbone Design Studio approached me to help reimagine their globally successful wooden balance bike with a sustainability-led update. The goal was to introduce post-consumer plastics into the frame design without compromising the brand’s distinctive visual identity or user experience.

As a contract industrial designer, I led early-stage concept development and prototyping—balancing form, function, and material performance. A key innovation was a new frame resizing mechanism: a central pivot that allowed both the frame length and seat height to adjust using a single fastener, eliminating the need for disassembly.

The updated design offered long-term usability for growing children, reduced material waste, and simplified adjustment for parents. The result was a fresh take on a classic product—eco-conscious, intuitive, and globally successful.

Project Gallery

Evan Thomas

Industrial Designer

Location
Auckland