Sears Dead Blow Hammer

Sears Craftsman brand, recognized leaders of quality tools and home-care products, sought unbiased consumer, ergonomic and engineering research to justify an investment in new technology. Design Concepts was approached to conduct testing on behalf of Sears on the potential benefits of extending low-vibration, "dead blow", technology from a vendor/manufacturer to their own line of Sears' Craftsman claw hammers.

Design Concepts conducted competitive product analysis and ergonomic analysis, as well as performing physics and engineering characterization, on existing dead-blow hammers. Computer-aided models were constructed to predict dead blow phenomena. The team held user focus groups and conducted conjoint analysis to research customer perception of the new technology.

Through research and testing, Design Concepts concluded that the claims of the dead blow manufacturer of interest to Sears could not be substantiated. Ergonomic and power claims from the vendor/manufacturer proved to be false. Design Concepts' work saved Sears from making an investment in a technology which would not have yielded the promised performance and have potentially eroded the Craftsman brand.