Delivering Results Design is far more than form or function. It’s the tangible expression of a brand’s identity, values, and promise. While a brand defines what a company stands for, design gives those aspirations form and substance. Design uniquely delivers value: visually, physically, and experientially. At ThinkNext Design, every creation begins with empathy and seeks purpose. We look to understand not just what people need, but what they desire. Whether crafting something entirely new or reimagining the familiar, our work blends aesthetic restraint with purposeful clarity. The result is innovative design that resonates emotionally, performs beautifully, and endures as a reflection of the brand behind it. More than 200,000,000 ThinkPads have been sold since 1992, and still counting. That didn't happen by accident.
Design Innovation Gallery
IBM AS/400 Advanced Series 1994 By the early 1990's, the original IBM AS/400 product line was rapidly losing market share due to a growing perception that the product family employed outdated technology, and was highly overpriced. David led a strategic design initiative to recast that image via a sweeping change that would forever reposition the status quo. The resulting award winning design featured stark black enclosures, dramatic air inlets, and simple yet powerful forms. This was a striking contrast to the putty colored neutral appearance that had come to dominate not only the IBM server products, but the entire industry. Following the series introduction, AS/400 Division revenues jumped by a double-digit percentage. Comments of yesterday's technology were quickly replaced by associations with objects such as the innovative F117a stealth fighter.
IBM AS/400 Advanced Series Security Keystick 1994 AS/400 systems had a control panel that included special functions that were designed to only be accessed by authorized operators. Restricted access was achieved using a traditional stainless steel keylock mated to a rotating electric switch. Without the key only basic functions could be operated. Unfortunately the assembly was very costly and the metal key/lock was a source of potential electrostatic discharge. The security keystick eliminated the dated and flawed assembly entirely. Inserting the asymmetrical key enabled access to the restricted functions, cost a fraction of the previous solution and eliminated the ESD issue altogether.
IBM ThinkPad TrackPoint Caps 1997 The soft rim and soft dome caps were added in 1997 creating a suite of Trackpoint cap options. The introduction followed an exhaustive design-led initiative to improve the existing cat tongue cap's comfort and utility. The effort revealed that three caps were better than one, giving the user choice. All three were shipped with every ThinkPad for many years. Only the soft dome cap remains in production.
IBM Netfinity 7000 1997 Prior to the introduction of the Netfinity 7000, IBM's PC servers were tower based offerings that often found themselves awkwardly placed on shelves in generic computer racks. The Netfinity design eliminated this makeshift approach with a "rack and stack" solution. The system could truly rack mount using industry standard rails, or stand alone as a tower. The design also included a stacking NetBay with provision for mounting rack mounted OEM devices without purchasing a full blown rack. Many of the system components, including hardfiles, were removable from the front without tools.
IBM ThinkPad ThinkLight 1998 The ThinkPad ThinkLight was first introduced on the ThinkPad i Series 1400. Observing a fellow airline passenger reading using a small light clipped to the top edge of their book, David immediately thought this idea could be adapted for use on a laptop. The final design used a white LED to illuminate the keyboard from the top bezel. It was the industry's first, and arguably most effective method, of illuminating a laptop keyboard.
IBM NetVista X41 2000 The introduction of the IBM Personal Computer in 1981 was a technology milestone that forever changed the world. Subsequent innovation, however, was primarily limited to technology advancements and improved affordability. In nearly 20 years, little had been done to dramatically change the design paradigm of metal box, chunky monitor, and keyboard. David initiated and led a design project to reinvent the standard. Working in close collaboration with noted designer Richard Sapper, David and his team created an industry-leading all-in-one computer that capitalized on emerging flat-panel display technology. The final, award-winning design integrated the monitor, CPU, and optical drive into a remarkably slim profile. The optical drive was discreetly concealed within the base structure, dropping down smoothly at the touch of a button.
IBM Aptiva S Series Loudspeakers 2000 Bucking the trend for bloated, frivolous designs, the Aptiva S Series speakers were conceived to match the unique angular design language of the flat panel based computer design. The sophisticated desktop speakers could be customized with brightly colored fabric grills adding to the premium image. The design was selected by Dieter Rams for a Best of Category award at the annual IF Design Exhibition in Germany.
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 2008 The ThinkPad X300 stands as a landmark in industrial design, proving how disciplined engineering and purposeful aesthetics can redefine an entire product category. Its carbon-fiber and magnesium construction, meticulously refined form, and forward-looking adoption of SSD storage and LED backlighting positioned it as a breakthrough ultraportable long before such features became commonplace. Its development earned widespread attention, most notably in BusinessWeek’s cover story “The Making of the ThinkPad X300,” which showcased the intense, design-driven effort behind the machine. The project was explored even more deeply in Steve Hamm’s book The Race for Perfect, which chronicled the X300’s creation as an example of ambitious, high-stakes innovation. Together, these accounts cement the X300’s legacy as one of the most influential and thoughtfully crafted ThinkPads ever made.
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