About

Plano Stowaways are a staple of every angler’s toolkit. They are the building blocks of any tackle storage system, and are universally used throughout the fishing industry. These clear plastic boxes are seen as commoditized and replaceable, yet an essential piece of equipment.

Plano came to Smart Design with the goal of revolutionizing tackle storage to solve for the numerous challenges anglers have when storing, organizing, and accessing their tackle. The result was PLANO EDGE - a new and improved architecture optimized for speed, efficiency and protection out on the water.

Anglers Key Needs

Speed

When tournament fishing, every second counts. Anglers want a box that they could find and get into FAST. Organization is key when you’re looking for a bait that is a certain size, color and weight.

Rust-Proofing

Anglers have hundreds to thousands of lures. Many of these lures may be stored for the better part of the year, only used once or twice a season when the situation is right. If any moisture has accumulated in the box, rust can form and ruin expensive lures.

Better dividers

Hooks get caught between dividers. Crankbait hooks snag and knot baits together. Dividers are cheap, flimsy, and come connected with plastic pieces that need to be cut apart with scissors. Anglers wanted improvement in the basic functionality of the divided box - to separate things and keep them where you left them.

TESTING FUNCTIONAL HYPOTHESES

We built quick mockups to explore new ways to hold and organize tackle. These were used in research sessions with anglers in Lake Fork, Texas and Orono, Minnesota.

UNIFYING BRAND LANGUAGE

To launch a premium, feature heavy product in a market that has previously been thought of a commodity purchase, Plano required a bold new look. We looked at what made the brand valuable to anglers and built a design language around an evolved brand aesthetic - strength, simplicity, and heritage.

Pro Angler Feedback

The team traveled to ICAST, a fishing equipment convention in Orlando, FL to meet with members of Plano’s “Pro Staff.” Some of the most elite anglers in the world provided key insight into how they use Plano boxes, and how their uses differ from the more casual anglers we met in Texas and Minnesota.

The anglers are Plano’s key marketing asset as well, so getting their input early in the design process helped make for more successful marketing at launch. The anglers were pitching a product that they played a key role in developing.