Product Design
Cycling Accessories for Tacx
Product design for Tacx cycling equipment and accessories, combining form and function.
A product language shaped by motion and function
Developing a coherent design language across cycling equipment and accessories.
Tacx develops training equipment and accessories for cyclists, from everyday enthusiasts to professional athletes.
While working at npk design, Joanna Boothman contributed to the product design of Tacx home trainers and cycling accessories, including water bottles and bottle cages.
The designs share a common idea: translating the movement and energy of cycling into flowing, dynamic forms, while integrating practical functions into the product itself.
A sense of motion, even at rest
Cycling is about movement, speed and efficiency. These qualities became an important starting point for the design language.
Flowing surfaces and curved lines give the products a sense of direction, even when stationary.
In the home trainers, this approach is particularly visible. The VR computers appear poised for action on the handlebars, while the integrated brake unit suggests a rear wheel cutting through the air at speed.
The result is a design language that reflects the character of the sport without compromising the technical nature of the equipment.
Function built into the form
The design was not just about expressing movement. Practical details were developed as part of the overall form.
One example is the arched front-wheel support of the home trainer. Its curved shape provides a stable support for the bicycle, while also functioning as a carrying handle.
It is a simple detail, but a good example of how form and function can reinforce each other.
Rather than adding features to an existing shape, the aim was to make functionality a natural part of the design.
From training equipment to cycling essentials
The same design thinking extended to smaller products, including water bottles and bottle cages.
The Tacx Shiva water bottle is a particularly successful example. Its distinctive shape combines a strong visual identity with straightforward functionality.
Over the years, the Shiva has become a familiar presence in cycling, widely used by brands and cycling teams as a promotional product.
Together with Tacx's Bushido trainers and accessories, these products have found their way into professional cycling, including the Tour de France and La Vuelta.
What Joanna did:
product design and form development
Joanna Boothman contributed to the design of several Tacx products during her time at npk design.
Her work included product design and form development for home-trainer accessories, water bottles and bottle cages.
The projects illustrate an approach in which product character, functionality and practical use are developed together, an approach that remains central to her work at Groen Boothman.
These products were developed at npk design, prior to the founding of Groen Boothman.
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