The best designers of the red dot design award 2007: Interview with Aleksandar Tatic and Christiano Oliva

Top technology and mobility characterise the back-mounted  buoyancy compensator “Icaro Tech” made by Seac Scub. For this outstanding work of design, Seac Scub received this year's red dot: best of the best from the red dot award: product design category. red dot online interviewed the two designers Aleksandar Tatic and Christiano Oliva.

Mr. Tatic and Mr. Oliva, Icaro Tech offers easy and effortless mobility combined with top technology. A set of optional accessories also make it very practical and comfortable. What inspired you to develop this special product and what were your intentions behind it?

With the IcaroTech BCD we wanted to fuse existing professional diving technology with a new ease-of-use concept in order to create a revolutionary premium product for recreational divers. Our goal was an extremely light, compact and thus, portable product. To achieve that, we „translated“ the skeleton-like assembly of professional BCDs into a leisure-product by integrating a new and intuitive strap-adjustment system and inventing a stamped alloy back-plate. Of course, part of our design team are avid divers, and as such were very motivated to create a product which would satisfy their expectations as both, diving enthusiasts and designers .

What does being awarded with the “red dot: best of the best” mean to you? 

We perceive the Red Dot as a very special recognition of our work, which goes beyond the commercial success that our design brings to our clients. As we usually work „under cover“ for big brands, it is one of the rare occasions in which we get credited- which is nice.

What particular challenges do you think designers have to face these days?

Our objective is to create lasting products and the respective brand continuity, while staying away from design-trash quick-fixes. In nowadays’ short-lived times- this is quite a challenge. 

As a designer, what would you still like to accomplish in the future?

We are actually quite happy with what we have achieved in western markets, such as Europe and the USA. In the future we would like to find out whether we could accomplish a similar success with Chinese clients for Chinese consumers.

What do you think is the economic significance of design?

To answer this question one should define the word design first, which has been tried in vain in the past. If you settle somewhere between functional innovation and brand-specific form development, it would be: design is a small cog in a big machine- but an important one.

Icaro Tech – User-friendly expert technology

Easy, fast adjustment and user-friendliness make Icaro a mainstay component for all types of dives . The buoyancy compensator consists of Cordura 1000 resin-reinforced in PU, a material that is extremely abrasion and tear resistant.

An optimum connection between vest and scuba tank is ensured by means of a light alloy back plate (for use in ocean water, highly corrosion-resistant) manufactured using a special swaging process. The resulting stability is greater than hardened steel, thereby guaranteeing highest resistance against jolts and scratches. The “frame to back system” (direct connection of belts to back plate) applied to Icaro Tech buoyancy compensators allows for freer and less restricted mobility during diving. 

Thanks to the new patented shoulder buckle system, the vest can be easily closed with only one hand once the tank is already mounted. Moreover, the gradual adjustment of the shoulder strap allows for optimal adaptation to the diver's physique and the type of equipment and dive.