Take a peek behind the product development scenes! As Canada’s leading boating brand, we pride ourselves on taking a customer-first approach to our product design and development. 

We sat down with the Product Development Team, who shared exciting insights into their design and development process. Discover how the team at Legend Boats draws inspiration, involves key players, and incorporates customer feedback into their products.

Members of the Product Development Team who shared their insights are:

Maurice Beland, Director of Innovation. Maurice has worked at Legend Boats for 18 years.

“I value the creative freedom to bring innovative ideas to life and solve complex problems. The excitement of seeing my team’s concepts turn into impactful products for the Legend brand, enabling our customers to create lasting memories on the water with family and friends, is what drives me.”

Brandon Findlay, Industrial Designer. Brandon has worked at Legend Boats for 3 years.

“My favourite thing about Product Development at Legend Boats is seeing the products we developed being enjoyed on the water. Being a small part of creating memories for our customers is special.”

Michael Fuina, Industrial Designer. Michael has worked at Legend Boats for 2 years.

“My favourite thing about working in Product Development is creating products that will leave customers in awe when they walk into our showrooms.”

Q: What inspires you?

A: Our team aims to captivate customers from the moment they step into our showroom. We aim for potential buyers to walk in and immediately exclaim, “Wow, I need this!” Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of industries, we collaborate to push boundaries, redefine expectations, and create designs that leave a lasting impression. Ultimately, our goal is to develop products that seamlessly integrate into customers’ lives, enhancing their experience with Legend products in a meaningful way.

 

Helping You Create Memories

The Product Development team focuses on helping you create memories that can last a lifetime. Through innovative processes used to understand our customer base, we create solutions that will enhance their overall boating experience. Balancing our customers wants and needs in boating with the high standards already set by the industry allows us to delivery high-quality products.

Q: What things do you consider when you’re developing new products? 

A: When developing new products, our team places utmost importance on the end consumer. Ultimately, our focus revolves around understanding the user—identifying their needs, addressing their challenges, and enhancing their overall experience. By prioritizing the user throughout the development process, we ensure that our products not only meet but exceed expectations, delivering solutions that are meaningful and impactful in their daily lives. 

The Collaborative Development Process

Collaboration across departments ensures we are covering all of our bases to provide our customers with the best customer, and boating, experience possible.

Q: Who is involved in the development process?

A: The development process involves numerous partners—we collaborate extensively internally across internal departments like marketing, sales and rigging and externally with manufacturers and engineers. We place a high priority on customer feedback, often through customer surveys and interviews. Product development requires versatility, wearing many hats to bring ideas to life.

 

Q: How did you get into this industry?

A: Maurice, the Director of Innovation, is a seasoned veteran at Legend Boats. He now heads a team of industrial designers, Brandon and Michael, who bring extensive expertise in consumer goods to the table.

 

Initiating the Development Process

Our team keeps our ears and eyes open when it comes to customer feedback. We’re always keeping ourselves updated on the latest industry news, customer feedback, and what our competitors are up to. With partner dealerships spanning across Canada, we have customer feedback coming in from all different demographics. From recreational boaters to serious anglers and everyone in-between, feedback is funnelled back to our team, where we meet and discuss what we can do to improve.

Q: How does the development process get kickstarted? 

A: All of the above! We draw inspiration from all different sources to spark an idea, but it all needs to be validated through research. If we have data to back up the concept, then we move into development. 

Q: How do you prioritize which features to include in a new product? 

A: We prioritize features based on balancing between delivering the best possible consumer experience and ensuring competitive pricing. This approach involves careful consideration of consumer needs and preferences, as well as market trends.

Q: What role does market research play in your development process? 

A: Research is the cornerstone of our process—it shapes features, specifications, and product roadmaps while bolstering our decisions. Ultimately, our focus is not on designing for ourselves but on creating products that resonate with our customers’ needs and preferences.

Q: How do you incorporate customer feedback into product development? 

A: We incorporate customer feedback into the majority of our development process. Surveys provide us with a wide breadth of feedback and gauge general interest in specific areas we’re looking to develop. Interviews that highlight pain points or frequent interaction with specific features/processes help orchestrate the early design stages. Post-launch, we seek out feedback for product performance and whether any revisions are necessary in the future.

Testing and Validation

Our products always go through a series of testing and reviews before hitting the market. While products may be great in theory, they can sometimes take a few steps to perfect. Taking our time to ensure new products will work and be as useful as we planned makes for happier customers down the road – and that’s always our first priority! This includes using the newest trends and technologies to our advantage.

Q: What methods do you use to test and validate new product ideas before full-scale development? 

A: Samples and prototypes are two of the best methods we use to review, test and validate our product development. Seeing the physical version in person, combined with testing its usability, installation process as well as longevity provides us with countless opportunities to garner feedback and revisions to make the best products for our customers.

Q: What trends or technologies are currently influencing your product development strategies?

A: We utilize advanced CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software and rapid prototyping technologies like 3D printing to quickly transform ideas on paper into tangible prototypes. This helps us test and validate much quicker than in the past. 

 

Prioritizing Customers Through Innovation

At Legend Boats, we push the boundaries of innovation and design to ensure every product meets high industry standards and exceeds our customers’ expectations.

Through a combination of inspiration, thorough research, and continuous feedback, we can create boats and accessories that enhance the boating experience for all. Whether we’re designing a fishing boat, pontoon boat, deck boat, or a simple rod holder, we craft each product with care, precision, and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.

You can find our innovative designs in the accessories shop on our website.