Designing a perfume bottle can evolve into an engineering project when its shape, mechanism, and usage are intended to reflect a brand’s concept. Octane Fragrances drew inspiration from the motorcycle world – a bottle shaped like a hand, a lever to activate the perfume, and a refill system. In Chapter 43 of “Toque de Ingenio,” Ángel Cazorla explains how he developed the product in collaboration with i-mas and how he prepared its launch into the market.
Guest: Angel Cazorla, the driving force behind Octane Fragrances.
Interview published: March 25, 2025. Episode: 43. Duration: 53 min.
In this episode:
- How to transform motorcycle-related references into formal, tactile, and functional requirements.
- What did the collaboration with i-mas and the subsequent physical tests contribute?
- Why packaging, fragrance, refills, and presentation need to work together as a cohesive experience.
Angel joined the project coming from retail and with a personal passion for motorcycling. The idea originated from a family conversation and evolved from a sketch to a functional object. This episode captures the pre-launch phase that the team was preparing in March 2025, and the campaigns and product line expansions mentioned are part of those plans.
A product designed for a specific community.
Octane is rooted in a community with recognizable references: motorcycles, equipment, gestures, and the sensations associated with driving. Ángel explains his own relationship with this environment and his intention to create a product that would connect with him through multiple points of contact.
Choosing that target audience helps to define the language of the product. The shape of the bottle, the experience of holding it, and the way the perfume is activated are all linked to an activity that the buyer is familiar with. The design aims to ensure that the product is also understood through touch.
The conversation positions the product within a context of use and as a gift. Someone may already possess the equipment needed for their hobby, yet still find interest in an item that represents them in a different way. This line of reasoning guides design and presentation decisions.
For a project of product design, The case demonstrates the value of defining the target audience for the experience. A specific audience allows for prioritizing references and details. Differentiation is built on a clear and understandable relationship between the need, the object, and the meaning it holds for the person choosing it.
Translating the grip of a motorcycle into a perfume mechanism.
The bottle needed to maintain proportions and the feeling of a motorcycle grip, but also to remain stable and dispense perfume effectively. Ángel and Edgar were discussing details such as weight, texture, and how the lever operated – these are the specific elements that transform a general concept into technical requirements.
Angel recalls one of the objectives of that experience:
“The feeling is like that of a motorcycle’s fist”.
Angel Cazorla 5:26.
The interaction requires coordinating elements and sensations. The user must be able to grasp the object, understand how to operate it, and receive a response that aligns with the action. The casing and internal mechanism cannot be understood separately if both contribute to the overall experience.
Stability is also important. A packaging design intended to be used as a table accessory needs to perform well when it’s resting on a surface. The interview allows us to see how seemingly minor requirements, such as weight distribution, influence the overall perception of quality.
The development with i-mas and the value of prototypes
Ángel explicitly explained i-mas’s role in the development process. His work involved articulating what he wanted to feel and what he was hoping to achieve; the design and engineering team had to transform these feelings and goals into tangible geometries, components, and mechanisms that could be tested.
During the conversation, they recalled several physical prototypes until they reached the desired outcome. The tests helped to examine the relationship between form and function. Activating the mechanism and securing the flask provided different information compared to what a picture or a plan offered.
Her description of the collaboration highlights the importance of establishing clear communication from the outset. The promotional language, which is both commercial and emotional, needs to be translated into decisions that the technical team can implement. Simultaneously, the possibilities and limitations of production must be communicated to the promoter in a way that is easily understood.
That exchange is a central part of product prototypes. Each version allows for a comparison of expectations and adjustments before finalizing the design. This is a useful test not only to confirm that the mechanism moves, but also to determine whether the experience aligns with the original intention.
Scent, refills, and packaging – a complete and integrated experience.
The perfume also required a specialized development process. Ángel explains how they transferred the sensations and references they wanted to convey to the perfumers. The conversation links the scent to the product’s narrative and to the target audience.
The packaging introduces a physical constraint: maintaining the dimensions of the grip limits the available space for reloading. The team needed to address this capacity without compromising the form that made the object recognizable. A design decision on the exterior had consequences for the internal system and for the commercial presentation.
During the demonstration, Edgar shows how to apply a refill and explains the availability of another one with its own diffuser. This option allows the perfume to be used in a variety of settings. The set is designed to complement both the main product and everyday use outside the home.
The packaging organizes those components and plays a role in the initial understanding of the product. The box should clearly show what’s included within the set and make it easy for the buyer to understand how the different elements relate to each other. The brand experience begins before the product is first used.
Preparing the launch requires careful crafting of the message.
In March 2025, the team was preparing a crowdfunding campaign. Ángel explained that putting together the presentation had required a significant effort, in addition to developing the product itself. Simply having the finished object didn’t automatically solve the problem of how to communicate it.
When describing that preparation, it highlights that:
“The messages we want to convey are so specific”.
Angel Cazorla 34:31.
Observing the product closely is beneficial for any hardware launch. The audience needs to understand what the product is, how it’s used, and why it might be of interest to them. Presenting numerous features without a clear structure can actually hinder this understanding, even when the team themselves fully grasp the product’s details.
The interview also explores potential variations, collaborations, and product line expansions. These are ideas that Ángel links to the evolution of the project. The initial launch should offer an experience that can be clearly defined and delivered before these possibilities are developed into new products.
Digital sales and a physical experience of a sensory product.
Ángel believes it’s important to utilize the online channel, but he also argues for direct contact with the product in a retail store. In perfumery, the ability to smell and touch provides information that a website struggles to convey. Distribution strategies should take this factor into account.
The case involves a combination of experiences: discovering the product, testing it, and then purchasing refills or repeat purchases. Each stage can utilize a different channel. Designing the product with this entire journey in mind helps to connect the packaging, presentation, and subsequent service.
Ángel states that at the time of the interview, the project was being manufactured and assembled in Spain. His explanation links the location of production with the work carried out to achieve the desired quality. Any subsequent changes in volume or production would require new decisions, which the episode does not resolve.
What can another development team learn?
- Translate the audience’s identity into observable requirements in terms of form, touch, and interaction.
- Validate both the mechanism and the experience it should convey, using prototypes.
- Design the reloading, packaging, and overall presentation in a coordinated manner.
- Preparing the message and sales channels as part of the product launch.
Octane Fragrances presents a case study of collaboration between a commercial vision and the design and engineering work of i-mas. If you have an idea that needs to be transformed into a functional object, we can help you define it, test it, and prepare it for manufacture. Tell us about your project..
To continue reading: How Citring One evolved, from concept to product..
Source of article: Interview with Edgar Guerrero and Ángel Cazorla on “Toque de Ingenio,” published on March 25, 2025. The quotes link to the relevant sections of the video; the “learnings” are a summarized editorial version of the conversation.
