Gangnam-gu, South Korea
DORCO, South Korea’s leading shaving brand, approached Prime Studio with a visionary goal: to design a flagship razor that would not only elevate their brand on the global stage but also establish a comprehensive brand identity resonating across diverse international markets.
This initiative was not merely about crafting another shaving tool—it was about creating a product that encapsulates groundbreaking technology and appeals to a broad spectrum of consumers.
DORCO SLEEK by Dorco co won a 2025 Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies.
The brief provided by DORCO was intentionally open-ended, aiming to develop a flagship product that would position the company globally for the next decade.
Additionally, DORCO intended to create a new brand for this product, necessitating a compelling positioning strategy translated into product design.
Given Prime Studio’s extensive experience with category-defining brands like Harry’s and Hanni, this project was a perfect fit for their capabilities.
The consumer persona development began with creating detailed profiles across Europe, Asia, and North America, capturing users’ lifestyles, values, and brand preferences.
European consumers favoured sustainable materials and functional aesthetics, while Asian markets valued technological innovation and enhanced styling.
American consumers prioritised performance and value, showing increasing interest in premium yet approachable experiences.
These personas served as a guiding framework, allowing the team to benchmark design concepts and CMF (Colour, Material, Finish) choices against the expectations of target audiences throughout the development process.
After defining the personas, the team advanced to visual positioning to shape DORCO’s global brand identity.
They developed three key concepts: “Crafted with Care,” highlighting premium materials and honest aesthetics; “Simple Complexity,” balancing clean design with sophisticated engineering; and “Lightness of Touch,” focusing on an effortless look and feel.
This phase was particularly valuable in building a working relationship with DORCO’s international team, where English was not the first language for many stakeholders.
The visual approaches provided a universal language for communicating design intent.
The team developed a wide range of initial concepts presented as 2D renders.
The vision coalesced around creating a true tool for shaving—not just another razor.
Inspiration was drawn from the precise details found on premium hand tools, exposed connector details, and the tactile qualities of different materials.
Sustainability became a key consideration, leading to the exploration of integrating materials like cork into the design.
The exploration began with nine distinct concepts, each approaching the balance of form, function, and brand expression differently.
Through collaborative review with DORCO’s team and testing against persona benchmarks, the concepts were narrowed down to three lead directions.
Interestingly, the final selection included one concept from each designer on the project team, demonstrating the diverse thinking brought to the challenge.
The collaboration between DORCO and Prime Studio culminated in the creation of the SLEEK razor—a product that embodies the convergence of performance, aesthetics, and sustainability.
By deeply understanding diverse consumer needs and translating them into a cohesive design, the SLEEK razor stands as a testament to innovative design thinking and strategic brand positioning.
Project: DORCO SLEEK: Global Flagship Razor Development
Designers: Seung-Min Song, Stuart Harvey Lee, Adrian Candela, Mark Dorsey, Prime Studio Inc., Dorco co., Ltd.
Manufacturer: Seoul, Korea, Dorco co., Ltd.
