Automatic Door Lock Combines Security, Convenience and Good Design

In this week’s interview with 2021 SBID Awards winners of the Interior Fittings category, Finfort, discuss the complexity of their product, share tips on creating convenient and consumer-focused products, as well as the key considerations to have in mind when approaching the specification of security solutions.

How important is it to enter the SBID Awards & receive industry recognition for your work? What are the benefits?

Entering the ‘SBID Awards’ was without a doubt, the best decision Finfort made in 2021!  The ‘SBID Awards’ recognise and celebrate the value of design and innovation – so having launched our innovative range of elegant high security door locks with automatic deadbolts in 2020, we were naturally very keen to be part of it. The awards also provided the perfect opportunity for us to proudly showcase our exciting new designs to the interior design industry.

We were thrilled to discover our FinBolt Triple Door Lock set won the SBID Product Design Award for the interior fittings category.  Not only did the award help boost our credibility as authentic and trusted innovators, but it also demonstrated the high-end quality of our products whilst providing an invaluable level of media exposure. This really helped us gain traction as an emerging brand.

What do you think made this particular design an award winner?

The FinBolt lock is a major innovation in door security, combining ultra-safe convenience and beautiful craftsmanship. The award winning FinBolt Triple Door Set makes it possible to secure a door at multiple points, with independently operating locks which automatically deadbolt every time the door is closed. With the FinBolt lock, busy homeowners never need to worry about whether they’ve locked their doors properly again! Once the door is closed, it’s totally secure – without ever needing to turn a key! Not only is it functional, but it’s aesthetically pleasing, with the FinBolt Triple Door Set proving high security doesn’t have to mean ugly! FinBolt’s visible door furniture is boastfully sleek, elegant and complimentary of any door. We think it’s this combination of beautiful aesthetics and unparalleled functional delivery that makes this a standout product.

Tell us about the product development process behind FinBolt. How do you use architectural expertise and technical knowledge to produce effective security products/mechanisms?

As with all our products, we’re proud to start with the needs of the consumer. In this case, a need for convenient high-end security was our starting point. When our co-founder (and architect) Timothy Finn couldn’t find a recessed automatic deadbolt for a client who was always too busy to lock his door properly, he engaged his passion for engineering and set about designing it himself!

Product development involved several iterations of designing, patent application, prototyping and testing to ensure the product worked flawlessly and also conformed to the rigorous British standards. We’re particularly proud that the FinBolt is manufactured in the UK, leveraging expert craftsmanship and the very best of British engineering.

We will also always be committed to refining our designs to perfection, so we sought technical feedback from 100s of locksmiths, by exhibiting prototypes at the Master Locksmith Association Expo Trade Shows in 2019, and we were both thrilled and honoured to receive their ‘Best Product Award’.  We were grateful to have also collaborated with The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, who provided valuable input on the technical challenge of offering bespoke finishes!

Ultimately, key to producing an effective security mechanism is a consistently reliable automatic deadbolt – something we’ve managed to achieve through our patented ‘trigger and bolt’ balanced action, together with a high-security cylinder and key registration.

From a client perspective, what are the key considerations a designer should have in mind when approaching the specification of security solutions?

It’s simple…high-security, user convenience and an aesthetic fit.

There are several high-security door locks available on the market (look for the ‘British Standard’ certification); however, very few deliver the convenience of automatic locking whilst fitting the aesthetics of a classic British door. Think about the average homeowner for a moment – busy people with busy lifestyles. There’s little value in installing high-security manual locks which require specific effort to secure, each and every time you want to leave the house. It’s inevitable that you’ll forget at some stage, leaving your home and its contents vulnerable. Furthermore, your door can set the aesthetic tone for the rest of your home, so door furniture and finish is critically important. Even a slight mismatch of colour will ruin the overall impact and leave homeowners frustrated. This is why all six FinBolt finishes have been perfectly colour matched to the extensive M. Marcus Heritage Brass Ironmongery range for a stunning and perfectly matched finish.

Now that you’ve won an SBID Award, what are the next steps? Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

Since the SBID Awards last October, we’ve been collaborating with Avocet ABS (our cylinder supplier) to increase the range of standard finishes we can offer to our customers. The FinBolt Triple Door Set with 3 star kitemarked cylinders from Avocet ABS will shortly be available in 6 finishes, which includes the very popular Antique Brass and Matt Bronze. We’re very excited to now be seeing our ethos of bringing security and style together, coming to fruition!

We also have two new product designs underway: a fire-tested automatic deadbolt lock for apartment doors, and a high security lock case that integrates the FinBolt automatic deadbolt with smart handles, combining the ease of smart keyless entry, with mechanical automatic deadbolting!

What advice can you give to young designers starting out in the design industry?

Keep the needs and wants of the ultimate end-user at the forefront of your mind, whilst aiming for that perfect balance between function and aesthetics! There will always be an appetite for convenient, beautiful designs which enhance people’s lives. Product design (especially highly technical design) can be arduous and requires tenacity to really challenge the status quo and find better, aesthetically pleasing solutions which ultimately satisfy the consumer.

Questions answered by Timothy Finn, Founder, and Hilary Duggan, Co-Founder, Finfort.