For Arctic Spas, innovation has always been part of the brand. Known for building some of the strongest, most efficient hot tubs on the market, Arctic Spas are manufactured by Blue Falls Manufacturing Ltd., which produces thousands of spas each year across three factories in the Edmonton area and sells through retail and dealer networks across North America, Europe, and Australia.
In this customer story, Mike Edey, R & D Manager at Blue Falls Manufacturing Ltd., shares how working with Onetwosix Design helped the Arctic Spas team refresh their premium Custom Series, streamline their product development process, and bring 12 redesigned spa models to market in 12 months.
After years of success, the premium Custom Series was ready for a refresh.
The spa models had become stagnant, and while Arctic Spas had tried to make updates over time, the existing development process made meaningful change difficult. Their previous mold-making approach limited what could be explored, adjusted, and ultimately manufactured.
“We were looking for something a bit more modern,” Mike said. “Something that would capture the eyes of the customer.”
The Challenge: A Product Line Ready for Renewal
Arctic Spas approached Onetwosix with a clear goal: redesign the premium Custom Series and create a more modern, cohesive product line.
The challenge was not simply to restyle the spa shells. Each model had to balance visual appeal, ergonomics, technical requirements, and manufacturing realities. The redesign needed to include the full experience of the spa, from the mold itself to the jets, pillows, filters, seating positions, footwells, and component integration.
“When we approached Onetwosix about redesigning our spa, it wasn’t just the mold,” they said. “It was also the jets, the pillows, the filter. All those components had to be cohesive and not just individual components.”
Arctic Spas had seen attractive design concepts from other sources, but many were not realistic to manufacture. They needed a product design partner who could create something fresh and contemporary while understanding the constraints of spa production.
Why Arctic Spas Chose Onetwosix Design
One of the key reasons Arctic Spas chose Onetwosix was the practicality of the proposal.
“The proposal that Onetwosix provided was realistic,” they said. “It was something that we could actually manufacture. A lot of the other designs were really nice looking, but just not practical to manufacture.”
That balance between creative product design and real-world production knowledge became central to the project.
Onetwosix worked closely with the Arctic Spas engineering team to understand the technical requirements behind the product. This included the manufacturing process, mold constraints, component placement, user comfort, and the structural realities of building a high-performance spa shell.
“Our previous designers didn’t understand what the manufacturing constraints were,” Arctic Spas said. “Onetwosix worked well with our engineers and understood what we needed to manufacture a hot tub.”
A More Visual, Collaborative Design Process
Before working with Onetwosix, Arctic Spas’ development process was slow and heavily dependent on physical mold modifications. A concept would be sent to mold makers, developed over several months, and then physically cut apart and rebuilt if changes were needed.
“For one mold, it could take up to six months,” they explained.
By shifting the process into 3D product design, Arctic Spas could visualize concepts, review changes, and make decisions much earlier in the development process. This allowed the team to test ideas quickly before investing in full mold production.
“When we do it in 3D, we could visualize it, see it, make changes, and streamline the process by like six months.”
Onetwosix also used VR to help Arctic Spas experience the new spa designs at full scale. This became especially valuable when reviewing seat depth, jet placement, component elevations, and the overall user experience.
“With the CAD designs, we were able to use VR to show the finished product,” Arctic Spas said. “If they wanted changes, we could quickly adapt those changes and show them within days instead of weeks.”
The VR models also became a presentation and sales tool, helping Arctic Spas communicate the new product line internally and to dealers.
Prototyping for Comfort, Fit, and Confidence
While digital tools helped accelerate the design process, physical prototyping still played a key role.
Onetwosix provided Arctic Spas with a full-size prototype of a single spa seat, allowing the team to test ergonomics and user comfort before moving ahead with the full spa design.
“The full-size prototype of a single seat gave us the confidence in building a whole spa from that,” they said.
The prototype helped the team evaluate seat depth, seat angle, foot placement, elbow rest position, and potential user interferences. This hands-on testing ensured the final design was not only visually refreshed, but comfortable and practical for real users.
“Onetwosix helped us with the ergonomics side and the customer experience.”
Designing 12 Models with Consistency and Speed
One of the biggest timeline challenges was the scale of the redesign. Arctic Spas needed 12 new spa models completed within a short period of time so the full Custom Series could be presented together at their dealer seminar.
The goal was consistency across the entire product line. Each model needed to feel connected, cohesive, and part of the same premium family.
“One of our challenges with designing 12 new models within a short period of time is that we wanted all 12 to be done at the same time,” they said. “Onetwosix was able to meet that timeline so we could have our dealer seminar with all 12 models completed.”
Previously, Arctic Spas estimated that bringing one new mold design to market could take up to 12 months. Through the new collaborative design and development process, they were able to bring 12 spas to market within 12 months.
“Previously, it would take 12 months to get one model to market. With the new way we did it, we were able to get 12 spas to market within 12 months.”
A More Cohesive Product Experience
The redesign helped Arctic Spas move beyond individual component updates and create a more unified product experience.
Jets, pillows, filters, seating, and shell geometry were considered together as part of a complete product design system. The result was a spa line where every element felt more intentional and visually connected.
“Onetwosix helped us with making the spa more cohesive,” Arctic Spas said. “All the components now match each other and blend into the whole mold itself.”
This cohesive approach gave the Custom Series a more modern and premium feel while preserving the strength, efficiency, and performance Arctic Spas is known for.
The Result: Historic Growth for Arctic Spas
After launching the redesigned product line, Arctic Spas experienced the largest growth in the company’s history.
“After launching the new product line, we experienced the largest growth that we’ve ever experienced in the history of Arctic Spas,” they said. “Our growth was almost double from the previous year, and a lot of that has to do with the new spa designs.”
The new designs helped refresh the brand, support dealer excitement, and give customers a more modern product experience while maintaining the quality and durability that define Arctic Spas.
A Collaborative Partnership Built on Practical Creativity
For Arctic Spas, the partnership with Onetwosix Design stood out because it combined creativity, communication, and manufacturing knowledge.
“Working with Onetwosix was very collaborative and enjoyable,” they said.
The team appreciated that Onetwosix could bring forward new design ideas while still understanding the practical requirements of production. The process helped Arctic Spas move faster, present more clearly, and bring a more cohesive product line to market.
“Onetwosix’s manufacturing knowledge saved us a lot of time from design to production,” they said. “We didn’t have to waste time explaining the manufacturing processes.”
For Onetwosix, this project reflects what strong industrial design services can do: bridge the gap between a fresh creative vision and a product that is ready for real-world manufacturing.
Ready for a new hot tub? Visit Arctic Spas to explore their latest models.
Industrial Design Services That Move Products Forward
The Arctic Spas Custom Series redesign shows the value of pairing thoughtful product design with technical execution. From early concept development and 3D visualization to VR presentations, ergonomic prototyping, and manufacture-ready design, Onetwosix helped Arctic Spas modernize a premium product line without losing sight of how it would be built.
For companies looking to refresh an existing product, develop a new product line, or bring a more cohesive user experience to market, Onetwosix Design provides industrial design services that support every stage of the process.
From concept to production, we help turn great ideas into exceptional products.
