As priorities and expectations change, so must an icon adapt to stay in the lead and remain relevant. PHOENIX partnered once again with Hansgrohe to launch the third generation of the Raindance shower. Addressing the critical issue of resource conservation, this latest iteration builds on the original's success, focusing on the best possible experience while minimising water consumption. With this, a real challenge of product design steps in.When redesigning such an icon, you have to engage with it. You must understand the product, its context, and the world for which it was initially designed. Here, it is good to focus on the value of things. To understand it and question its meaning. It is about finding answers to questions that have arisen over time. What does Raindance mean today, after more than 20 years, to the first generation?
The third generation of Hansgrohe's Raindance marks a significant milestone in PHOENIX's journey. We are facing significant challenges relating to people's relationship with water today. We've designed Raindance to lead Hansgrohe towards its ambitious sustainability goals for 2030. The Green Vision, released in 2023, outlines the path towards a bathroom of the future and guides the industry on how to evolve. We found ways to intensify the experience of water while combining solutions for its responsible use. The new showers consume significantly less water, reducing consumption by almost half since the first generation.
There's no standard formula for redesigning an icon like Raindance. We've learned that icons can fade away if they fail to meet expectations. Design is more than what we see with our eyes. It's about creating a deeper connection between people, products, and the environment. To make these changes possible, you need close companions and great collaboration that allows challenge and compromise—a true partnership of trust, understanding, and mutual respect. We have been fortunate to have such an incredible team with us on our journey with Hansgrohe over the past 38 years. With their dedication, expertise, curiosity, perseverance and passion, we have not only reinvented an iconic product like Raindance, but also pushed the boundaries of what is possible in a space we all use every day - the bathroom.
In terms of physical presence, PHOENIX aimed for a calm and minimalist design language while connecting individual parts of the shower to create integration with the room's architecture and using clear geometries to make designs comprehensible and evident. Though newly launched, Raindance Alive has already made a powerful impact in the design community. Barely entering the market, it has been honoured with some of the highest accolades in the industry, including the Gold Award at the iF Design Awards and the prestigious Best of the Best distinction from the Red Dot Design Award. These recognitions underscore the strength of the design vision and the effectiveness of PHOENIX’s integrated approach as a leading product design studio. They validate Raindance Alive as not only a technical innovation but a cultural one — A True Icon.
