A new system helps coaches in accurately monitoring the physical performance of their field sports players. Our company is responsible for the full process of designing, engineering and producing the system’s components. The system called JOHAN gives real-time insights in capabilities and progress of each individual team player and helps tracking injuries at an early stage. When adapting their training programs accordingly, the team performance can definitely be improved.

JOHAN is named after the legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruijff and offers the first affordable, mobile tracking system for field sports. Each player wears a small device to track location, speed, distances and accelerations. These measured data are visualised online in a personalised analysis environment for coaches and players. They are immediately aware of each individual’s physical condition and can act accordingly. Components of this innovative system are the JOHAN tracker, the JOHAN vest, the JOHAN suitcase and the online app.

Our agency was involved already from the conceptual stage. The JOHAN team filled us in on their first design ideas of the tracker. It should be light and small enough to carry around and of course also be robust. Enthusiastic about their ideas we started the development process.

Our team created a white housing with a gentle, natural, stony design without any sharp edges. It carries all necessary electronics and avoids skin irritation. Once the design was definite, all electronics should be put into place. The FLEX/the Workshop team produced a first series of 200 housings. Finally we assembled all components creating the trackers.

The comfortable JOHAN vests we developed are thin yet strong and made of a breathable fabric. Last but not least the trackers are easily changed in and out. The last component we created and assembled was the JOHAN suitcase. It accommodates 24 JOHAN trackers, which can be charged and read simultaneously without any hassle.

An important condition for fast realisation from concept to final product was the in house process at our company from first design idea to small series production. The intense cooperation with the JOHAN team, the electronics producer and other companies involved led to a unique product.

Dutch professional soccer teams De Graafschap and FC Volendam perform the final tests. The commercial product launch is expected in December 2015.