The Ola Vibrator: Creating a Buzz in the Design Community

June 29, 2012


We know it's not nice to keep secrets from friends, but we've been keeping a great big one all to ourselves lately. And quite frankly, we've been busting out at the seams to try to keep it under wraps. So we're so happy to make it official today. Your favorite vibrator, Ola, has been honored by the prestigious Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) with the IDEA prize for design excellence.  For over 30 years, the IDEA program has recognized new products that advance design excellence in sustainability, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research and concepts. Or as they like to say...

"In the field of design there are many competitions, but only the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is recognized as the preeminent international design competition and referred to as “the Oscars of Design.”


OK, it's not really the red carpet but we are, understandably, most thrilled to be among the esteemed design winners who are all leading forces in creating better life experiences through thoughtfully executed design. It's not only for our sake that we feel touched by this award. It was never just about making a beautiful object or an innovative user interface. We view it from a broader perspective as the design community acknowledges and validates our mission to elevate human sexuality products into the health and lifestyle category. Once relegated behind the seedy curtains of yesteryear, pleasure products now transcend the novelty sex toy genre to be part of the normalized discourse of healthy human sexuality. Granted this sounds very high-minded but we think there's been a true need to bring a natural experience to the way women and couples engage in play to discover pleasure of their own design. “Ola is an extension of the body and not just a toy to be held,” says John Pelochino CEO of Minna Life. “When we began developing Ola, the challenge was to take the traditional vibrator interface and create a more intuitive and ergonomic experience.” The result of that endeavor was a new kind of vibrator, one that gives people the means to create and control their own unique path to a pleasurable and healthy sex life.  For this we truly are most honored to be recognized.

The official award presentation will be the highlight of the The Future is… IDSA's 2012 International Conference in Boston where the the IDEA's highest distinction, Best in Show, will be unveiled to the community of design professionals. Our Ola vibrator design will take its place in the annual gallery of IDEA winners and can be viewed online. Along with the IDEA 2012 media partners, Curve magazine, Core 77 and Yanko Design, we applaud and are truly inspired by all the innovative concepts and creations that were presented this year.