“We’re all guilty of it”, says Simon Lyons, founder of Version 22, “leaving the house and forgetting that important thing we had to remember to bring along.” Geco Hub, a grab and go storage product by Version 22, aims to stop that happening again.

Who are you and how did Geco Hub come about?

My name is Simon Lyons, and I am the founder of design studio Version 22. While studying product design engineering at university, I realised there was a common reason why people often lose or misplace valuable belongings.

• They’re always needed at hand, so people don’t put them away.

• This means they’re instead left out in a limbo of bills, paperwork and magazines where they’re prone to being covered up and lost.

Geco Hub came about as a way to stop this happening by being the go-to temporary storage spot just for the important stuff.

In two sentences, what is Geco Hub for and how does it work?

Geco Hub is the modular and customisable 3D printed notice board for all the important things you always use. Its flexible matrix adapts to hold your belongings securely, so they’re always there at hand when you need them.

What steps have you taken to get Geco Hub to market?

I have entered several competitions over the past year or so to spread the word about Version 22, meet great people in the right industries and raise money to develop Geco Hub. I’ve also recently taken the step of launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to help take Geco Hub into production.

Tell us one critical thing you’ve learnt about developing a physical product

One of the biggest things I would say I’ve learnt is to speak with professionals as early as possible during the development process. For example, if you’re looking to get a product manufactured, speak to a manufacturer before you have the design finalised as this will help ensure your final design is optimal and keep costs down.

What company in your industry do you most admire?

I would say the company I most admire in my industry would be Joseph Joseph, the designer kitchenwares company. They started out as two brothers fresh out of university – one of them actually studied at Loughborough University, the same university as me – and went on to become a global kitchenware brand with a huge range of innovative products.

Where do you see Version 22 five years from now?

In 5 years Version 22 will have a number of products in its range and will be selling online and in high-street stores worldwide. Version 22 will be known for producing products that not only solve the everyday problems but do so in a way that sparks conversation.

What’s the next step for Version 22 and Geco Hub?

The next step for Geco Hub is to successfully fund the Geco Hub Kickstarter campaign and enter production by the end of 2014. I then aim to start work finalising the development of Version 22’s second product for release next year.

Editor’s note: The team at version 22 has recently launched a new product called Nimble and are continuing to sell Gecco Hub with great success. (1 April, 2017)