Gold Furniture Accessories, Hardware and Materials Design · 2024
Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Smart Door Lock
by Yale and Bould Design Agency
- A' Design Award 2024 Gold Winner in Furniture Accessories, Hardware and Materials Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Yale
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 168,156
- Verification code 191135EA71 · Verify this award
About Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Smart Door Lock
Linus L2 is a smart door lock designed to be fitted to the inside of an existing door. Linus L2 allows a door to be locked and unlocked through a mobile application, a separate keypad or a contactless tag reader, and the door status can be checked remotely. Two mounting plates allow attachment to many lock types and most cylinders, including doors found in Finland. The body is metal and made by precision casting. The product size was reduced by twenty percent, and a rechargeable battery pack replaces disposable cells.
Within the evolving landscape of residential hardware design, Yale, ASSA ABLOY's Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Smart Door Lock emerges as a refined exemplar of contemporary smart home aesthetics that successfully bridges technological functionality with domestic visual harmony. The design appears to draw upon established Scandinavian design principles, where form follows function with elegant restraint, creating objects that integrate seamlessly into living environments without asserting visual dominance. The stadium-shaped silhouette, with its fully radiused terminations, represents a considered departure from earlier generations of electronic locks that often emphasized technological complexity through busy surfaces and multiple visible components. Here, the designer has consolidated interactive elements into a single prominent rotary control, positioning user engagement at the natural hand-height while maintaining clean surfaces elsewhere. The chromatic strategy of offering both warm silver and cool black variants demonstrates thoughtful attention to diverse interior contexts, acknowledging that door hardware must harmonize with existing architectural finishes ranging from warm wood tones to contemporary dark metals. Technical accomplishment manifests in the apparent precision of component fit, the consistency of surface treatment, and the careful proportion relationship between the circular control element and the overall body dimensions. The gentle vertical channel running below the rotary mechanism may suggest an evolution from traditional keyhole placement, maintaining visual reference to hardware conventions while indicating the shift toward keyless operation. This work invites contemplation of how security technologies might increasingly disappear into domestic aesthetics, becoming unremarkable presences that protect without proclaiming their protective function.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Designed to increase convenience while not reducing security, the Linus® L2 Smart Lock combines aesthetics, functionality, and innovation in one product. It perfectly blends with different architectural styles, from more traditional to the most contemporary. The shape and size of the product allow it to be installed across EMEIA, including Finnish doors which pose a unique design challenge. The lock has two mounting plates that allow it to be attached to many types of locks and most cylinders.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Compatible Smartphone: Yale Home app for your iOS or Android smartphone.
Communication: Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 2.4 -5 GHz
Two-factor security: Your Yale Home account is protected with 2-factor authentication, which means that on top of your password, the system will check your identity based on either an email or phone number.
Encryption: 128-bit AES encryption
Product dimensions (W x H x D): 51.7mm x 146.2mm x 45.75mm (without thumb turn).
Battery type: Rechargeable battery pack with 2x 18650 Li-ion cells - Tags
- smart lock, smart security, security made simple, smart home, home automation, lock
- Production Technology
- Utilising advanced manufacturing techniques, the Linus Smart Lock L2 embodies cutting-edge production technology. Precision casting methods were employed to craft its fully metal design, ensuring maximum quality and durability. Additionally, state-of-the-art assembly processes were implemented to integrate the strongest motor on the market seamlessly. For a faster, quieter, world-class lock experience.
- Design Challenge
- The most daunting challenge was engineering Linus L2 to accommodate the unique door specifications in Finland. The larger door seals exert an increased sideload on the lock mechanism, to address this we shrunk the product's size by 20% while simultaneously doubling the torque to 2.5Nm. Collaborative efforts between local teams in Finland and engineering teams in Sweden and Korea resulted in a compact, high-torque solution that seamlessly integrates without compromising on quality or aesthetics.
- Project Duration
- The project started in November 2021, with collaborative efforts spanning multiple continents across the globe. Teams were strategically positioned in Korea, Sweden, and the UK to leverage their respective expertise. Internal teams from Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa ensured the product's compatibility with diverse door locks, encompassing a broad spectrum of geographical and cultural contexts. Despite these logistical complexities, Linus L2 successfully launched in March 2024.
- Operation Flow
- Turn your regular door lock into a smart one. Following simple instructions on the Yale Home App, Linus L2 will fit to the inside of your existing door with all tools needed to fit the lock included in the box. Once installed, you can lock/unlock your door using the app, the keypad (sold separately) or by tapping your phone against our new NFC reader Yale Dot. Program the lock automatically to lock/unlock, or monitor the status of your door from anywhere in the world in the app.
The Linus L2 is battery-powered and can communicate directly to mobile phones via Bluetooth and therefore would not be affected by the power being removed. The only thing that would likely no longer function is the remote functionality (unlocking the lock when away from home). However, that is just because the router/internet in the customer's house would likely stop working. - Research
- We employed a multidisciplinary approach combining design thinking, user research and technological feasibility studies using surveys, interviews, prototyping and market analysis gathered by global teams. Our insights guided the development of features such as Wi-Fi connectivity and the Yale Dot, enhancing user experience and convenience. Research informed strategic decisions, ensuring alignment with evolving market demands and sustainability goals, creating a next-generation access solution.
- Inspiration
- We wanted to expand Linus into new markets that use a 22mm Round Cylinder, to improve its performance, and to make it more sustainable. This was achieved by redesigning the motor and gear train to increase speed/torque to unlock/lock stubborn locks. Our sustainability aims were achieved by adding a rechargeable battery pack for high-power operations to remove the need for non-rechargeable cells, and by reducing the size of the product by 20% to use less material for a more sustainable product.
- Image Credits
- Yale, ASSA ABLOY group
- Patents
- Yale Dot trademark: year 2023, EUTM Registration No. 018898491
Yale Dot design: year 2023, RCD Registration No. 015038446-0001
Linus trademark, year 2016, reg. n. 1289066, jurisdictions: argentina, brazil, canada, chile, peru, taiwan, china, UK, turkey, EU
Linus design: year 2023, reg. n. 015001718, jurisdictions: EU, UK, IL, CN, TR, UAE
Colors of Yale Linus Smart Lock L2 Smart Door Lock
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