lacie, “rugged” hard drive

since it’s introduction in 2005, the lacie “rugged” portable hard drive has become the de-facto industry standard with over 6 million units sold.

loved by customers worldwide and trusted by video, film and music industry professionals to keep their data safe, neil poulton’s shock-resistant, shock-orange design has become an icon. 15 years after it’s launch, rugged is still market leader, a rarity in an unforgiving technology sector characterised by quickly forgotten, short-lived products.

today rugged’s design has been subtly updated to integrate new form factors, bigger capacities, ip68 waterproofing, ssd drives, computer-free operation, 2 ton crush resistance & 2m drop protection - lacie rugged is designed for performance, as well as scalable mass production and cost effectiveness.

rugged’s enduring success owes much to neil poulton’s timeless orange "basketball-inspired" design statement, built on a core design language which focuses equally on aesthetics, tactile ergonomics and functionality.

the result is an instantly identifiable, timeless product, a rounded tactile experience and an unbreakable performance beloved by over 6 million end-users the world over.

the original 2005 lacie rugged, design by neil poulton, is included the permanent collection of centre georges pompidou - beaubourg - in paris, france.

lead photo — rugged xl, design by neil poulton for lacie, photo by nicolas foucher.
lacie-owned photos © seagate technology

design by neil poulton