Belm Designs was given the opportunity to develop a fresh new look and feel for Barracuda Networks hardware line of network servers. Barracuda Networks is considered by most in the networking world as Mavericks so the design had to be cool, functional and have a high level of manufacturability while still looking and feeling Barracuda. Working closely with Barracuda's VP of Worldwide Manufacturing we were able to turn the design in to a reality.
The re-design included 1U and 2U server chassis along with a desktop model so any design we came up with must work across all chassis types. We started with the 1U server front fascia and gave it a laser cut flow-through grill for better air throughput and cooling. Some knew portions of the grill would have to house ports, lights, etc. so during the laser cutting process some areas where left uncut to provide the necessary backing for the components. The logo/branding was another area where we saw room for improvement so in place of the screen printed logo that adorned the existing front face we opted for a 3D emblem with a chrome on black finish that sat atop a larger blue barracuda tooth. The effect is striking as the logo almost seems to float off the grill while adding a more precise branding solution.
The left and right sides of the front fascia where given rounded corners for modern look and all indicator lights where swapped out for new smaller pin-light LED's and blue back-lit icons. The entire chassis was given a black beaded power-coated finished with the Barracuda logo etched on the top cover plate. All product names, model numbers and marking on the front panel were given a uniform text treatment that spans the entire line. Dubbed the (Vader-Chassis internally) all hardware lines will eventually adopt the new design.
Server Re-design behind the scenes photos below....
