ZShield

In early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for personal protective equipment (PPE), ZVerse, a Columbia, South Carolina-based digital manufacturing company, pivoted its operations to address the crisis. Leveraging its CAD-as-a-Service (CADaaS) platform, ZVerse, led by founder and CEO John Carrington, collaborated with industrial designer Scott Henderson to develop the ZShield, an innovative neck-mounted face shield designed for comfort and functionality. Initially focused on healthcare workers, the ZShield Flex was refined for broader use in industries like food service, retail, and education, featuring a lightweight, ergonomic design that clips around the neck and allows easy flipping for accessibility. By April 2020, ZVerse scaled production from 3D printing to injection molding, enabling the company to produce up to 100,000 shields per day, with plans to manufacture 20 million by July. The ZShield’s innovative design earned a 2020 Fast Company Innovation by Design Award, and its adoption by major clients like Disney, Chick-fil-A, and Walgreens, along with sales of over four million units, solidified ZVerse’s role as a leading PPE supplier.

Southbound Studio played a pivotal role in amplifying ZVerse’s global reach by designing and implementing a Shopify ecommerce platform to facilitate ZShield sales. Launched in 2020, this user-friendly online store enabled ZVerse to market and sell its award-winning face shields directly to consumers and businesses worldwide, contributing to millions of dollars in sales. Southbound Studio’s expertise ensured the Shopify site was visually appealing, easy to navigate, and optimized for seamless transactions, supporting both individual purchases and bulk orders for clients like hospitals, government agencies, and major corporations. By integrating features like customizable product options and secure payment processing, the platform effectively met the surging demand for PPE, helping ZVerse distribute over four million shields globally while reinforcing its reputation as a trusted supplier during the pandemic.