Since 2012, PROTOS® has been synonymous with top-of-the-line integral head protection. Developed and manufactured in Koblach, Vorarlberg, the brand has become the global benchmark for head protection in extreme working environments: from forestry and tree care to rescue operations and road maintenance, all the way to industrial and construction applications.
The Product Configurator Takes Center Stage
At the heart of the new website is the “Design Your PROTOS®” product configurator. Users select the helmet style, shell color, and graphics; the combination is displayed in real time, all the way through to full customization via PROTOS® UNIKAT with a company logo, custom color, or custom design on the shell and visor. Both technically and conceptually, the configurator was the most challenging part of the project: the logic behind colors, components, and accessories had to be neatly mapped within the content model so that the PROTOS® team could independently manage new colors, special editions, and product lines without requiring developer intervention.
Design and User Experience
The visual language deliberately focuses on minimalist layouts, bold product photography, and clear safety symbols, fully in line with the developed style guide. Instead of soft animations typical of lifestyle brands, the site uses precise, functional transitions that underscore the brand’s technical reliability. Emotional depth is provided by the “Survival Stories” (real-life testimonials from people whose lives were saved by PROTOS®), which were deliberately integrated into the site structure as a standalone, easily discoverable section.
The Challenge
PROTOS® is not a single product, but a system: Climber, Forest, Arborist, Rescue, Road, and Industry differ in certification, attachments, and intended use, but can be combined using shared components such as MaClip chin straps, crash absorbers, or the KlimaAIR® padding. This modular product structure had to be digitally represented in a way that remains understandable to both specialty retailers and end customers, across languages and markets.
Technical Implementation
Unlike traditional corporate projects, we deliberately chose Sanity as the headless CMS instead of WordPress. The reason lies in the product itself: A configurable system consisting of colors, components, certifications, and market variants requires a structured, freely customizable content model—a level of flexibility that a traditional theme-based system simply cannot provide. With Sanity as the headless backend and a high-performance frontend, the configurator could be directly connected to the product data, loading times could be kept low despite high-resolution product images, and the PROTOS® team was provided with a platform where marketing and product management can independently maintain content, colors, and new product lines.
Conclusion
A brand known for precision in action has evolved into a digital presence that reflects exactly that precision: a clearly structured system instead of a single website, a configurator instead of a static product page, and a style guide that ensures brand consistency across all touchpoints. A prime example of how concept, design, and a headless architecture come together to form a product that is as well-thought-out as the head protection it showcases.
