About

The Vizor was conceived by California architect David Lenahan in late 2003 following an incidence of skin cancer in his family. He noted typical ages-old patio umbrellas didn’t provide a stationary target zone of shade over the course of the day. They were simply not designed to do so. As the sun moved, the shaded zone moved with it, away from the table and chairs. You moved, too, if you wanted to remain in protective shade.

In response, David merged sweeping canopy asymmetry with orbital motion, creating a striking functional design for this century. The Vizor was born, and introduced by D’firo Design, Inc., David’s corporate vehicle for Vizor marketing and sales.

D’firo applied for patent protection in the US, the EU, and Hong Kong in early 2004, and in late 2010 the USPTO issued a utility patent for the Vizor canopy (US 7,814,920 B2).

Vizor debuted at the 2005 Casual Market show in Chicago where it was described as a premiere product that “raised the design bar for the entire shade segment.” It was the first segment product ever designed to provide superior shade function for this century. It was not simply another fashion statement.

OPPORTUNITY

Vizor was enthusiastically received by product reviewers and early adopters alike. Commercial clients included Morimoto Restaurant Waikiki, the MoMA Café NYC, and Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, among others.

Vizor was featured on the HGTV show I Want That, and selected by Sunset Magazine for display at their 2006 House of Innovation, an annual showcase for cutting edge products.

David took an unexpected early retirement from his architectural practice in in 2018 for health reasons, and has decided to offer the Vizor patent rights, product inventory, engineering, canopy graphic designs, and base design to selected US and EU manufacturers.