Brilliant design – the key to creating attention in a crowded market
Kim Hollamby asks Slovenian manufacturer LXNAV why it decided to think different when creating the DAME Design Awards overall winning E360 chart plotter and understand how it was created.
Thursday, 27 November 2025
The E360 is a 4in (102mm) round touchscreen multi-function display that captured the imagination of the DAME Design Awards Jury, right from the outset of the assessment process. It looked different, worked well without a glitch and just felt right. While there were several close contenders, in the end there was something special about LXNAV’s attention to every detail that made it stand out.
This product features the ability to display a wide range of NMEA 2000 data, including the latest electric PGNs (Parameter Group Numbers). It is supplied with preloaded OpenSeaMap charts, offers Navionics compatibility via SD card and has built-in Fusion music control. The E360 is waterproof to IPX6 and includes built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. It offers high levels of user customisation for displayed data and alert thresholds. The DAME Design Awards Jury praised its easily integrated compact, cohesive design, matched by an intuitive user interface, broad range of functions and responsive screen.
But why make a round multi-function display in the first place? At first thought, it’s not the easiest form factor to work with. To understand more, it helps to look at the company’s history.
Around 2016 LXNAV’s co-founders, CEO Erazem Połutnik and CTO Uroš Krašovic decided to diversify. The pair were both owners of boats and had formed opinions on what they would like to see in the next generation of marine electronics products. The possibility for creating a modern eco system through the adoption of the NMEA 2000 communications protocol was the catalyst. Their belief was that they could bring LXNAV’s high-quality design and manufacturing standards that are mandatory within aviation applications and apply them to the marine electronics sector.
In the years since the company launched its E-series 5in, 7in and 9in rectangular form factor chart plotters using a proprietary in-house coded user interface designed to mimic smartphone operation. These products leant on the company’s aviation expertise and included programming to generate intelligent warnings that automatically switch the screen to the highest priority information, such as shallow depth, low fuel or falling voltage, according to user defined parameters.
The company also developed an outlier – a hybrid 4.5in circular instrument that combined an analogue needle for engine RPM with a 3.5in LCD multi-function screen. The E350 used a jog dial for control and found an application aboard some Sunseeker models.
LXNAV has subsequently added a range of easily configurable NMEA 2000 compatible sensors and converters to provide engine, GPS, fluid level, battery and atmospheric data. These use QR codes enabling configuration by smartphone over WiFi. The busy nearby Croatian charter market also prompted the company to develop a plug and play boat tracking solution with the means to communicate alarms back to base.
executed well, a round multi-function touchscreen would draw attention and echo classically oriented design themes in vogue, such as the iconic circular instrument of BMW’s ‘new’ Mini.
Sales and marketing lead for LXNAV Marine, Franck Blanchard explains: “The E350 was a beautiful device, but we’d been thinking that it would be nice to have a bigger map chart on the screen and control the display with a touchscreen. In total it took more than a year to design and prepare the E360 for launch. First, we tested different display types before choosing the one that provided the faster and most reliable response. The operating software is the same as that used on our rectangular chart plotters, just adapted for the different screen shape, making it familiar for users using more than one type of screen.
“The NMEA 2000 connected jog wheel is no longer essential as it was on the E350. But is an available option to cater for some boats where the dashboard is a long reach away, as well as for easy operation when the boat is moving very dynamically. It's a system that will also be familiar to car drivers and those that are perhaps not experienced boat users.”
In terms of impact, Blanchard hoped that the E360 would get recognised as something different at Metstrade and achieve a DAME Design Awards nomination. Both he and CEO Erazem Połutnik were completely surprised when first being announced as a category winner and then overall winner. Proof that their design objectives were significantly exceeded.
In terms of overall impact and application, LXNAV could see how the E360 would sit well at the helm station of classically styled boats, but Blanchard also points out that the way the in-house team is structured means they can quickly adapt their product software to
specific requirements. He sits in the middle of the team between the developers and production staff and can discuss client requirements as soon as they become known.
“We may be a small business, but we’ve put our aviation expertise into the marine sector and applied the same high standard in terms of designing and manufacturing the products. Our size is also a strength, allowing us to quickly react and adapt to the many different demands of our customers today.”
This product features the ability to display a wide range of NMEA 2000 data, including the latest electric PGNs (Parameter Group Numbers). It is supplied with preloaded OpenSeaMap charts, offers Navionics compatibility via SD card and has built-in Fusion music control. The E360 is waterproof to IPX6 and includes built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. It offers high levels of user customisation for displayed data and alert thresholds. The DAME Design Awards Jury praised its easily integrated compact, cohesive design, matched by an intuitive user interface, broad range of functions and responsive screen.
But why make a round multi-function display in the first place? At first thought, it’s not the easiest form factor to work with. To understand more, it helps to look at the company’s history.
Aviation origins
LXNAV was founded in 2009 to design and manufacture high technology avionics for gliders and light sport aircraft. It soon made a name for itself in aviation and today commands a significant majority of the glider market, having manufactured more than 10,000 instruments.Around 2016 LXNAV’s co-founders, CEO Erazem Połutnik and CTO Uroš Krašovic decided to diversify. The pair were both owners of boats and had formed opinions on what they would like to see in the next generation of marine electronics products. The possibility for creating a modern eco system through the adoption of the NMEA 2000 communications protocol was the catalyst. Their belief was that they could bring LXNAV’s high-quality design and manufacturing standards that are mandatory within aviation applications and apply them to the marine electronics sector.
In the years since the company launched its E-series 5in, 7in and 9in rectangular form factor chart plotters using a proprietary in-house coded user interface designed to mimic smartphone operation. These products leant on the company’s aviation expertise and included programming to generate intelligent warnings that automatically switch the screen to the highest priority information, such as shallow depth, low fuel or falling voltage, according to user defined parameters.
The company also developed an outlier – a hybrid 4.5in circular instrument that combined an analogue needle for engine RPM with a 3.5in LCD multi-function screen. The E350 used a jog dial for control and found an application aboard some Sunseeker models.
LXNAV has subsequently added a range of easily configurable NMEA 2000 compatible sensors and converters to provide engine, GPS, fluid level, battery and atmospheric data. These use QR codes enabling configuration by smartphone over WiFi. The busy nearby Croatian charter market also prompted the company to develop a plug and play boat tracking solution with the means to communicate alarms back to base.
Getting noticed in the marketplace
The logic for the birth of the E360 stemmed partly from LXNAV realising how it could iteratively improve the E350 to be much more versatile and easier to read. Perhaps more importantly, it was realised that, as a relatively unknown small business, it was hard to make its rectangular form factor chart plotters stand out against the market leaders. Ifexecuted well, a round multi-function touchscreen would draw attention and echo classically oriented design themes in vogue, such as the iconic circular instrument of BMW’s ‘new’ Mini.
Sales and marketing lead for LXNAV Marine, Franck Blanchard explains: “The E350 was a beautiful device, but we’d been thinking that it would be nice to have a bigger map chart on the screen and control the display with a touchscreen. In total it took more than a year to design and prepare the E360 for launch. First, we tested different display types before choosing the one that provided the faster and most reliable response. The operating software is the same as that used on our rectangular chart plotters, just adapted for the different screen shape, making it familiar for users using more than one type of screen.
“The NMEA 2000 connected jog wheel is no longer essential as it was on the E350. But is an available option to cater for some boats where the dashboard is a long reach away, as well as for easy operation when the boat is moving very dynamically. It's a system that will also be familiar to car drivers and those that are perhaps not experienced boat users.”
In terms of impact, Blanchard hoped that the E360 would get recognised as something different at Metstrade and achieve a DAME Design Awards nomination. Both he and CEO Erazem Połutnik were completely surprised when first being announced as a category winner and then overall winner. Proof that their design objectives were significantly exceeded.
Flexible approach
Today LXNAV employs around 35 staff in Celje, Slovenia. They work across the gliding and marine product ranges. Around half are focused on research and development, with the balance on production and administration.In terms of overall impact and application, LXNAV could see how the E360 would sit well at the helm station of classically styled boats, but Blanchard also points out that the way the in-house team is structured means they can quickly adapt their product software to
specific requirements. He sits in the middle of the team between the developers and production staff and can discuss client requirements as soon as they become known.
Towards the future
In terms of next steps, LXNAV is exploring concepts for launching a range of smart 2in (50mm) round gauges, opening many options for retrofit sales as well as working with OEMs. “We’ve had feedback that people would like to replace analogue dials,” Blanchard explains. “A major reason we have attended Metstrade ever since launching in the marine market is to talk to customers and get their feedback. The show is a great place for us to be – we really like to work with boatbuilders and engine manufacturers and already have several well-established collaborations with companies including Vetus and Rim Drive Technology.“We may be a small business, but we’ve put our aviation expertise into the marine sector and applied the same high standard in terms of designing and manufacturing the products. Our size is also a strength, allowing us to quickly react and adapt to the many different demands of our customers today.”
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