Safe Kitchen Utensil Competition
Role: Design research/product designer
Timeline: Sept.-Dec. 2019, ~15 weeks
Programs: Procreate, SolidWorks, Key Shot
Outcome: Winning Concept
Brief
Baum Essex Manufacturing came to the students of Syracuse University’s Industrial and Interaction Design program to identify a white space within the kitchen gadget industry. The outcome of the project must be a kitchen product that fills the identified white space with design constraints such as a physical gadget with little to no electric components. The most successful concept was selected and considered for manufacturing through Baum Essex.
Statement
How might we design an innovative, manually operated kitchen gadget that enhances the user experience through the lens of safety and usability?
Solution
The final concept is a grater that eliminates the danger of the user injuring their fingers by integrating the cutting surface within the product, using a pumping action to make it spin and grate the ingredient. The concept was selected by Baum Essex as the most successful solution to their brief and is being considered for manufacture.
Identifying the problem.
To identify the the white space in the kitchen gadget industry, I conducted a survey of 30 users to determine what products provide the least favorable experiences and why.
Field research
After identifying the opportunity to design a safer grater, I observed several users grate cheese on two grater different typologies. Users tested the upright grater as well as a microplane to identify pain points and positive experiences with the product.
Concepts
Using the insights from the survey and field research, I ideated various concepts to pitch to Baum-Essex Manufacturing. These grater concepts focused on safety and stronger affordances for improved user experience. Their designers and executives agreed that the pumping grater design had the most promise moving forward.
Prototyping
To understand how this concept would function, I made physical prototypes using 3-D printing. After testing with users, the result is is a rail system that allows the within the body of the grater that spins when pushed down and springs back up. The grating happens radially inside to protect your hand from being cut and exerting less energy.
Final grater concept
The final concept is a grater that eliminates the danger of the user injuring their fingers by integrating the cutting surface within the product, using a pumping action to make it spin and grate the ingredient. The concept was selected by Baum Essex as the most successful solution to their brief and is being considered for manufacture.
