Walden
Gooseneck Kettle
Industrial Design + User Experience
Walden is a fun project I undertook with an intriguing brief - designing an electric kettle with the usability of a turntable. The idea is to tastefully combine the flavors of Industrial and User Experience Design. The project came with a lot of learning which I try to share through this presentation.
Ease of use, familiar and intuitive interaction, an uncluttered layout, feedback, and aesthetic appeal remain central themes throughout the entire design process. Every decision to add or remove a design element is based on its relevance to these themes. Ultimately, maintaining this clarity and refining it throughout the process resulted in a delightful cohesive experience with a strong emotional connection for the user - all packaged in a beautiful tabletop appliance.
Breaking into the first "workable" idea was challenging. However, once I had a fair understanding of how both products (a conventional electric kettle, and a turntable) functioned, more ideas sprang up. Yet, the more demanding task was effectively communicating these ideas in a way that resonated with the user. This is when I turned to the humble MS PowerPoint to create animated GIFs that quickly convey the concepts. Finally, to tie it all together, one concept was selected - modelled and rendered in Blender with some post processing done in Photoshop.
Inspiration Board
Different inspiration boards are created for each key design element - Kettle body, Handle, Lid, User Interface (UI) and Controls, Base, Materials, Display etc. Breaking down the product this way brings clarity to decision making and reinforces the design intent.
wire management
2D glass/acrylic for base panel ?
tapered base for a "floating" feel ?
understanding the "Gooseneck" spout
depressed base to avoid spillage ?
buttons and branding on side face ?
under panel
hidden display ?
buttons ?
How Walden works?
The next critical step is to nail down on the product's functionality. A step-by-step understanding of how it works helps narrow down the search for the appropriate UI and ID elements - resulting in a product that people understand.
User toggles to QUICK mode
Turns knob to browse through preset temperatures for each beverage
eg. Expresso, Green tea etc.
Display changes to show preset name and temperature setting
Presses knob to start heating
Once heated, desired temperature is maintained for 10 minutes
Lift kettle and place it back to reset timer
User toggles to HOLD mode
Turns knob to set desired temperature
Presses knob to start heating
Once heated, desired temperature is maintained for 60 minutes
"Hold 60 min" is a countdown
Lift kettle and place it back to reset timer
User Interface & Layout
With the functionality in order, I started exploring different ways to achieve the same results. Here, I used MS PowerPoint to ideate on the layout and really focus on replicating the UX subtleties of each ID element (highlighted in orange) - like the smooth yet firm motion of the tone arm, the precise rotation of a knob or the haptics of temperature/mode slider.
Tone arm like control to switch modes
Under panel "hidden" display
Slider instead of Knob for temperature setting
Celsius - Fahrenheit toggle switch
Portrait and Landscape screen orientation
The Money-makers
2D ideation is a quick and easy way to explore multiple options and understand product dynamics but limiting in its ways to communicate a holistic picture. So as my understanding of the product grew, I moved to 3D ideations. This gave me chance to explore different kettle & handle designs, UI elements, and materials.
Contextual Renders
Sketches and Renders have their own place in the design process. What the sketches may sometimes fail to convey, contextual renders can make up for in their ability to more accurately represent materials and environment. Adding common-relatable objects like mugs and plates will help nail down the product intent. Like I did- using Blender and post-processing in Photoshop.
