Team Member: Wenyao Liu
3.5 Weeks
*Project limited to virtual due to Covid
Research and use the visual language of an existing brand to design a writing instrument that fits into a product family of that brand and meets the needs of the brand's users.
A high-end, permanent marker fitted with a thermometer designed for chefs in a professional kitchen environment.
"Electrolux shapes living for the better by reinventing taste, care and wellbeing experiences, making life more enjoyable and sustainable for millions of people."
We chose to use the visual language of the Expressionist Collection, which targets professional kitchens and wealthy homeowners who desire the status of professional-grade equipment.
We selected the Kettle as the “signature product” from which we took its patterns of form, geometry, color, materials, and finish. Specifically, its square with rounded edges, TPE for grip, brushed stainless steel, a circle-to-square transition, and the signature notch.
Compared to other brands in the market, Electrolux is one of the few companies that provides professional kitchen appliances.
Electrolux claims to be the only brand in the market that provides a complete range of professional kitchen appliances. Therefore, the brand tends to be more professional.
Electrolux targets profession chefs, who use Electrolux products in professional kitchen environments. Every chef keeps a permanent marker on them to label items.
Chefs also frequently use pocket thermometers to monitor dishes. We thought we could combine these needs.
The heavier the instrument, the less likely the chef will be to lose it
Must be bold and legible
Must work on plastic, metal, glass, etc.
Allow for reuse
Allows for cleaning the writing instrument under the sink
Stays in hand when greasy
Our marker-thermometer has the same geometric, lofted, and minimal radii as the Electrolux Expressionist Collection. It also makes use of AISI 304 Brushed Stainless Steel, Pantone 4293 C TPE grips, and polypropylene inner.
Root 5 rectangles, derived from the Expressionist Collection, drove the body-breaks, display, and grip placements.
The snap-fit marker head that holds the ink reservoir by ribs comes out for refill. Inserting the snap fit needle-head that holds the button batteries completes the circuit with contact levers.
The whole body has a double wall of a stainless steel outer and a polypropylene inner to hold components. All plastic-steel connections are snap-fit. O-rings at all entrance points make the instrument waterproof, allowing for washing under the sink. The stainless steel will be deep drawn, cut, and machined and the polypropylene will be injection molded.
