as product design

umar pandor

Alessi

alessi umar

pandor

2 dixons city

academy

Introduction

Design Brief

Product Analysis

Product Disassembly

Primary Research

Specification

Initial Ideas

Modelling & Testing

Making Plan

Design Proposal

Evaluation

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alessi umar

pandor

3 dixons city

academy

History: AlessiAlessi is a company which employs the

worlds most interesting designers to create

innovative products which attracts the eye.

Alessi was founded in 1921, when Giovanni

Alessi bought a piece of land in Omegna,

Italy for the start-up of a company that

made household objects in copper, brass,

nickel and silver.

Alessi’s son, Carlo Alessi, introduced

designs and started mass production of

stainless-steel household items. Carlo’s

brother, Ettore, attracted external designers

from 1955, including the architects Carlo

Mazzeri, Luigi Massoni and Anselmo Vitale.

Design SignatureEvery Alessi product has a particular style to it.

The company employs designers to design

household items to a particular design

specification.

Some products are linked with the theme of

nature, like the kettle with the red bird on the

spout and the other with wooden fish designs

for the handle and the spout. On other

products Alessi has a nature theme but also

uses bright colours.

Usually there are two types of styles Alessi

has: the first, a modern style usually made of

stainless steel using simple geometric shapes

and curves, making the whole product look

simplified.

Others, using polymers and bright colours for

the products and also use simplified shapes

which look effective.

alessi umar

pandor

4 dixons city

academy

SituationI intend to design and manufacture a

kitchen appliance in the style of a

particular designer or organisation. I

have chosen to design a product in the

style of Alessi because I particularly

like the way the organisation uses

stainless steel for most of their

products and their design signature of

the cut-out men.

Target MarketThe product would be aimed at people

from ages 20-25. this is because this is

when people have a more modern

taste. The product would also be aimed

at people who like to collect modern

household items and to put them on

show.

Initial Design

Specification I am going to design a kettle in

the style of Alessi

It has to be a prototype and not

necessarily a working product

The product must be attractive

and eye-catching, so it catches

the attention of the audience

The idea must be original, yet

using the design signature of the

Alessi company

The product must have bright

colours or a metallic finish in

order for it to suit Alessi’s design

signature

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5 dixons city

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Materials

The kettle set is mainly made of

stainless steel, which makes it look

modern and the handles of the set

are made of plastic which prevents

the user from burning them selves

when the kettle is warm.

Function

The product is designed to work as a

kettle and also to be put on display

in the kitchen and a modern

ornament. It works as a normal

kettle that needs to be heated.

Ergonomics

It is easy to use because the bird on

the spout whistles when the water has

boiled. The handle also has a

comfortable grip on the handle so it

won’t slip out of your hand.

Environment

The kettle set is mainly made of

stainless steel, which can be recycled

and used to make another product.

This is environmentally friendly.

However, the handle and the whistle, is

made of plastic which isn’t

biodegradable and is unfriendly to the

environment.

Style

The product is designed in the style of

Alessi. It is very modern and simplistic

because it uses stainless steel and

mirror colours. The design also looks

simplified because it uses geometric

shapes.

Manufacturing

The whistle and the handles are made

by injection moulding and the main

body of the kettle would

most probably be press stamped

because it is quick and easy to make

and gives a clean finish.

Target Market

The product would be aimed at a

collector, more specifically in the

theme of Alessi. This is because the

product is unique. However, it can also

be marketed for people who just want

to use it as a household item.

Aesthetics

The kettle has a very futuristic finish,

which makes it look modern. I think it is

designed like this to match the style of

Alessi. The chrome finish and the bight

coloured shapes are a sign of Alessi’s

design signature.

Cost

The product costs £78. I think this is

quite expensive because the

manufacturing and materials expenses

wouldn’t be too high as the product

isn’t made as a prototype. However, it

would be suitable for people who want

to collect Alessi’s products.

alessi umar

pandor

6 dixons city

academy

Materials

The kettle is mainly made of

stainless steel, which makes it look

modern and the handle of it is made

of pine wood, which prevents the

user from burning them selves when

the kettle is warm. It is also a very

unusual combination.

Function

The product is designed to work as a

kettle and also to be put on display

in the kitchen and a modern

ornament. It works as a normal

kettle that needs to be heated.

Ergonomics

It is easy to use because the bird on

the spout whistles when the water has

boiled. The handle is cylindrical and fits

comfortably in your fist, however, there

isn't a grip, so the kettle can drop,

Environment

The kettle is mainly made of stainless

steel, which can be recycled and used

to make another product. This is

environmentally friendly. The handle

and spout are made of wood and can

be reused and can biodegrade.

Style

The product is designed in the style of

Alessi. It is very modern and simplistic

because it uses stainless steel and

mirror colours. The design also looks

simplified because it uses geometric

and natural shapes such as fish. These

are made of wood which is unusual

because a modern material is used

alongside a material used for hundreds

of years

Manufacturing

The handle and the spout could be

hand carved or

made on a Fourth-Axis machine and

then varnished. The main body of the

kettle would

most probably be press stamped

because it is quick and easy to make

and gives a clean finish.

Target Market

The product would be aimed at a

collector, more specifically in the

theme of Alessi. This is because the

product is unique. However, it can also

be marketed for people who just want

to use it as a household item.

Aesthetics

The kettle has a very futuristic finish,

which makes it look modern. I think it is

designed like this to match the style of

Alessi. The chrome finish and the

natural shapes are a sign of Alessi’s

design signature.

Cost

The product costs £200. I think this is

quite expensive because the

manufacturing and materials expenses

wouldn’t be too high as the product

isn’t made as a prototype. However, it

would be suitable if the handle and

spout were hand carved

alessi umar

pandor

7 dixons city

academy

Cico EggcupThe egg cup is mainly

aimed at children, judging by the

shape of it. The egg cup is in the

shape of a man and the cap it is

wearing is a salt shaker. The spoon is

clipped on to the hand of the character,

which is an easy form of storage.

Alessi uses bright colours for this

product because it is appealing to

children. The shape of the product is

also simplified making it look modern

safe with curved edges.

Magic Bunny

Toothpick ContainerThe container can be

available in many colours to match a

colour scheme of a room. The

style is very original and again, Alessi

uses nature as an inspiration. A problem

with this is that the toothpicks don’t fit

in properly. This means that I will have to

take the measurements in consideration.

There is a magical theme to the

container, because there is a rabbit

coming out of a hat and also the

toothpicks emerge with it.

Butter Traythe container seems to

follow a child’s theme. The tray is

a suitable size o fit a block

of butter in it and the lid of

the ship keeps the container

airtight. The knife fits

comfortably and is also safe , being

blunt. The design is simplified and

doesn’t look too complicated and the

pieces fit together nicely. The knife

looks like smoke coming out of the

funnels and is ergonomically designed

to fit in your hand.

Photographs taken by Umar Pandor

alessi umar

pandor

8 dixons city

academy

Colours

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Silver Bright Colours Other

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Matal Wood Plastic Other

Material Style

OtherRetro

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Use

Normal64%

Ornament36%

Sze

8%

33%

17%

42%

~150

~200

~250

~300

This bar chart shows me that the

majority of the results favoured bright

colours to be used on the kettle. Some

people also preferred silver. I think this

shows that people prefer a mixture of

both categories in order to make it

stand out.

This pie chart shoes me that many

people , I asked, how they would like to

use the kettle. Over fifty percent

answered for normal use and quite a

few people wanted to use it for both

ornamental and normal use.

This pie chart shows me that the

majority of the people, I asked,

preferred to have a large sized kettle

around 300mm. I think this would be

sensible because if it was smaller, it

would be difficult to handle with ease.

This bar chart shows me that the many

people would have liked any of a

plastic, wooden or metallic kettle. They

were all popular, which means that

having a little of all three materials will

also make the product more attractive

to many people

This percentage chart shows me that

the majority of the people I asked

preferred a retro kettle. This would

mean that I could use bright colours

like Alessi and some metallic modern

designs

QuestionnaireI created a questionnaire in order to

get a view of some potential

consumer needs. I asked ten people

some questions about the design of a

kettle and I obtained a variety of

results.

alessi umar

pandor

9 dixons city

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Target Market

The product should be aimed at

collectors of Alessi products and also

aimed at people who want to buy an

original product as a gift for someone

else. It should also be aimed at mainly

women because they are most likely to

buy household appliances and aimed at

the ages of around twenty to forty. This is

because at these ages, people have an

interest in modern products.

Size & Weight

The size of the product must be around

300mm tall, so it can be handled easily

and it isn’t too small. The weight will

have to be not too heavy that it can’t be

picked up easily and not too light that it

could be knocked over accidentally. It

also shouldn’t be too heavy that when

water is poured in, it would be difficult to

pick up.

Durability

The product should be hard wearing

because it is going to become in contact

with heat and water. Therefore, the

product must use materials which are

water and heat resistant. The product

should be in good condition for more

than a year and not wear away easily.

AestheticsThe kettle must be designed in the style

of Alessi and meet the organisation’s

design signature. The product must

either have a metallic finish to it or have

a bright coloured nature theme or both

metallic finish with bright colours. The

product must also not be too abstract or

complicated that the product isn’t

recognised to the consumers as a kettle.

MaterialsAlessi uses aluminium and stainless

steel and different coloured polymers in

their products. In order to match the

design signature, the product should be

made of these types of materials or look

like them.

Safety & Green IssuesThe product most not have very sharp

edges so he consumer is harmed by the

product. It most also be recyclable so it

doesn’t harm the environment too

much.

ErgonomicsThe kettle should be able to be held by

the consumer comfortably and there

should be a big enough opening to pour

water into the kettle.

Design ObjectiveI am going to design a kettle in the

style of Alessi using the company’s

design signature.

Using the research I gathered, I found

that the kettle would have to have a

stainless steel finish or be rendered

using bright colours. This is because

these are Alessi’s main design

signatures.

However, I think that I should us both

bright colours and a stainless finish

because the kettle would show many

Alessi design signature, making it

more recognisable as an Alessi

product.

I also found that Alessi uses a lot of

blue and silver colours in their

products. This makes their products

look more modern. I think if I use

these colours in a kettle , it would also

make the design look contemporary.

alessi umar

pandor

10 dixons city

academy

ratingThis idea has been developed from the Alessi lemon squeezer. It has the same shape however the design has been adapted to function as a kettle.

ratingI have adjusted the shape slightly of an existing product and added a handle. I created a 3D model. I decided to for the cylindrical approach.

ratingThis design has been developed by Stark’s kettle. I swapped the colours around. It could be made of aluminium. The design has also been simplified.

ratingI have used the stainless steel effect on this kettle and tried to make it look modern using Stark’s style on his kettle designed for Alessi.

ratingI developed this idea form the fish design of an Alessi kettle. I developed it further so the handle is ergonomically friendly and it also has a modern look to it which is one of the criteria of my specification.

alessi umar

pandor

11 dixons city

academy

ratingThis idea was inspired by geometric shapes. The design was simplified to look more contemporary. However the handle isn't very ergonomically designed. The body could be injection moulded. And the handle could be made of aluminium.

ratingI have tried to use geometric shapes here and also used a stainless steel finish on the handles of the kettles. I got this idea form an existing Alessi product and stuck to the circular and cone theme. rating

I have used a basic kettle shape for this idea. I have also used geometric shapes such as triangles and circles on the kettle. The kettle could be made from stainless steel or aluminium. The kettle could then be dipped into paint or spray painted.

ratingThis inspiration was taken form the idea of Alessi’s egg cups and the design signature of the outline of a man. I then developed the design to make it look more like a kettle using more materials. The handle could me made of aluminium, however, it may not be very comfortable to hold .

rating

I have used spheres and cylinders for this kettle and used curves to make the kettle look natural. I used the idea form Stark’s kettle. The handle could be made of an aluminium pipe slightly bent to a curve and screwed on to the other piping. The could be enamelled to have a bright colour.

rating

This idea is a more of a Stark style. The kettle would need a base for it to stand properly . The colours used are bright however, there are not stainless steel effects to make it look modern.

alessi umar

pandor

12 dixons city

academy

Modelling Using CADI drew out some of my developed ideas and earlier ides onto Pro/Desktop. These models helped me to view the designs in my head clearly.

I also use the rendering facility on the CAD software to experiment with different colours that may suit Alessi’s design signature.

TestingI allowed people to hold the kettle and state improvements to things like how comfortable and the size.

Many said that the handle was uncomfortable and some said it was too big.

Some people said they liked the shape of the kettle however the handle needed to be more secure and the kettle needed a base to actually work in reality.

DevelopmentWhilst I was producing the CAD models I found flaws in the ideas and I adapted the designs slightly to make them more ergonomically friendly or look more aesthetically better.

I printed out one potential developed idea on the 3D Printer and found that the kettle was able to stand properly under its weight.

However I also discovered that the handle wasn’t very comfortable to hold and needed to be adjusted to be more ergonomically friendly.

The size of the kettle as a whole also seemed a little too big. This is because if their would be as much water filled in it as it could hold, the kettle would be too heavy to carry. So I decided to make the body smaller.

Moreover, there was design flaw in the handle. The joint between the handle and the body wasn’t strong enough and broke.

alessi umar

pandor

13 dixons city

academy

Draw out the design on to a CAD software

package, e.g. Pro/DESKTOP

Design individual components

separately: base, body, handle, switch

Ensure all components are of correct sizes

Yes

No

Setup 3D Printer: Fill with resin, level out,

refill glue

Send components to 3D Printer and press

‘print’

After components are printed, leave

overnight to allow the glue to dry

Brush two coats of sanding sealer onto each components

Sand down each component with emery

cloth until smooth

Ensure the components don't

deform

If pieces break off, uses super glue or car

boy filler

Spray a coat of primer onto components in a spray booth an allow ten minutes to dry

Ensure no lumps remain

Finally san lightly to roughen up the

surfaces

Spray body and switch with silver 22 and

allow to dry

Spray handle and base with blue 03 and allow

to dry

Ensure paint doesn’t run and dry

Glue components together using super glue and allow to dry

for five minutes

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pandor

14 dixons city

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Design & ManufactureI designed the product on a CAD software, Pro/Desktop and then the design was sent to the 3D printer. The parts were assembled using

The 3D printer is a machine which allows you to model your ideas drawn on CAD software. It works by converting the Pro/Desktop file into a language it understands and processes it. The model has to be edited to make it hollow and then sent to the printer.

The product is then manufactured by spraying powdered resin onto a base and then spraying glue onto it and then spraying on another layer powdered resin on top. The layers keep on building up until the product is created. This process normally needs to be running overnight to complete.

When the product has been manufactured, it is left to dry. Any excess powdered resin is dusted of. The prototype will be full of the powdered resin, so it needs to be emptied and the resin can be used again because it is very expensive.

The model the n has to be brushed with sanding sealer or superglue, depending on the size of the model. This prevents the model from disintegrating. It is then sanded down to create a smooth face. Primer is added and then sanded again. Finally it is spray painted in a chosen colour.

Sand sealed model

Layers of sanded primer, smoothing down the surface

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pandor

15 dixons city

academy

Criteria

Test Results

Target Market

Size & Weight

Aesthetics

Safety

Ergonomics

Produced a questionnaire for people of the ages between 20 and 40 about how modern the kettle appeared

Asked people to hold the kettle and comment on its size and weight

Showed people my kettle with different Alessi products and asked if the kettle fitted with the productsChecked if there were any sharp edges

I allowed people of different ages to hold the product an asked if it was comfortable to hold

From my results I found that my kettle was modern in style. I received 8’s and 9’s out of 10. Some had also agreed that they would have bought the kettle if it was out in the market.Many people thought the kettle wasn’t too heavy and they thought the kettle was big enough to hold water in.Some people said the kettle fitted with Alessi's design signature, however, others thought it looked like more like a Stark design.There weren’t any as the product is smooth and has rounded edges .They said the handle fitted into the hand comfortably.

Evaluation of Final PrototypeIf the prototype was a working product, I think It would be easy to use. This is because the handle is easy to hold and it is the right size and weight for a potential consumer.

The product functions in the way it was intended because the kettle fits comfortably onto the base. However, I think it would be difficult to pour water in and out of the kettle because the holes turned out smaller than expected. If I were to make the product again, I would make the spout and larger and make a lid for the kettle.

I think that the style of the product matches Alessi’s design signature, however, the style looks more like a Stark idea, like people in the questionnaire answered.

I like the smoothness of the kettle and the shape of the base because the two colours complement each other and the shapes are a definite style of Alessi. Though, I would change the size of the spout and position it differently on the kettle.

If this product was on a shelf in an Alessi store I think I would purchase it because very much like the modern style to it. I would expect to pay around £50-£70. This is because Alessi is an expensive and well known design name. also, most of the kettles from Alessi are around this price range.

An advantage compared to similar products is that it is a much simpler design to others, however, the main disadvantage is that it is quite tall with a narrow base, giving it a high possibility of toppling over.

project 2