I did a mind map to help understand the brief and start making decisions on what I would like to do. After going to visit Vermont Sales I decided that I liked the WORX brand the most. I started to do some brand research and put together my participants who helped me with the user centred part of the design process.
I first asked my participant some questions to decide what product or product direction I should be moving towards. I prefered home and kitchen appliances and went in that direction. I also put some questions up on Instagram to get a better idea of my design direction. This user feedback helped me make the decision that I would like to design an ice machine. I felt that the ice machine wasn't innovative enough on its own so I included a cooler box to go with it. I then did precedent research and further brand research.
I did research on the technical aspects of ice machines and cooler boxes. I looked at how they work, the parts used in the products, the materials used and the functionality. Once I had a good understanding of how these products worked, I was able to start doing drawing exploration.
I started to narrow down the details of the designs. Looking at what usability aspects of the products my participants would prefer. This helped a lot in making decisions for the functionality and aesthetic of the products.
I based the aesthetic and functionality of the cooler box on existing WORX products. For the cooler box, the patterns and buckles are from a existing tool boxes, the top handle and wheels are from a lawn mower and the side handles are from a light. The ice machine shape was inspired by vacuum cleaner.
The ice machine fits snug into the cooler box. There is a divider to keep the ice machine in place. Four 2l bottles are able to fit into the cooler box. The idea is that the fan from the ice machine will blow cold air into the cooler box. The divider has a whole for the fan so that the divider doesn't block it. The batteries fit inside the ice machine on the top for easy access. Once I had a good idea of how everything would work together and how it would look, I was able to move on to mockups and CAD.
The ice machine and cooler box can be used independently or together. The ice machine can be placed in the kitchen for everyday use and the cooler box can be stored away. The ice machine and cooler box can be used together for picnics and camping.
Teaser video of final product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyCxuPjhJLw
