Project Backstory
This was a sophomore-year project in the Industrial Design school at Arizona State University. The goal of the project was to explore modernist designs and to have students take their first approaches to product design. This was my first time exploring products in complete stages from ideation to presentable, rendered products over the course of several months.
Research & Exploration
The section would go over the research surrounding products already set onto the market and research surrounding toast statistics.
Info has been gathered through web searches and user interviews.
Further research would occur in the ideating phase to better understand how toasters function, their drawbacks, and their potential.
Sketching & Ideating
This section surrounds the sketching phases to explore possible functions, features, and interactions.
Several iterations of sketch groups were created to follow necessary changes after trade-offs and concerns presented themselves.
White models and explorations are included to assist the ideating process.
Modeling & Rendering
Several iterations of CAD modeling and Keyshot rendering were explored and included to reach the final design of the Most-Toast.
Each iteration would be explored for improvements of design in areas such as form, interaction, and sizing.
Personas
User: Jason Ridgeway.
Age: 32
Occupation: Owns a Music Store.
Family: A wife and one son.
Hobbies/Interests:
- Lead guitar in a local band, loves spending his weekends playing local shows and giving back to the community.
- Spends most mornings and nights looking after his young child.
- Enjoys photography and is creating a scrapbook for his child.
Needs:
- A reliable device in the kitchen to help make breakfast fun.
- A device his child could one day operate safely.
Research
Market Numbers
80%
80% of American Households own a toaster, according to CBS news. 10% of people in America also report having toast or toasted pastries for breakfast each day.
17.4 Million
From 2010 to 2018, an average of 15.8 million toasters are sold just in the United States, reaching a peak of 17.4 million in 2018
Basic and lower end toasters usually sell for as low as
30$
These tend to only have the basic functions and are made from cheaper materials
The top rated and recommended toasters usually land withing the price range of
60$ - 80$
These are chosen due to their durability, capacity, quality of toast, and overall reliability as a product. Companies that choose these products are Food Network, CBS, and Consumer Reports.
Smart toasters and highest end versions can sell for over
250$
These usually come with smart controls, LED displays, and several toasting settings.
User Data
In a series of interviews with 10+ individuals, data was collected on user preferences surrounding toasters ranging from topics such as reliability to aesthetics.
The most common features listed as "must haves" for a toaster included;
- Cleanability
- Reliability
- Storability
- Toast Range (bagels, bread, etc.)
Other commonly listed needs were affordability, weight, the ability to watch the bread toast, the amount of bread that can be toasted at any time, and overall aesthetics.
Toasters are used worldwide by people of all ages, an ideal design would be one that can be easily used by children and older generations while also fitting the needs of families and households of all sizes. Breakfast as an everyday occurrence can lose its luster over time, being able to add a new approach to even the most mundane of tasks such as toasting bread can change the course of someone's day.
Reliability
Cleanability, Aesthetics
Price
Storage, Weight
Toast Range, Accessability
Budget 2-Slice Toaster
$41.17
$199.95
4-Slice Toasters
$71.99
2-Slice Digital Toaster
$69.95
High-Rated Smart Toaster
$305.99
4 of Food Networks 2023 Top choices for toasters
Sketches
Initial sketches exploring forms getting inspiration from market examples and from target audience feedback. Explorations surrounded similar functions
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Color & inspiration
For this modernism project, we explored modernist designers from the past, including artists. One of my favorite modernists that I discovered was Theo Van Doesburg, an artist working mostly in the early 1900s. I got inspiration from his forms and his collar palate, which mostly consisted of primary colors.
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Version 1
Version 2 "Wings"
Version 3 "Most Toast"
This iteration included the basic functions and necessities and served as a starting point for modeling future features.
More features were added such as the opening sides. Its "Winged" look let it stand out more than the first iteration
The Most Toast 2.0 was able to improve upon drawbacks of the "Wings" design and gave a recognizable form and took better advantage of space.
Key features:
- Wide opening for multiple/wider bread slices.
- Clear sides view toast.
- Buttons and dial for adjustments.
- Crumb tray at bottom for easy cleaning.
Key features:
- Wide opening for multiple/wider bread slices.
- Clear sides view toast.
- Buttons and dial for adjustments.
- Crumb tray at bottom for easy cleaning.
- Added Interesting and unique method for interactions and toasting *
Key features:
- Wide opening for multiple/wider bread slices.
- Clear sides view toast.
- Buttons and dial for adjustments.
- Crumb tray at bottom for easy cleaning.
- Added Interesting and unique method for interactions and toasting *
- Creates a discernable shape and movement to stand out in the market *
- More Compact due to angle & orientation *
