kitchen sink

A Production From Down BelowProcess Book

SDES 704Prof. Robert Fee

Table of Contents

0102–0708–1314–2122–2930–34 35

TeamDesign BriefResearchSynthesisIdeationFinal SolutionConclusion

Team

1.

Mike Denman

Seabrook, Texas

M.A. Design Management

Jim Kong

Dalian, China

M.A. Industrial Design

Phillip Evans

Elizabethtown, Kentucky

M.A. Design Management

Jason Liu

Jiangxi, China

M.F.A. Industrial Design

Bokai Jiang

Beijing, China

M.F.A. Industrial Design

2.

Design Brief

Design Brief

Intro

3.

Under the kitchen sink: We want to use it, we hate to use it, and it’s one of the most conspicuously unused areas of the kitchen. While kitchens and their appliances becoming more innovative, this one area remains mostly unaltered and almost forgotten in the process. It is an area we are all certainly familiar with, but cannot define a purpose.

Through a study of under the kitchen sink, our team will utilize the following few weeks to gather information, analyze and interpret this data, and create a space that is better incorporated within the kitchen system. While working together, with varied strengths, our synthesis and connections will provide a better, more comprehensive solution.

While we concentrate on a holistic iterative design process we are continually re-framing our approach. Our team will focus on maintaining current equipment, feasible produc-tion, and simplified function. User experience is para-mount, by fulfilling end user needs,all stakeholders within the process will be subsequently be fulfilled. Our team will concentrate around the ideology of under the sink as part of a set of systems. The closest, and the one we will focus on, is the kitchen sink system.

Statement of Purpose

Objectives

Scope

For this project our team will begin by looking at the current and past uses of the sink and the area below. This information will be gathered from several countries for a large cultural cross section of our sample. Through this data, we will begin focusing on defining user groups of consumers in order to better understand the human experience within the kitchen. We intend to compare these insights with research focusing on emerging technology implementations and current aesthetic trends.

Create a product or system which will enhance the experi-ence of end users of the under the sink area. By focusing on our findings from contextual research, user experiences, and our design processes, we will apply what we learn to create something truly innovative.

Our team will begin this project with the collection of data, both primary and secondary. Using traditional data sourc-es, we will be able to frame the system in which we would like to address. This data and the geolocation information will be further analyzed. With this data our team will be able to identify opportunities, product niches,and areas that can be improved or changed in order to create a better kitchen experience.

Design Brief

4.

Design Brief

Opportunities Challenges Objectives/ Goals

5.

- Redesign / Reinvent By looking at all facets of the sink we will be able to produce an original concept that improves the kitchen experience.- Aesthetics Through research of current trends we hope to not only create a new kitchen experience, but simultaneously focus on something aesthetically pleasing.- Expand Uses By comparing both primary and secondary research of users current interactions with their kitchen area, we will be able to see what functions within the kitchen can be further evolved for more applied uses.- See varied viewpoints Through contextual research we will find that people have their own taste about their kitchen. They want to rearrange the appliances according to their own using habits.- Enhance use By analyzing the data we collected about how people use the kitchen area, we will be able to identify which steps can be reduced and which will allow people to have an effective experience.- Disrupt market With substantial research and a focused design process, we want to design a system capable of disrupting an industry.

- Compatibility We will create a concept that has its own character, but also has the ability to work seamlessly with other appliances in current kitchen condition.- Cost It is very important to keep to a price that is reasonable in order to occupy the market. Also, reasonable price leave the monetary space for both manufacturers and dealers to sell the unit.- Predetermined bias Through contextual research we want to understand and visualize the issues that are associated with the under the kitchen sink area. By understanding bias we are able to understand the psychology of the end user and the choices they make.- Cultural differences We will compose contextual research across a number of varied countries in order to gain a varied sample of how the area under the kitchen sink is utilized.- Manufacturing practices Our creative solution can be limited by our current skill set and devices available for manufacturing.- Existing components / Future technology Our teams objective to is to move through our design process with existing and feasible technology as constraints.

- Change viewpoint We have the opportunity to not only change our own preconceived notions about the under the sink area, but also the end user.- Education When designing our area under the kitchen sink, we plan on furthering both our own knowledge and the end user’s knowledge of the space and its essential components.- Simplification However complex the community of systems within the kitchen may be, our team wishes to refine those processes and experiences.- Enhance Use With data collaborating the current uses of the sink and under the sink areas, we hope to improve the experience of these applications.- Positive Experience Through our solution for the area under the kitchen sink, we will create a new creative approach that will enhance the end users experience within the kitchen.- Create a commercial viable product It is our team’s goal to successfully design a system which could be produced and implemented in a fashion that would be profitable to all parties.

BudgetThe budget for this project is broken down into three phases. By breaking down the expense structure, we allow more flex-ibility and an approach that allows our team and the client to move forward in confidence.

Personnel-Internal labor costs directly associated with the project. Hourly wages takes into account: insurance, taxes, vacation, and other benefits.

Consulting-Respective experts and professionals with unique perspec tives and invaluable contributions.

Administration -Includes costs associated to legal document, financial fees, printing, licensing, and travel.

Fixed Expenses-Building and infrastructure expenses.

Services-These services include interviews, surveys, video production and process books.

Phase 1 (3 weeks)Personnel5-Member Team375 Man Hours$50 Extended Cost per Hour

Consulting5 Total Hours$100 per Hour

Administration $3135

Fixed Expenses$2625




Fixed Expenses$2625




Fixed Expenses$2625

Services16 Interviews600 Surveys

Phase Total: $27,210

ServicesVideo ProductionFinal PrototypeFinal Process Book


Project Total: $91,230

ServicesVideo ProductionDesign Brief


Design Brief

6.

Design Brief

Schedule

7.

The schedule for our team is based on a 10-week presentation deadline. The schedule was made for a multidisciplinary team. With many different facets to the project, it is import-ant for each deliverable to have a clear blueprint to comple-tion. The schedule provides a framework that will give our team the structure needed to focus our efforts efficiently.

8.

Research

Research

Intro

9.

Secondary (1% & Future Tech)By researching implementations of the 1% and future tech, usually seen within design forward publications or an afflu-ent client, we can anticipate trends and aesthetic qualities before they reach the mainstream consumer.

To further understand the kitchen, we needed to focus on the interaction of the user with the kitchen system. For our research we gathered both secondary and primary data by using a number of contextual research methods. For our sec-ondary research we not only looked into current solutions for under the sink, but looked into the 1% and future technology. Our primary research focused on users direct experience with their kitchen system and the area under the sink through interviews, surveys and digital documentation. By using this methodology we were able to gain a more comprehensive view of the kitchen system experience.

Research

10.

Secondary (Current Use)The core of our research is built around an understanding of the current paradigm. By exploring the typical and atypical uses for the area under the sink, and the interaction of the user within the system to perform each use, we can develop insights to improve the users overall experience.

Research

11.

Primary (Friends & Family)We began our primary research locally gathering pictures and conducting talks with friends and family. While this is a relatively small sample size, it provided us with some confir-mation of assumptions made heuristically.

Primary (Interviews)Interviews were very beneficial to our team’s research. Our team was able to gain information from ten different people located throughout China and the U.S. By sitting down and talking to the people who interact with these systems every day provided a clarity to our research that lacked during the early stages. During the interviews the users were given an opportunity to talk about what helped facilitate a positive experience in the kitchen, as well as how parts of the system could be improved. The results collected through the interview provided our team with a perspective of bias and personal application.

Research

12.

Name: _________________Gender: _________________Age: _________________Career: _________________Race: _________________Place living now: _________________

Do you work on your own sink, or does someone else?_____________________________________________________

Do you find the area under the kitchen sink of more inconvenience than a useful space?_____________________________________________________

Where are your cleaning supplies stored?_____________________________________________________

Where is your trash can located?_____________________________________________________

Have you used a kitchen that was not yours, do you likes/dislikes it?_____________________________________________________

What do you find the most uncomfortable in your own kitchen?_____________________________________________________

If you could utilize one area of the kitchen that is not, what would it be?_____________________________________________________

If you could add something to your kitchen what would it be?_____________________________________________________

Is there an item which you would like to store in the kitchen but can't?_____________________________________________________

Research

13.

Primary (Survey)Surveys gave our team the means to access a sample size that would truly be indicative of the sentiment and how users interact with their kitchen. Surveys provided a large amount of information in a short time, with lower costs. While the data is less rich than that collected in the interviews, with a large enough sample we were able to normalize the results for a glimpse into user habits around the world.

For our collection method we utilized an online crowd-sourc-ing tool, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, to source our survey. Using this tool our team was able to collect over 600 surveys from around the world. A sample of this size helped rein-force interview data as well as highlighting outliers.

14.

Synthesis

Synthesis

15.

Intro

Infographic

At the conclusion of our research our team was able to analyze the data we had collected. Through interviews and surveys our team compiled a variety of visualizations to gain some insight into the kitchen experience. By developing these insights, about kitchen and the systems used within, our team was able to create a unique approach. Our team identified the major objectives defined by the insight gained through our contextual research. Objectives which will guide our team and frame the project value proposition.

This inforgraphic was created to help visualize both the quantitative and qualitative data collected from our survey results. This helped lead to the development of insights and confirmation of personal observations.

50%

49% 51%

46% 4%

0-29 30-59 60+Rent Own

31%

69%

10%

1%

13%

48%Very Negative

Negative

Netural

Postive

Very Postive

What is your gender?Do you own or rent your home?

What is your age?

How would you describe your experience within your personal kitchen? Do you have to explain, direct

people who use your kitchen?

Yes No

4%

96%

27%

Synthesis

16.

69%

Daily Weekly Rarly Never

69%


31%


31%

4%

17%

50%49%

18% 18%

9%6%

24%

4% 1%

18%

59%

12% 11%

54%

39%

3% 4%

54%

33%

5%

8%

CleaningVery Negative

Negative

Netural

Postive

Very Postive

Cooking

Social

Other

Do you like your kitchen sink? How do you use your kitchen?

How often do you use the Garbage Disposal | Use your Trash Can | Drink water from the Tap?

Lulu Zhang“Cleaning supplies are the best thing to put under the sink.”

Truc Le“I'm not throwing trash in a hidden storage under the sink. It’s gross!.”

Nuno Norris“I love the huge space, but it is hard to

reach that stu� without moving my feet.”

Kristina Keller“I want something to roll out,

not all in the back.”

Synthesis

17.

InsightsUsing the infographic and the results of both primary and secondary research, our team could begin to understand the interaction between the user and the kitchen system. Our team gain valuable perspective on how users view these systems and the role of the under sink area in the kitchen experience. We found that there was a growing disconnect, not a negative experience, but one that supports worldwide ambiguity. By conducting research in different markets around the world we were able to find the similarities, both in applications and implementation of the systems that make up and surround the under the kitchen sink area. This understanding is imperative for the implantation of a market disrupting solution.

SURVEY PERSONAL

SURVEY PERSONAL

Synthesis

18.

SURVEY PERSONAL

Synthesis

19.

Personas

Persona #1 Persona #2 Persona #3

Our team used the insights gained to create three unique personas. These personas are designed to embody typical user types. Our team used these personas during the ideation process, creating solutions for a specific persona, which can later be applied to the final solution.

Brad is a 22 year old student in the USA. He lives with 2 other males around his age. Most of his kitchen use is to clean dirty dishes. The under the sink area is dark and damp, hardly organized, and damp from fallen cleaner. Brad is unconcerned with the condition of his under the sink area. It is full of hardly touched cleaning supplies, dish rags and towels, some garbage bags and grocery bags. He rents the unit from a local landlord who wishes it was easier to maintain and take apart to check things like the garbage disposal.

Yue is a single mother in China. She lives in a home owned by her parents. She cooks and cleans in her kitchen. She likes to keep it neat and uses a variety of organizing tools to better use the space under the sink. If something goes wrong with the plumbing or water filter, she asks her father for help before asking the professionals. She stores towels, soap and garbage bags on one side and rice on the other. Yue keeps the kitchen area clean most of the time but would still never let a visitor look under the sink. She wishes there were an easy way to change the filter so she didn’t have to bother her father.

Nathalie is a 33 year old professional in France. Spending most of her time working or in transition from work she does not find time to fully utilize her kitchen. Nathalie often entertains professional friends in a casual setting that usually includes hors d’oeuvres and drinks, but not dinner. She uses the sink mostly for cleaning and for wash-ing a small number of dishes. Under her sink, she stores mostly cleaning supplies, trash can, and paper towels. Nathalie rents her apartment and has on site maintenance for any problem with her sink. Nathalie would like to be able to use her space more efficiently, as she has a small apartment.

Student22 Years OldMaleRents

Single Mother26 Years OldFemaleOwner

Young professional33 Years OldFemaleRents

Aesthetics Aesthetics AestheticsApplications Applications ApplicationsSocial Social SocialCooking Cooking CookingCleaning Cleaning Cleaning

Re-Frame

Synthesis

20.

Using insights gained from this research we developed a unique approach for creating a solution for under the sink. Through iteration during our process our team focused on modularity for components, minimalist aesthetics, and practical implementation. By focusing these concepts around user interaction our team will create a solution supported by extensive research and insights.

Synthesis

21.

Value PropositionFor the kitchen users with explicit and implied needs, our design will reassert a purpose for under the kitchen sink while maintaining form, utility, balance, and function with-in the kitchen system. This will be accomplished through contextual research, examining dominant paradigms, and exploring cross cultural implementation. Unlike current solutions our design will transcend the global market, while providing a platform for a variety of uses, unrivaled in the market today.

22.

Ideation

Ideation

23.

IntroThe ideation process began with a foundation in research. As our team started the process we focused on the objec-tives of aesthetics, expressed and implied uses, compati-bility, and implementation. Using ABC..Q methodology as a framework for ideation, our team developed series of sketches. “A” representing current uses, “B” as plumbing and sink configurations, “C” demonstrating modularity, and our “Q” being experimental options. Our implemen-tation of a variety of collaboration techniques promoted iteration during the ideation process.

A A

A

A

A

Ideation

24.

AA

Q

Q

Q

Q

Q

A

Ideation

25.

AA

A

A

A

A

A

A AA

A A

A

AAA

A

A

Ideation

26.

A

A

A

A

Q

QQ

Q

Ideation

27.

C

A

B

B

B

B

BB

C

Ideation

28.

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

Ideation

29.

A

C

C

C

C

C

CC

Q

Q

Q

Q

B

B

B

30.

Final Solution

Final Solution

Intro

31.

SketchesOur team created these final sketches after doing user testing with the prototype. These sketches began as quick thoughts about the changes our team encountered during testing. Using sketches our team was able to conceptualize changes quickly and efficiently.

The collection of sketches and renderings depicting our teams final solution show part of the final stage in the design process. While our team went through several iterations on prototype, sketches and 3D models, these sketches show the culmination of our team’s process.

Final Solution

32.

PrototypeThe next phase of the project involved the creation of prototypes allowing visualization and physical manipulation of proposed parts. Our team used foam and cardboard to create scale models of the sketches. As parts are refined and finalized each would be replicated in a digital 3D model. Our team conducted a number of user tests during the ideation process as well as fit and material tests.

These tests are very rich in user interaction data because of the physical interaction with the model. Creating a prototype is essential to the design process as well as providing the client with a physical artifact.

Final Solution

Renderings

33.

Using 3D modeling software our team created a digital model of our solution. By creating a 3D model our team can create a picture of what the solution could look like in unique imple-mentations. By using our physical prototype, sketches, and known constraints we created a rendering of our team’s final solution. These renderings show product detail and material texture not seen in hand drawings.

Seamless Push Open DoorsTwo Level Sink

Modular Components(Filter, Heater, Softener)

(Trash)

Storage Area

Final Solution

34.

InterlockingModular PlumbingComponents Hideaway Water

Management System

Easy Access Cut Off Valves

Proprietary Easy Connection

Final Solution

Conclusion

35.

Our team came to this solution after synthesis of our in-depth contextual research. Using insights gained from this research we developed a unique approach for creating a solution for under the sink. Through iteration during our process our team focused on modularity for components, minimalist aesthetics, and practical implementation. By focusing on this re-frame from insights of the under the sink area, our team created a solitary system implemented within the holistic kitchen environment to promote positive user experience.

A Production From Down Below

kitchen sink

Technology