With the aim of improving user experience of their products, Fagor Electrodomésticos S.Coop, an European leading appliance manufacturer based in Spain, asked us to develop the “New Uses” project, a range of user-friendly electrical appliances that offer good accessibility and ease of use.
The project, developed in nine months, began with the analysis of use of different products already in production with the aim of finding the most significant problems related to accessibility, ergonomics and intuition.
Taking into account the results of this analysis phase, a range of appliances comprising of three models of induction cooktops, a set of drawers for the washing machine and a dishwasher was developed.
Induction cooktop with cooling zone
This induction cooktop model offers greater security and ease of use than conventional models thanks to the arrangement of the burners. The burners are farther from the user and their layout creates a cooling zone: a free area where it is possible to put the utensil used for cooking and let it cool. Thus, the user does not need to move the utensil to another place, they can leave it in the cooling zone. This way the need to transport hot foods is eliminated and the risk of burns decreases.
The pattern printed on the cooktop surface indicates the cooling zone by concentric circles that rise from the word “Airfresh”. This word indicates that the progressive cooling happens naturally and not through any system that accelerates it.
Induction cooktop with printed symbols
This induction cooktop model offers greater ease in relating each burner with its corresponding control using printed symbols, thus its use is very intuitive. For its design, the starting point is an existing cooktop model, the only re-designed aspect is the printed symbols.
Next to each burner a symbol that emulates a Roman numeral constructed by forks is found. Through these symbols the burners are numbered. In the corresponding control, the same symbol of the burner is repeated, this way, each burner is related easily with its corresponding control.
Rotating induction cooktop
This induction cooktop model rotates thanks to a motorized mechanism that makes possible to orient it according to the user’s requirements, this way greater accessibility and safety are provided. The burner that the user wants to use is positioned in the front part, so the other fires do not block its access and the risk of burns decreases.
The remote control is wireless, thus the cooktop can be controlled without being near to it.
Set of drawers for washing machine
This set of drawers offers the possibility of having the clothes to be washed near the washing machine avoiding the need to carry them. The drawers can be raised by a spring drive mechanism to facilitate the actions of loading and unloading the washing machine. They also have wheels to make the clothes transportation easier from the washer to the place where they are hanged to dry.
Two-compartment dishwasher
This dishwasher model with two compartments offers the possibility of using one of them as a dishwasher and the other as a cupboard at such times when the number of items to be washed is small. On the occasions with many items to be washed, both compartments can be used as a dishwasher. The glass of each door can become opaque to hide the inside of the compartment when desired.
The dishwasher also offers specialized washes for dishes, glasses, etc. Thus, for example, all the dishes can be placed in one of the compartments and the glasses in the other, washing them separately selecting different types of washing.
The control panel that manages the different washing types has also been designed. It is placed on the top of the door to make it more accessible.
The inner trays offer flexibility to place the different elements to be washed and can be adjusted to the characteristics of each of them.
To make the trays flexible, the bars that support the dishes are engaged in some elements designed to allow moving and changing the orientation of the bars.
Both trays include the container for cutlery.
