1. asproductdesign
umarpandor
Alessi

2. alessi umar2 dixonscity
Introduction
DesignBrief
ProductAnalysis
ProductDisassembly
PrimaryResearch
Specification
InitialIdeas
Modelling&Testing
MakingPlan
DesignProposal
Evaluation
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3. alessi umar3 dixonscity
History: Alessi
Alessi 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 Signature
Every 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.

4. alessi umar4 dixonscity
Situation
I 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 Market
The 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

5. alessi umar5 dixonscity
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.

6. alessi umar6 dixonscity
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

7. alessi umar7 dixonscity
Cico Eggcup
The 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 Container
The 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 Tray
the 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.
PhotographstakenbyUmar
Pandor

8. alessi umar8 dixonscity
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
Ot herRetro
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Use
Normal
64%
Ornament
36%
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
Questionnaire
I 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.

9. alessi umar9 dixonscity
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.
Aesthetics
The 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.
Materials
Alessi 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 Issues
The 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.
Ergonomics
The 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 Objective
I 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.

10. alessi umar10 dixonscity
rating
This 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.
rating
I 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.
rating
This 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.
rating
I 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.
rating
I 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.

11. alessi umar11 dixonscity
rating
This 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.rating
I 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.
rating
This 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.

12. alessi umar12 dixonscity
Modelling Using
CAD
I 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.
Testing
I 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.
Development
Whilst 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.

13. alessi umar13 dixonscity
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

14. alessi umar14 dixonscity
Design & Manufacture
I 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

15. alessi umar15 dixonscity
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
products
Checked 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 Prototype
If 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.
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