Strike Iron - Moulinex MAN
In contrast to what we as consumers see in the average store for
white goods and appliances I designed an iron that is the opposite of the white or pastel colour toned and mostly rounded shaped irons
sold in stores today. There are lots of men who live by themselves, as I do, who need to get their clothes ironed like everybody else.
Therefore we have to have an iron to help us tidy up our t-shirts, shirts and trousers, with precision.
Men and women, in general, have their specific preferences concerning the looks of any certain product. However, many appliances have not yet distinguished themselves as such, is either generic or even feminine. With this concept, I tried to respond to the fact as written up above.
The inspiration for this iron is based on Lamborghini cars. This famous design language is clearly an example for the opposite of rounded, pastel – white toned almost feminine-like products. The
edgy appearance and dark colors result in a muscular product. These are some of the main characteristics that I tried to fit in a product that shows a new way of thinking about designing for a particular target audience in this nearly inaccessible product category.
Project: University of Amsterdam, 2th year, Product Evolution, 2015
(Fictitious) client: Moulinex
Details: Final product is a mock-up
The case of the iron is built from injection-molded ABS, reinforced with glass fiber to increase stiffness so the product isn’t only looking robust but it actually can handle a few knocks, without being excessively heavy. This type of plastic is often used in the tool-making industry.
The product looks solid because it doesn’t have a see-through water reservoir. On top of the handle, there is an LCD display in the shape of a shield with which you can configure through the settings and adjust the temperature and gauge the water level. There are only two buttons to operate the menu: a trigger and a slider.
There is a new function introduced in this category, namely, precision ironing. The front end of the steel is bent upwards in a 30-degree angle. This detail creates a tiny surface which you can utilize when you lift the iron up a bit at the end so it touches your clothing with the front triangle. This function is created by the requirement to maneuver between small surfaces and obstacles on your shirt, for example, buttons, collar, printed stuff and other details.
A matte black high-quality soft-touch finish is used in combination with the high gloss black metal on the bottom to give the product a little more mass and a little more muscle. The black is combined with aggressive red tones in the display and buttons. A light shines from under the product when the steel is hot and ready to steam.
This product isn’t an actual product but a concept to show what might be possible at the other end of the spectrum of so-called ‘’white goods’’. Nevertheless, the product is designed with ergonomics, mass-manufacturability and production techniques kept in mind.
