User research

Smart Design was commissioned by OXO International to develop a range of kitchen tools that were comfortable in the hand and easy to use for everyone, including those with limited dexterity such as arthritis sufferers. Keen to demonstrate that attractive design could be ‘multi-generational’ and easily used by people of all ages, Smart Design immersed itself in an intense period of user and background research.

Smart Design’s research was extensive and far-reaching. Designers interviewed consumers as well as professional chefs, examined competitive products, explored the physical effects of ageing and filmed arthritis sufferers. This 360 degree approach enabled the design team to develop informed concepts that would appeal to the widest possible market.

Tools were categorised according to the wrist and hand motion required to use them (twist and turn used to scoop, stir and peel; push pull for using graters and knives; and squeeze for scissors, garlic presses and can openers). This made it easier to develop ‘grip’ solutions that could be used to design several different products.

The research also revealed some specific details that had a direct impact on the eventual design and manufacture of the tools. For example, it was found that thinner peeler blades increased the number of cuts that had to be made, but that thicker blades removed too much edible vegetable. The designers were able to optimise the thickness of the blade to remove just the right amount of peel without the need for too many cuts.

Borrowing ideas

In the innovations industry, borrowing design ideas may seem like a bit of a cheat. But when OXO International began developing a range of easy to use, comfortable kitchen utensils, it found its inspiration from products already on the market – not in the kitchen, but in the garden shed.

The development of Good Grips kitchen utensils involved extensive research to understand better the needs of a complete range of potential users. Smart Design, the industrial design company commissioned to develop the tools, carried out in-depth studies among consumers and catering professionals as well as those with limited dexterity. The outcomes of this research period led the designers to a range of unlikely sounding solutions in search of the perfect design.

The research identified that one of the major factors preventing consumers using kitchen utensils comfortably was the potential for slippage. The design team found that engineering and woodworking tools frequently have a rubber handle or grip, making their use much safer and more comfortable. Similarly, an elliptical shaped handle, often found on hammers and axes, enables a more secure grasp. Transformed by good design, these features could be applied to kitchen utensils to offer the same benefits.

Good Grips’ patented flexible rubber fins, a defining motif of the range, were inspired by bicycle handlebar grips, and the chosen material for the basic Good Grips handle was found in dishwasher gaskets. Having identified that blade sharpness was vital for peak performance, the design team even visited a manufacturer of Samurai swords. In this way, the borrowing of design styles and ideas led to the development of a truly innovative range of products, which brought universal design to the attention of the mass consumer market.

The research carried out by Smart Design underpinned the development of the entire Good Grips range, influencing the choice of materials, manufacturing techniques, style, weight, look and feel of every tool. And this attention to detail has clearly paid off. Not only is the Good Grips range an international and financial success, but the tools have also won awards (including one from the Arthritis Foundation) and can even be found in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

But such fame comes at a price, as OXO International would find out….