Design Brief
Design an electronic product through a mash-up design. Mash-ups create diverse products in a familiar setting to highlight their unique features, delivering fresh aesthetics through a functional experience.
Process: Designers, Mash Up, Opportunity, Solution, Features, Manufacturing
We are Aleeya Consul (right) and Alexandra Shetsova (left). We collaborated on this studio team project to develop the ‘Lava Kettle’. With a mix of skills in creating captivating renderings and technical electrical outlooks, the Lava Kettle is a feasible product with a meaningful purpose.
MEMBERS
IDEATION
A mashup between lava lamp and electric kettle.
OPPORTUNITY
Although it seems simple, boiling the right water temperature for tea is a complex task. Over the past years, no innovation or aesthetic changes were created for tea kettles.
Different teas require different temperatures for brewing. There is currently no tea pot on the market with a feedback system to set the heating temperature for different teas, other than coffee pour over pots or metal electric kettles. Those are not good for tea as the nozzle makes the pouring too slow.
DESIGN INTENT
Knowing when the water is boiling for tea has always been an auditory job, but it can also be a visual experience, similar to what the tea ritual is itself. This tea experience can be elevated through providing visual feedback and the freedom with temperature selection.
SOLUTION
The Lava Kettle, a visual feedback system where the colour of the “lava” dynamically changes based on the temperature of the water. Designed to elevate the tea experience, the Lava Kettle is not only a functional appliance but also a delightful and aesthetic feature in the home.
The inspiration for the project follows the flowy nature of tea that goes perfectly with the organic lava lamp patterns. Merging the immersive lava experience with the ritual and art of tea making.
Glass, metal
50° C - 100° C
1 hr
1.7 L
2.4 kg
Digital
Materials
Temperature
Heat Control
Volume
Weight
Display
A manual is provided with the product that suggests the correct temperature of various tea blends.
Blue signifies cool water, red indicates hot and boiling, and purple represents a warmer temperature in between. By providing this intuitive visual cue, users can brew their perfect desired tea blend and enhance their overall safety.
TEMPERATURE BREAKDOWN
Pur-eh tea: 100° C
Purple tea: 79° C to 82° C
Herbal tea: 100° C
Rooibos tea: 100° C
Black tea: 100° C
Green tea: 79° C to 82° C
White tea: 79° C to 82° C
Oolong tea: 90° C
THE LAVA KETTLE WAS INSPIRED BY THE WAX LAVA LAMP
The initial concept of implementing the wax from a lava lamp into an electric kettle was met with an unexpected challenge during the research phase. It was discovered that lava lamps are prone to exploding if overheated, as they typically utilize only 60 degrees Celsius of heat from their bulbs, while the boiling temperature of water is 100 degrees Celsius. This stark safety concern prompted a pivot in the project, leading to the introduction of programmable RGB LEDs that provide visual feedback to the user. This adjustment not only addresses the safety issue but also offers a unique and visually engaging element to the electric kettle's design.
Competitve Product Analysis
The kettle from LivingBasics has 6 different temperature controls and an option to keep the water warm. The reviews from Amazon, however, state that despite the nice design, the kettle body is made of plastic which looks and feels cheap and always spills.
This kettle from Bodum focuses specifically on perfect temperature for different teas like green and white but has only 5 temperature controls. However, it has a bulky dock and the temperature controls are accessed through a dial which is difficult to spin.
The Ninja kettle has 7 one touch presets, a rapid boil function and a keep warm settings for up to 30 minutes. The reviews said the kettle tends to overheat and is not accurate with the temperature, which is crucial for some sorts of tea.
MARKET POSITIONING
The current market for kettles includes many options of the different complexity and innovation. The graph on the right shows the positioning of Lava Kettle (white) in relation to the other most popular options (black) available to consumers. The Lava Kettle is providing all the benefits of regular modern kettles while elevating the experience through custom temperature control, programmable keep warm feature and visual feedback for water boiling process.
