concept refinement and future directions

Below I outline a summary of my concept. Then I outline some ideas and concerns I have on what to do next.

Concept Summary -The modular mini-kitchen focuses on solving problems related to storing and preparing food in small living spaces, particularly college dorm rooms. Countertops and platforms provide centralized food prep and storage space around the fridge. Container modules help to organize items inside the fridge but can also be removed and used outside the fridge. The modular and minimal design allows you to quickly and easily reconfigure and personalize the product in many ways.


rails - The rails serve as universal attachment points for the different modules as well as for hanging your own items.

containers - The various container modules provide convenient, flexible and efficient organization of food items in the fridge. Tray and shelf units fit on top of the rails in the fridge. Bin units hook onto the rails.

example use scenarios:
+ use trays and shelves as removable drawers to organize and access items (students have trouble seeing and getting to the back and bottom areas of the fridge)
+ quickly reconfigure to make room for large items (students have trouble fitting open cartons of milk, large vegatables and cases of beer)
+ many different configs with door bins and half-trays . ( students organize fridge items in various ways e.g. a section for dairy, a section for meats, drinks area - also have lots of small fridge items they want to keep organized)
+ remove trays and take to a community kitchen or a friend's room (students are sharing food and kitchen resources)

platforms (or boxes or some other type of stackable storage unit) - These stack on top of the fridge and each other to create work and storage space for a unified kitchen area in the room.

countertops - These hook onto rails on the sides of the fridge to provide additional space for food prep. Countertops can be stored away when not in use.

example use scenarios:
+stack microwave or another fridge on top of platform (appliances take up a lot of counter space)
+ use trays and bins with the rails on the platform and fridge exterior to store dishes and food (students have dishes, cookware and food that they want to keep organized together)
+ use top of fridge and countertop for work space (students need space to make mini-meals)


what else it could offer

+ hang your own stuff e.g. S-hooks, bags, tupperware, cooking utensils
+ other container modules (e.g. hanging tupperware containers, tupperware drawers,"soft" trays, dividers, mesh elastic bags and nets)
+ hang rails elsewhere (the rails are adjustable and removable, so they could be installed somewhere else, like on the wall)
+ stack platforms elsewhere (e.g. under fridge, beside fridge, in middle of room for eating or sitting on)
+ platforms fold to conserve space
+ non-kitchen configs e.g. entertainment setup, work study setup, mini-bar setup
+ offer entire line of mini-kitchen appliances and accessories that work together as a system (e.g. microwave, hotplate, cart, freezer, pantry, etc.)


I was trying to organize each of the parts of this concept as follows.

form- what is it's structure and how does it work?
primary function- what function does it perform very well?
secondary functions - what else can it do?
problem scenario - what problems does this solve?

I think it's important that even though the concept I present is modular, each component has a primary function that it performs very well to solve a particular set of problems I identified. Additionally, these components can combine in many creative ways to provide flexibility and additional functionality. You could make the components integrated and still have it solve many of the same problems.

Some concerns I have to start resolving (with the final presentation in mind)...

1) How much more do I refine this concept?

For instance, I have this idea of a stacking unit that fits on top (or under, or on the side) of the fridge. Should I keep it at this level of abstraction or should I make a more concrete embodiments of this concept. For example: The stacking module is a box (like this). It has attachement points for rails inside so it can accomodate the various container modules. The tops and bottoms are also keyed so they lock onto the top of the fridge and each other. It comes apart to conserve space when you're not using it and even fits inside the fridge for easy transportation. It's made out of enameled steel, which has a sturdy look and feel to it.


To me, it seems like a good way to go is to present a more abstract concept (like a stacking module) along with a very concrete representation of how this concept might manifest itself as a real product (like the idea I describe above). Which leads me to my second concern.

2) How do I visually communicate these concrete representations of a potential final design?

Sketches, models, renderings, simple diagrams? It seems like for the final presentation I would want to present a really clean and crisp embodiment of these final design candidates. I was thinking of cleaning up my prototypes and taking some better shots of them in a realistic college dorm setting.

3) How do I visually communicate the mini-kitchen platform, or as Lucas put it, that "this concept has legs"

I'd like to present the idea the Best Buy could incorporate the mini-kitchen fridge into a more expansive series of college living products, like the mini-kitchen series. This concept is still at a pretty high level, so I'm not sure if detailed models or sketches are appropriate (even if I had the time). I could use diagramatic illustrations (similar to those I used for my earlier design concepts). Also, I could present a photo of a compact kitchen (e.g. a hotplate, microwave, small freezer, small oven, etc.) and use words to describe how this could become a new product line extension of the mini-fridge concept.