International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 - (Page 66) be really awkward.” What they worked on was a drawer-dishwasher. These types of units have a smaller capacity but are easier to use by older people. Baskinger says that this type of appliance makes sense from a lifestyle perspective. He says that one trend that they discovered was that people are washing less dishes and cooking less often. “We noticed some people were storing their breakfast and dinner dishes in the dishwasher and using the same ones everyday. Just rewashing them.” He says that the drawer dishwasher presented them with an opportuSketches of a clothes washer. nity, but there was more that could be done. The drawer still extended too far into walk-space. The design included notching the appliance into This concept of a unit flush with the the countertop so that the lid could open up counter was carried over to other prodon the dishwasher and the drawer can pull ucts. A microwave, which measures 19.5 out half way. “The user can still get the same in. x 30 in. x 25 in. deep, sits flush with amount of access that you would by pulling the countertop to promote sliding of the drawer out to full extension,” Baskinger hot dishes. A slide in cook top also was says. Drawings of the individual compone nts that would be found on a range. designed that sits flush with the countertop. The designers also developed 15-in.-wide cooktop modules that can be ganged together to create the “ultimate” cooktop featuring induction, gas, and electric cooking options next to each other. A modular refrigerator was also developed that features a convertible freezer/beverage center that measures 30 x 25 x 49 in. and incorporates a Lazy Susan. Other design elements included a upper cabinet with French doors and an integrated crisper drawer. Another pivotal aspect of the design process was the creation of a visual narrative to help the user operate the appliance. An example of why this is important came out during their ethnographic studies. In one case, a couple had a slide-in range that they said they used all the time, but when they went to show it to the researchers, the couple was unable to unlock the key pad that controlled the range. “The wife came over and tried to do it, but she couldn’t,” says Baskinger. “When they finally could unlock it, I asked how do you do the settings, and they had to take the manual out. I asked them why they had to turn to the manual if they used the appliance all the time and they said, ‘yeah, we do, but we burn stuff all the time.’” 66 International Appliance Manufacturing 2008
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.