Target Market:My target market for this project was a person who's seen the world a few times. They can be either male or female but the important thing is that they like the outdoors. They like the natural things of the world but to contradict that a bit, they also appreciate the luxury that they've worked hard for in their life. A few fast cars, a boat and very comfortable place to live in and a peaceful walk in the forest would describe what this person would like. Being a person that is fairly well off and a lover of the world itself, they would be quite the outgoing person with friends surrounding them. A classy person like this would definitely need some classy and interesting utensils even if they were in a dull kitchen but since their not in a dull kitchen, it makes it all the more fitting to have utensils that dazzle.
Solution
This is a set of serving tongs which can be used to serve most things to guests. These tongs are presentable and at the same time, very practical so the host doesn't need to hide in the kitchen to do all the serving. This suits my target market because the host needs to be proud of what they have when they have guests so this product lets them be proud of such an ordinary utensil that is pretty special.
The mechanism to this tool is very simple as it only needs a spring to control the two prongs. The user would let the tool rest comfortably in their hand and use their thumb to press down on the upper lever which closes the clamps and when they want to open them up again, they can simply release their thumb from the tong and the counter force from the spring will automatically push open the tongs.
Special design features of this tool includes the handle which resembles a shift stick for the target market who appreciates their cars. The curves of the tool also make it look more elegant to fit into their homes. Materials were chosen specifically for their colour and their manufacturing properties. Since it will be hand crafted, the wood needs to be easy to work with but also be aesthetically pleasing. Rosewood works well with the product because it has a very good natural finish and is quite durable. It is also a very expensive and elegant type of wood which would suit the lifestyle of the user. The second prong is made of White Ash which is a lighter wood which would look very nice contrasting against the darker Rosewood. Ash is strong and has shock resistant properties which is very useful when it is the main point of contact when using the tool. It also bends well which helps make the manufacturing process easier.
With the materials, the simple mechanism and the overall curvaceous shape of the product, it provides the user with a comfortable experience. It is something that looks very good but does not require any effort to use which is perfect for the laid back host that just wants to get the food out to his guests so they can start eating. The curves feel good in the users hand and the surface of the prongs are large enough to make picking up food very easy. The user would definitely want to use these prongs for more than just special occasions.
5 comments:
they can pick up an egg??? i'm impressed. the tongs look like they fit well into the hand, form is quite ergonomic.
i don't really see the shift stick in the bottom arm, maybe because i'm not a car enthusiast. but if you're designing for people who like cars and wanted the shift stick feature, perhaps it could be made a little less abstract to fit the target market?
my other concern is the exposed spring - if the tongs are used to serve food, it could prove a real pain to clean, getting grease and food stuck in it. also, an exposed spring may break easily, and if the host you described is super laid back, etc, i'm guessing they wouldn't want to be worrying about whether their tongs were going to last the night or if the spring was going to fly off. so maybe thats a modification you could look at, because you picked the materials partly for their durability so it would suit if the spring mechanism was durable as well.
i like the contrasting timbers, thats a nice touch. you could even make them from plastic and just have bold contrasting colours for the different arms, eg the black/white combo is always classy.
=))
Very abstract but considerate design. I like how you've reconceptualised the mechanics of the tongs! Good work!
However i'm with sarah when considering the cleaning process. A spring can be a bit tricky to work around.
Also if the target audience is an outdoors enthusiast then maybe leaving the material with a raw timber finish could be classy and indicative of the inderviduals love for the outdoors.
Otherwise thumbs up for inventive nature of your design.
A good design concept. the free-flowing shape of the tongs help achieve the need for the intended market. the use of materials i.e. wood is a good idea for aesthetics, making the tongs have a more vintage, elegant look.
The exposed spring may be a design flaw, but a simple cover would fix that.
overall nice design
Awesome concept. The smooth curves and slick design is a really different and interesting approach to everyday serving tongs. They look great and appear to function perfectly.
Im not a car enthusiast so I probably shouldnt comment, but the shift-stick feature is kinda lost in what appears to be a fairly feminem design.
Also the lack of 'teeth' at the end might make it hard to grab some things. Other than that, this is a really great product. I would buy it!
Does it remind me of the shifter?
Yes and no.
You've kind of lost me in the bottom arm, even though i'm a car enthusiast, it does replicate a shifter although it doesn't look like it'll feel like one (probably because it is a serving tong)
As mentioned by the others, the exposed spring is a little concern for me as IF it does come loose, it'll be a big problem.
Besides those things, thumbs up for incorporating something from cars =]
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