Microkitchen

Project Team: IDO @ GE Appliance
My Role: concept ideation, wireframe, UI design, prototyping
Skill: sketch, illustrator, photoshop, javascript

Simplifying, downsizing or the less-is-more movement, call it what you will, has millions of Americans from Millennials to Boomers seeking smaller living quarters. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the urban population in the U.S. grew 12 percent from 2000 to 2010, totaling 81 percent of the population. As cities grapple with housing shortages, the trend toward smaller living spaces is already a reality. Shrinking living spaces necessitate products and services that simplify, optimize and economize. GE Appliances’ new micro-kitchen concepts keep consumers living large in a drastically smaller footprint.

“As we watch what’s happening in the U.S., there’s a clear trend toward smaller, more efficient living spaces,” said Lou Lenzi, director of industrial design for GE Appliances. “There will always be a need for larger appliances for existing homes; however, we can’t ignore the growing need in urban environments. GE Appliances is excited to tackle the design challenge of creating micro-kitchen concepts that help people maintain or enhance their lifestyle in substantially less square footage.”

GE Appliance Press Release

User Interface

UI system is designed to control the entire microkitchen including cooking, cooling and washing sections within the range of fingertips. I was fully responsible for the interaction design of this project. During the entire process from initial idea to the final prototype, I worked with GE Appliance's industrial designers, cosumer insight team, product managers and engineers to come up with concepts, refine concept, prototype and lots of iterations. When the concept was premiered at Dwell Show in LA, 2014, the audience' reactions to this concept was phenominal. They waited in line of 50 people for about 10 minutes to get on stage to interact with it.

You have the convinience of the entire kitchen with the range of your fingertips, I think it will be Fantastic!

Why smaller?

Many factors are playing a role in the trend toward smaller dwellings. As the cost per square foot of real estate in metro markets increases, some people are choosing smaller dwellings out of necessity. In the U.S., there are 32 million one-person households as of 2012 and that number is expected to grow. Also contributing are demographic shifts, such as the aging of the U.S. population; downsizing Baby Boomers; the changing employment picture for Gen Y; younger people delaying home purchases preferring to rent; and trends toward simplification and a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

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