750 W / 1000 W Mixer Grinder Design ( Durable & Elegant Mixer Grinder Design For Premium Consumer Segment)
Sector
Product Design : Small Kitchen Appliances
Problem
- The notably saturated small kitchen appliances market in India poses certain intricate challenges for all major product players aiming for success. Simplifying the purchasing decisions for customers with iconic and exciting designs that stand out of the market clutter is particularly difficult. In the mixer grinders segment, today’s customers seek innovative designs, competitive performance, and aesthetic aspirations aligning with global trends in interior and kitchen spaces. Bajaj Electricals has had a legacy brand perception for functional durability and value for money product offerings to its customers. But in its brand transformation journey, Bajaj intended to come out as a brand embracing modern innovations for an evolved premium customer segment.
- Considering the diverse usage scenarios across the Indian demography, Tata Elxsi’s strategy focused on designing a fresh, bold and market disruptive aesthetic for a 750W Mixer Grinder with different jar attachments for different utilities. Accounting the gap between functionality and design aesthetics for the new target of aspirational customers of Bajaj, Tata Elxsi’s primary challenge was to bring market disruption through cost effective premium design aesthetics with noticeable visual attributes focusing on robust durability and bold functionality of the product.
Challenge
- Mixer Grinders Market in India has largely been regional with few big brand names in each zone, catering to the specific regional requirements and enjoying a prominent popularity amongst their loyal customers. Client had a specific requirement to present a fresh new disruptive product design to their existing and new consumers that can become their clear first choice irrespective of the region.
- Basis insights, consumer’s purchase decisions are largely dependent on the overall durable performance and grinding efficiency, versatility of the product across different types of ingredients and preparation, and an aesthetic that is bold enough to communicate the same through its stance and presence in the kitchen.
- Client also additionally had a requirement of a timeless, iconic and scalable design that can be further segmented into different price categories and for larger base of target customers with simple technological and part upgrades.
Solution
- Being a product in the small kitchen appliances category, meeting cost targets was of paramount importance, due to the highly competitive offerings by other brands in market.
Cost Optimized considerations for future-proofing of the design with scalable and easily upgradable SKUs with provisions for incorporating advanced features such as preset keys, touch based intuitive interface, and exciting new CMF options that can become a clear preference for the consumers out of the current offerings in the market clutter. - Translating the brand’s legacy, technological reliability and durability of the product as modern ownable signature design elements as per the laid-out brand design language system. The monolithic structure of the form with subtle carved details exude a sense of reliable legacy and moving all the inlet and outlet vents to bottom increases cooling and noise reduction capabilities of the concept. The user-focused inclined UI knob facia keeps the user first in the core of its experience.
Impact
- The new design helped the client manifold with more competitive market penetration in certain specific regional markets of South and East India, where conventional local giants were dominating the regions establishing the client as a new popular alternative.
- The future-ready design provided the client with cost effective inventory management, common parts and easy creation of multiple SKUs which can be easily scaled up with new technology integrations and for different target user segments.
- As a result of the heavier base and simple geometry, the product effectively elevated the user’s experience with perceived stability and reliability while grinding and mixing.
The new design concept could effectively communicate about the in-built toughness and robust durability of the product brand backed by nationwide sales in its aspirational yet price sensitive modern customer base.
