Alessi Brandscape

Interaction / Spatial / Product Design

Brief

Our objective was to study the Alessi (an Italian kitchenware company) brand, design an interactive showroom in the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood of Vancouver and design interactive products with the Alessi Brand.

Role

This research was important when it came to the ideation process when we were designing the interactive product and space. It served as a reference that we could always go back to, to ensure that we were on the right track and creating meaningful experiences for our users.

Outcome

An Alessi store in Vancouver that communicates the Alessi brand of irony and playfulness to customers through their experience in the store and their experience in purchasing a product. We also designed an interactive product in the Squizito garbage can. When users interact with it, the product reacts back to the users to let the users know when the garbage is full. By giving a product emotions also creates a joy of use for users.

Brand Analysis

To create an interactive showroom for Alessi, we had to conduct a brand analysis of Alessi. We found that Alessi is traditionally open to experimentation and like to play with irony in their products. This method helps them constantly innovate throughout their 88 year history to today.

Site Analysis

We also conducted site analysis in the Main and Broadway intersection of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, where our interactive showroom was going to be placed. The site analysis included interviews and conversations with locals and businesses in the area. The goal was to get a sense of who lived in the area and what locals would want or need in their neighborhood. We found that it was a small artisan community heavily influenced by local brands, design, and music. We also found that the community was constantly with an increase of business investment and the mix of social cultures.

Interactive Space

We integrated digital walls displaying the appropriated use context with the items placed on transparent shelves, creating a situated environment for the product - having a shelf hold the DIABOLIX bottle opener on the displayed kitchen countertop. When the product is picked up, the digital wall indicates the name, price, and designer information for display.

Interactive Product

The SQUISITO garbage can set, emphasizes the notion of family. The family is modeled after Mendini's Anna G corkscrew sets. The SQUISITO family is distributed around the kitchen, the office, the bathroom, and the recycling area. Each SQUISITO member has their own identity characteristics of interactivity, mainly providing light and colour indication of their emotions and states.

© Christine Poh, 2011