- Bill Smith, president of Great British Kettles, called industrial designer Scott Stropkay to design an electric teakettle called Ukettle. - Scott worked with Polymer Solutions on the design over six intense months to develop the kettle in time for a January trade show. - The goal was to create an innovative design that still looked like a traditional teakettle. Key challenges included designing for disassembly and using high-quality, recyclable plastics. - Through sketches, prototypes, and focus groups, Scott refined the design which featured snap-fit assembly, a large vessel for the heating element, and two-tone color options that tested well.

1. Case Study by Jaikumar Ranganathan
Industrial design, IDC
IIT Bombay,India
10.07.2012

2. Bill smith President of Great British Kettles (GBK)
Called up Scott Stropkay head Industrial designer on
the Ukettle Project
Ukettle was an electric teaKettle that Scott and
Polymer solutions

3. GBK ‘s Product development consultant
Pull the design
Tooling problems
Kettle’s introduction at the Housewares show in
chicago in January
Full coloured finished product presented in
Business week, sept 17 1990 issue

4. Scott tried to get clients attention
Article claims design for disassembly

5. ‘To create a completely new design, yet
connect with the traditional teakettle.People
should recognise that it is a teakettle. And yet
It should be out of the edge of that feeling and
be innovative.’

6. •Bill settled on the name “Great British Kettles”
British connection adds little glamour
•Enter of Polymer Solutions
( Boston based polymer solutions + GE Plastics
Worlds largest developer and manufacture of
engineering plastics)
•High quality plastic application
•Smith included graphic designer who designed
Coke classic.

7. The design Challenge : Aggressive and fun
‘I was intrigued by the concept , but six months of production
Parts was really aggressive’ by scott
Ukettle Development Process
The Aggressive part : complete product definition and design
Work in four weeks.
Ukettle was intense and around the clock project and designers
Recalled the nighttime adventures during the project.

8. Typical Electric kettle available in Britain

9. Various initial Configuration for the kettle

10. Early foam Models

11. Handle Concepts

13. Mould Configuration was quickly determined that the
big vessel with the hole for the element would be the
most reliable.The designer proceeded with more
Focus sketches
Looks of the kettle was conventional .yet it is designed
To communicate ‘intutively’that the application is a
Electric kettle.

14. Designing for Disassembly ( DFD)
DFD on of the buzzwords in the ‘green design’
movement of the early 1990’s.The concept was given
substance by the Manufactures of materials and
products that were cluttering Up the enviroment and
overburdening landfills
GE plastics invested R & D to recycle themoplastic or
polymers

15. Smith believed that DFD added value,for
which environmental Conscious costumers
would pay 10 to 15 % premium.At the least
DFD would generate no-cost publicity and it
would promote Environmental responsible
designs

16. Assembly of the kettle
Snap fit was thought at the initial stage, but child proof
and leak proof are also need to be considered
Should be able to assemble without the manual
Finally Agreed with few screws which will be easy
To assemble and disassemble.

17. Final design of the handle

18. Steam Holes and Screw slots

21. Final Ukettle concept ( centre)

22. Tooling

23. Package
Fashion Oriented Two tone colours-white and black accents suited the market

24. Focus Groups
Good response from Youngsters
and professionals
and later the olders

25. Conclusion

26. Thank U