Mm
The Mm Coffee Maker is a single-serve dual-mode coffee maker that maximizes the home coffee-drinking experience while minimizes environmental footprint.
Info
Team Project
2020 Spring, 14 Weeks
Sponsored by Newell Brands
Team
Abby Ohab, Sara Hua,
Tim Li, Quanyi Wang
Skills
UX Research, Industrial Design, Prototyping, Branding, UX Design,
Design for Sustainability
Tools
Rhino, KeyShot, Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma
Role
As a team, we collaborated during the research, ideation, and iteration phases. My responsibilities included sketching, CAD modeling, creating physical mock-ups, and rendering. I continued to refine the design after the term ended.
Design Process
Challenge
Life Without Plastic
This project is sponsored by Newell Brands with the goal of removing plastic from its product line. The focus is on rebranding Mr. Coffee and redesigning its automatic drip coffee maker to reduce its plastic footprint in the near-term and improve the user experience.
Brand research
Target Audience Research
Sustainability Research
Define
The opportunity lies in the intersection of reviving Mr. Coffee’s revolutionary spirit, resonating with the Gen Z lifestyle, and improving product sustainability.
Ideation
We experimented with new structures and tried to find more eco-friendly solutions for necessary functions.
We conducted a life-cycle assessment of the benchmark coffee maker to identify design opportunities that could improve the product’s sustainability throughout its entire life cycle, from manufacturing to end-of-life.
We decided to use a vertical structure for this dual-functional coffee maker because it is more energy-saving, compact, and intuitive.
We focused on the concept of dual function, which combines both automatic drip and pour-over functions in the same machine. We used mockups to demonstrate potential structures that can intuitively serve both functions.
Testing
1:1 scale model for testing proportion and human factors
Auto Mode
Manual Mode
The design should balance the convenience of auto mode with the controlled crafting needs in manual mode. I used physical models and paper screen mockups to test the user flow for each scenario.
Final Design
The Mm Coffee Maker is a single-serve dual-mode coffee maker that maximizes the home coffee-drinking experience while minimizes environmental footprint.
Work Better, Play Better.
Mm Maximizes Your Dual Life.
Mm caters to the coffee-drinking habits of Gen Z by providing two coffee-making methods – automatic drip coffee and pour-over coffee. The versatile offerings adapt to both fast-paced and leisurely lifestyles with ease.
Easy Measure System
We understand that your brain may not function without a cup of coffee in the morning. That’s why we’ve made Mm “sleepiness-friendly.” Our “Easy Measure System” features unified cup size marks on the button, filter, and kettle. Simply follow the 1-cup or 2-cup mark to add ground coffee and water.
One Knob Supports The Whole Journey
You can quickly switch between auto and manual mode by twisting the knob. An adaptive guide on the screen ensures that every step is clear and controlled.
Adapt To Various Container Sizes
This support offers three height options to accommodate different common container sizes. Hang it up to lift a short coffee mug, place it on the base when using a 2-cup carafe, or remove it to fit a tall to-go cup.
Recycled Coffee Bio-plastic
The plastic parts contain recycled ground coffee, giving the product a coffee-like look.
Reusable Stainless Steel Filter
The filter is made of two layers of stainless steel, which is more long-lasting and sustainable than the single-use paper filter.
Durable Stainless Steel Kettle
The stainless steel kettle is high-quality and durable, replacing the plastic water reservoir and rubber water pump.
Recycled Aluminum Stand
The aluminum stand is easy to make and assemble. In addition, its shape can be efficiently arranged to reduce the off-cuts.
The “Gravity Workflow”
The new structure utilizes gravity to naturally transport water from the carafe to the filter and your cup. This eliminates the need for the easily broken water pump and makes the product more durable.
The water-valve structure enables the switch between drip coffee mode and pour-over mode.
In auto mode, the water valve opens after the water has boiled.
In manual mode, the water valve remains closed, holding the boiled water in the carafe.
