Vibe
The Brief
One of America's largest retailers needed a concept collection that could appeal to a broad audience while still offering something unexpected. The opportunity was to rethink familiar kitchen tools alongside more unconventional gadgets, creating products that felt intuitive, useful, and memorable. I approached the collection by balancing everyday functionality with playful innovation, designing concepts that could attract attention on the shelf without sacrificing manufacturability or consumer appeal.
My Role
I was part of a five-person industrial design team led by a senior designer, contributing throughout the concept development process from early ideation to presentation. My role involved researching consumer needs, generating product concepts, sketching, and developing CAD models while collaborating closely with the team to refine ideas into a cohesive retail assortment.
Applying the Concept
To define the visual identity of the collection, the team used Midjourney AI as an ideation tool to generate imagery that captured the desired mood and aesthetic. Through curated references, a design language emerged: one that balances soft, sculptural silhouettes with understated details and a playful spirit. Inspired by the richness of nature and the vibrant hues of fresh produce, the resulting palette feels both contemporary and inviting.
Development
The Vibe kitchenware line was developed through a hands-on, iterative process focused on refining everyday tools into a cohesive product family. The process began with evaluating existing products to identify opportunities for improved functionality, ergonomics, and visual consistency across the collection. Through sketching and concept exploration, I translated these insights into new forms that balanced intuitive use with a distinct design language.
Rapid prototyping played a key role in bringing ideas into the physical world, using 3D printing to test proportions, interactions, and overall user experience. Each round of prototyping helped refine details, validate design decisions, and ensure the final products felt intentional both individually and as part of the larger Vibe collection.
Multi-functional Kitchen Shears
I explored a series of concepts featuring “plus-one” functionalities, including a bottle opener, herb stripper, and jar opener, designed to complement the collection’s playful and unexpected character. Alongside functional exploration, I investigated ways to integrate the line’s soft, sculptural language across each product. These early studies helped shape design conversations, refining opportunities that balanced everyday usability with the collection’s distinctive aesthetic.
Corn Stripper
I explored a range of corn stripper concepts, focusing on how form, ergonomics, and functionality could work together to create a more intuitive user experience. Through sketch studies and hands-on evaluation of existing market solutions, I identified opportunities to improve comfort, efficiency, and ease of use. The final design balances a clean, approachable aesthetic with thoughtful details, including an optimized blade and housing geometry that allows kernels to be removed smoothly while keeping hands safely positioned away from the cutting edge.