Mist
Beautiful utility
Considered interactions
Comprehensive controls
Purpose
Most hand steamers are either beautiful or functional. The industry is sharply divided between offering a product with a coherent form and a full suite of features. I set out to design a hand steamer that does both.
Product
Mist is a handheld steamer that combines elegant form with uncompromising function. Rebuilt from the ground up, Mist challenges the standard of interactions set by competitors and delivers in a visually-pleasing package.
Comprehensive controls and rational form. Unlike competitors, Mist doesn't compromise its aesthetics for function. A full range of temperatures is elegantly incorporated into the rear panel, just within thumb's reach.
Glance, swipe, and refill. Mist's water tank is placed on the back of the product, so you can actually see when your water is low during use, and easily released with the latch, all without moving your hand.
Process
After identifying the market need for a simultaneously beautiful and functional steamer, I conducted a teardown of a highly rated competitor product. Through this teardown, I identified key components and engineering constraints that I would need to account for in my final design.
With functional constraints in mind, a brand-focused approach served to balance the technical needs with a clearly defined visual persona. Five brand directions served as the basis for quick orthographic sketches that were whittled down to divergent form concepts.
Of the five directions, Mogo showed the most promise to standout from other steamer designs with its internal handle grip.
Over six key stages of form development, I pivoted from the internal handle concept while maintaining a common thread through all of the iterations.
Two-dimensional explorations were conducted in parallel with 3D CAD to quickly iterate different interface concepts and verify label sizing for controls.
3D printing was essential for validating size and ergonomics of models, most of which were uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. I quickly pivoted from the early concept of an internal handle when I realized it was too small and compromised the water capacity of the overall volume.
Electronic components were modeled based on the prior teardown to validate the feasibility and size of Mist's enclosure design.
