Precision Cooking for Whirlpool
The Challenge
How can a cooktop enable precision cooking that guarantees delicious results every time?
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I worked as Design Lead for this R&D project, closely collaborating with the Consumer Innovation researcher, engineering lead, and business lead. 2019-2020
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I joined Whirlpool’s Global Consumer Design Studio in the north of Italy.
From their website:
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is committed to being the best global kitchen and laundry company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. The company is driving purposeful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit, Yummly and InSinkErator. In 2022, the company reported approximately $20 billion in annual sales, 61,000 employees and 56 manufacturing and technology research centers.
Exploration Phase
Closed-Loop cooking
The catalyst for this project was the provocative idea that induction cooktops could, for the first time, receive feedback about the status of the pan or pot—a proxy for the status of the food in it—and guide the cook to achieve precise and perfect results every time. Technically, connected accessories like a smart-pan were required to close the feedback loop so I explored how the experience would look like if it was distributed among an ecosystem of devices in the kitchen.
Testing with home cooks
Setting
I created an interactive prototype for home cooks to follow 3 different recipes using their phone and a connected cooktop in a lab kitchen outside of Chicago.
assumption 1
Are home-cooks able to follow a recipe from their phone using an app that controls the cooktop?
Assumption 2
Do users need a display on the cooktop to follow the recipe successfully?
iPhone Prototype
Learnings
1: Testers were equally able to follow a recipe with or without a display on the cooktop
2: While controlling the cooktop from their phone was completely new to them, Everyone got better and more confident after the first try.
3: After cooking three different recipes, every user said navigating the app was easy and intuitive.
High-Fidelity Design
Getting the app production-ready
After a successful test with home cooks, we moved on to transform the prototype into a working app to have a proof-of-concept of the connectivity between cooktop and phone. I created a component library, design specs and an updated style closer to Whirlpool’s look-and-feel.
Hardware and software magic
Human machine Interface
The team leveraged having control over the human machine interface on the device and tasked me with redesigning it for the connected experience. This was thrilling and it allowed me to design for a seamless experience that allow users to focus less on the tech and more on cooking delicious food
Business Impact
Setting the foundation for a NEW TECHNOLOGY
The project validated an experience that unlocked more technology development into closed-loop cooking. Learnings from the testing, prototypes and designs for the app, accessories and HMI trickled down into the products that Whirlpool and its portfolio of brands launch every year. Precision Cooking serves the team as a tangible vision of what the future of connected cooking can be.
Testimonials
“ Sebastian has lead from the front on all the UX design initiatives … His knowledge in the mobile domain is his core strength which any mobile domain team would value. He is not shy to ask the tough questions and push the team in the right direction. ”
— Varun Suri, Global UX Manager for Whirlpool Corporation
“ From the moment Sebastian joined the team the speed of delivery skyrocketed. He is a passionate and talented designer who has the rare ability to hear the need beyond what is being said or asked for … Sebastian helped redefine the scope of the project and successfully communicate it to leadership and other parts of the organisation. ”
— Ellen Svärdh, Consumer Innovation Lead for Whirlpool Corporation