MANDOLINE DESIGN
USER PROFILE
Nicole is a full-time manager and student. She finds happiness coming up with new dishes to create.
Nicole has limited time so she uses a lot of tools to cut down on her cooking prep time. The one tool which she feels could save her a lot of time is the mandoline, but she is hesitant to use it after she cut herself using it in the past.
ON-SITE EXPLORATION
Since Nicole’s favorite place in her apartment is the kitchen, I wanted to observe her as she moved about in her space. She loves the idea of a mandoline, but she doesn’t find it safe enough to use. She is a multitasker in the kitchen and tends to be a bit careless when handling sharp objects. She also thinks they have too many components which she considers cumbersome to wash and store, especially in her small NY kitchen.
I decided to create a mandoline that would be foolproof — something that could feel like an extension of the hand and doesn’t require much thought. This sparked her interest as it would speed up her cooking time and allow her to have more free time.
NEED ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITY
After asking Nicole to document herself using her mandoline, I wanted to explore any opportunities to improve the experience:
Too many parts
The blade attachments are dangerous to change
The prongs on the safety guard don’t maintain their hold for a long time
The guard has a tendency of slipping out of the mandoline, thus encouraging the user to continue cutting without it
There needs to be a clean surface for the sliced vegetables or fruit to land
The need to purchase cut-resistant gloves for safety
IDEATION
I took a user-centered approach while ideating.
Key features of focus:
compact and minimalistic design
safeguard the user from going near the blades
seamless interaction
usable on any surface
aesthetically pleasing
PROTOTYPE
I prototyped a design out of foam core to allow the client to experience the design with her own hands and to gain insight from her feedback on how to further develop it.
5 interchangeable blades are stored within the mandoline and are easily retractable.
Retractable safety guard pushes down smaller pieces with the help of hand pressure
The safety guard hooks onto the mandoline preventing it from sliding out and giving more control while slicing
Easy-turn dial adjusts slice thickness
Food catch container eliminates the need for a cutting board or a clean surface
USER FEEDBACK
“I love the retractable blades. It’s so easy to swap them out. The safety guard is too big which makes it difficult for me to grip. Would it be possible to make it smaller?”
-Nicole
