Spin Popper
How might we redesign traditional popcorn poppers to make them more fun and appealing to the whole family? The Spin Popper is a popcorn popper with a spinning top that distributes popcorn into shareable portions that can be individually flavored.
Process
Reverse-engineering a traditional popcorn popper gave me
insight into the internal components like the heating coil, the fan, and the motor.
Analyzing competitors revealed opportunities in the market.
Traditional at-home popcorn poppers are usually ugly, cheaply made appliances, that have too many
or too few features needed for a fun popping experience.
Observing and interviewing a dozen users helped me find key opportunities for improvement.
Popcorn popper customers are concerned about the low performance, poor experience, and sometimes even dangerous outcomes of using traditional popcorn poppers.
Sketching allowed me to quickly generate a variety of concepts.
I focused on ideas that would make popping popcorn more fun and safe for anyone hosting a movie night,
throwing a party, or simply wanting to enjoy freshly popped popcorn.
Seeking inspiration lead me to the playful and familiar form of an emperor penguin.
Incorporating bright and youthful colors brings a greater sense of play to the Spin Popper.
Prototyping in cardboard and paper helped me achieve a proper sense of scale and proportion.
I then created a 3D-printed model to test a more accurate representation of the Spin Popper.
Summary
How does this product take risks?
The Spin Popper is a new take on popping popcorn and elevates the experience to make using a popcorn popper more delightful.
How is this product unique and future-oriented?
It's focused not only on the product but the overall experience users have when using the product. The color pallet and shapes distance themselves from what's on the market and lean into bold and modern design.
How does this product contribute to the body of knowledge of design?
This design proves you don't have to reinvent the wheel to add value for people. Sometimes putting a spin (pun intended) on an already existing idea is all it takes to improve the user experience and make the product
more desirable.