Recognitions:
Red Dot Design Award
International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) Bronze
Good Design Award The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design
The Melitta Vision is a 12 cup gourmet coffee maker with advanced features to both enhance the taste of the coffee and to make the experience of using the coffee maker a pleasure.
When Melitta first approached us they knew they had a brand recognition problem. Their brand was associated with very low cost, entry level commodity products that competed only on price. They were producing generic low cost product in a sea of products, and losing money due to decreasing margins and decreasing market share. None of the upscale retailers would carry their products, so they decided to invigorate their brand by developing an innovative line of products to appeal to coffee enthusiasts who were passionate about great coffee.
We worked with Melitta to propose a new direction that would engage more upscale customers who were willing to pay more for a superior coffee making experience, yet still be accessible to a wide demographic. Coffee enthusiasts are a passionate group, and we wanted the design to reflect that passion.
The methodology of how the system works, with the space needed for the water, double heaters and component and volume layouts, pointed to the basic direction of the design of this unit. We had to optimize the component layout to allow us design flexibility, and worked with the engineering team to assure proper translation to production. The forms were kept to clean, simple overall shapes to create an iconic look, but much time was spent on the details to give it a luxurious and passionate look. The overall lines are clean, but there are soft and subtle curves that create a distinct silhouette and engage the user.
The two columns create a visual balance, with separate details providing equal visual weight. This coffee maker also uses dual independent water heaters to provide more precise control of water temperatures, an expensive feature important in making high quality coffee. To feature this water heating process, we made the water tube visible and added an led light, so as the water starts to boil and travel thru the water tube riser, it is illuminated and featured for visual enjoyment.
The shower head that distributes the hot water over the coffee grounds was designed in an optimum pattern that maximizes the flavor of the coffee.
In order for this product to be flexible in meeting the needs of the user, a rotatable control panel had to be developed. This would allow the coffee maker to be placed long-side against the wall, control panel on the left, long-side against the wall, control panel on the right, and back of the unit against the wall, control panel in front. And any combination in-between. This would allow the user to maximize space savings based upon their unique needs and requirements, and it also is a bonus for left hand users as
they have the flexibility to place the control unit on either the left or right hand side to make control input more convenient.
they have the flexibility to place the control unit on either the left or right hand side to make control input more convenient.
Upon introduction, the first 2 retailers that picked up this new line of products were Crate and Barrel and Williams Sonoma, with many more coming in the near future. Melitta, as a brand, is once again being recognized for producing quality products and great coffee, and is on their way to again being a powerhouse in the coffee maker business.
