Project
Brand Extension Project
timeline
March 2023 - April 2023
Role
Sole Designer
About
This record player is styled in the branding spirit of Kikkerland Design's Critters wind-up toys. It is designed to fill any space with plenty of charm, character, and, most importantly, the sweet, sweet sound of vinyl!
● Project Overview
Project Brief
Brand Extension
I was assigned the task of developing a new product concept that could complement a company's existing product line. The product would need to align with the company's established branding and not be a type of product this company had previously developed.
● Brand Analysis
Company Overview
Kikkerland Design
My project is based on Kikkerland Design. This New York-based brand is known for its quirky designs, which add a playful twist to everyday items. Kikkerland Design offers an eclectic range of products, from whimsical household gadgets to office accessories.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbs0bc87uok
Brand Positioning and Attributes
Kikkerland Design is a company dedicated to creating fun, functional products that add a refreshing touch to everyday life. Each item features clever and delightful elements that invoke joy and surprise. This unique approach makes Kikkerland products ideal for personal enjoyment and gifting.
According to their official branding guide, the key brand attributes are discovery, intelligence, wit, utility, joy, ingenuity, and humanity. These attributes reflect the spirit of Kikkerland’s mission and the distinctive experience it aims to deliver to consumers.
The Product line
Kikkerland Critters
To streamline my research, I focused on a single product line that embodies the core elements of Kikkerland’s brand identity: the Critters wind-up toys↗ series.
Design Language + Form Factors
While each creature in the Critters collection has its own unique flair, characterized by distinct proportions, part configurations, and locomotion, the collection remains cohesive due to a common design language.
They all feature vibrant pops of colour, a dynamic interplay of rectilinear and curvilinear forms, wire legs with rubber feet (or wheels), exposed mechanical elements, boxy metal bodies, and distinctive enamelled turnkeys. These factors combine to give each Critter the desired look and feel.
Design Opportunity
A Record Player
Physical media are currently experiencing a revival. Demand for record players is rising as they add a touch of nostalgic charm to the in-home music experience. I saw an opportunity to take advantage of this trend and decided to design a quirky retro record player for Kikkerland Design to extend their Critters line.
DeSIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Key Inspiration
Due to the sheer variety within the Critters product line, I drew most of my inspiration from four specific toys (Bonga, Katita, Critter, and Spinney), as they seemed stable, which would be an important feature for a record player.
Katita Wind-up
Bonga Wind-up
Spinney Windeup
Critter Wind-up
Target Aesthetic
Look + Feel Moodboard
Colour Palette
Red: #ff0000 Blue: #004aad Turquoise: #00b5e5
Materials + Finishes
Brushed steel (sheet metal) brass (gears), silicone rubber (booties), enamelled metal (turnkey + record platter)
● Design Process
Ideation Sketches
Early ideation sketches exploring general proportions/layout thumbnails (right page) and turnkey switch thumbnails (left page).
Low Fidelity Prototypes
Modular prototypes to quickly test out various compositions of body shapes, number of legs, and leg formations. Tested for structural stabiliy as well as look and feel. Made from pipecleaner, and cardboard.
The pipecleaner legs are pliable, allowing rapid prototyping of leg iterations. This leg formation looks tall, but was too rigid and the high centre of gravity made it topheavy.
An example of the bent legs. This next protoype fetures bent legs, which add a sense of motion to the record player (almost like a crawling animal). The low centre of gravity also helps with stability.
Low fidelity booties prototype, crafted from foam core and hot glue. these add stability to the wire legs by widening the base and increasing friction with the floor/tabletop.
Turnkey Considerations
Ideation on the function of the turnkey mechanism. Should it rotate like a traditional turnkey and be applied to a dial, or should it flip like an ON/OFF switch instead? I ultimately went for the switch function.
Form Development
Exploratory form development sketches - final product sketch (bottom right).
● Final Design
Poster Board
The original 18" x 24" poster for the project, as presented in class.
In-Context Product Renders
Render of the record player on a tiled windowsill. Modelled in Solidworks, rendered in Keyshot, and edited in Photoshop.
Render of the record player on a tabletop. Modelled in Solidworks, rendered in Keyshot, and edited in Photoshop.
● Resources
