Manoj Mistry

In 2005 LG electronics embarked on a campaign to expand its presence in the N.American market. Having established itself a reputation for reliable, well made products. In a lucrative market where brand means everything, LG wanted to compete with the established appliance manufacturers like Whirlpool, Maytag and GE. This task required an education in what made the other brands so successful.

Leading a small team effort, a 4 week study was conducted to take stock of the current landscape. Our effort was focused purely on kitchen appliances only. our first task was filter down to the current perception of the LG brand was. Once that was established we extracted where the Lg brand needed to be in order to make a greater impact in the market.

For LG to compete on a greater level with the home grown competition it needed to change its brand perception as a maker of high tech, mid-range products. An extended market survey helped LG become educated on the American culture. From brand heritage to tv cooking shows, we showed what it would take to get at the heart & sould of the American consumer. Other market analysis surveys were also conducted on trends, materials and kitchen environments.

Once the market surveying was complete a strategy needed to be employed to apply a new design language to a full range of kitchen appliances. Areas of opportunity like touch points, controls. form, materials and finishes, detailing, branding and user interface were first identified before undertaking any design exploration.

To help create a new brand identity, we discovered 5 brand aesthetics that were essential to an American product. These were; Historical, Tactile, Transparent, Natural and Reflective. The process involved the intelligent use of various combinations of these 5 elements. Examples from the Automotive, Computing, Furniture and consumer electronic industries were used for reference.

The example shown is from the WRAP language. This involved focusing on areas such as the shape of the windows or the UI area and handles. Certain elements define a product and its brand from a distance when logo's are not readable. This is important in a large retail environment where so often various brands are placed along side each other fighting for attention.

The CRISP family of products features dominant and powerful lines and surfaces. These were attributes we found in many high end kitchen appliance products. High quality and professional grade performance is what the consumer looks to at this price range. From double door refrigerators to range cookers and cooktops each language was explored as a family.