Portfolio
Product Form Study: Hair Straightener
Product Form Project
This was a project that I completed in a product form class. The criteria was to choose a handheld product that you think could have an improved form to express an emotional response.
Define Concept Direction
I chose a hair straighter because the product form is very similar across the market; there is also new technology that has recently emerged for this category. I chose to utilize the charging station straighteners that are new to the market. I wanted the form to express a sophisticated and sculptural tone.
Form Sketching
This shows the process of exploring forms from nature and architecture to make a sophisticated and sculptural form. There were a lot of ideas for the positioning of the straightener, but the final design that I chose felt the most classic and gave a feeling that the product was floating.
First Iteration
The first iteration solidified the basic form and usage structure, but some of the details needed refining.
Concept Refinement
After the critique, I realized that the color choice cheapened the product. The gold was too ostentatious. Also, the base of the product didn't give it a good product stance. Editing these two components transformed the product and made it look more professional.
Charging Port
With charging port hair straighteners being introduced to the market, I wanted to design a new way to charge the product. This type of charging station makes the form of the product more sculptural and looks amazing while resting on a vanity counter.
Human Factors
The sides of the product are sculpted in a rubber polygon pattern that encourages better grip while in use. There is also a textured pattern on the temperature dial to indicate that it is a touch point.
Form Functionality
The paddles of the hair straightener are flat in the center for straightening but curved on the sides. The curved sides make it easier to use the straightener with modern trends. One trend recently is curling hair with a straightener. This is made a lot easier because the product is designed with different uses in mind, such as having curved sides.
Final Glam Shot Advertisement
