Industrial Design

The electric standing mixer- no commercial kitchen would be complete without one.  They are also mass-produced for sale to the millions of households in the United States and throughout the world; the most iconic being the KitchenAid®.  Often a staple of the American counter top, most kitchens have and use KitchenAids® often.  But other than for convenience, why?  People had been mixing by hand for centuries without problems; do we really need something to mix for us?  There is also the option of buying an electric hand mixer.  Why is this particular type and brand of mixer bought so often? 

I believe it has a lot to do with the product’s design.
  

Image from  http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/good-questions/should-i-buy-a-bowllift-or-tilthead-kitchenaid-mixer-good-questions-091285

Sleek in its recognizable form, it is aesthetically pleasing.  Sold in many different colors, customers are given the option to choose the one that will provide visual unity to appliances that will be in its proximity once it gets into their kitchen.  Other than the black handles, the frame and bowl is symmetrically balanced from the front view making it look stable.  From the side view it is still balanced, just asymmetrically balanced, because the stand on one side and the bowl on the other both have the same visual value and importance towards the function of the mixer.  One holds the mechanisms that make the mixer mix, the other holds what is being mixed.  The stand has a legato rhythm resulting from the curved lines and smooth surfaces that flows right into the mixing bowl of the same style.  

The scale also makes it identifiable.  Though they use mixers and bowls of varying sizes in commercial kitchens, most KitchenAid® household mixers are the same manageable scale and have a consistent bowl-to-stand proportion.  They are made to fit on top of a counter top or to fit into a cabinet in someone’s home.  This requires that as their models may be slightly altered and improved, its dimensions remain greatly dependable and uniform.

All these design elements likely contribute to its popularity.  In my opinion, the biggest factor, however, is the fact that the mixer is likely the same familiar shape and design as the one that was in one’s kitchen growing up.  Many people, including me, have fond memories of their mother or grandmother using one such mixer, so they therefore desire one of their own.  It is a reliable constant that generation after generation can enjoy because the basic design elements have remained unchanged.

Though I stand by the belief that some part of the decision-making process is probably design related, I suppose it is possible that one may buy a KitchenAid® mixer for all, any, or none of these reasons.  No matter the reason, though, it cannot be denied that the KitchenAid® standing mixer is truly an example of industrial design that has stood the test of time.