Christopher Lim Xian Da's profile

toast.it | toaster

Christopher Lim Xian Da
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bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design

introducing
toast.it
a modular toaster

A modular toaster concept designed to be highly repairable and customisable, aiming for a 25 year life cycle.
First year university project at Loughborough Design School.

individual project | completed in 2020
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design

the brief:

Your task is to reimagine the toaster or the “hot/burned bread creator” from first principles, with the aim of improving the experience.  We also want you to tackle the issue of the environmental impact of toasters. If 1 million are discarded in the UK each year and 4 million in the USA then we have a lot of useful materials going to waste in landfill. We’d like you to consider designing for a 25 year lifespan for your device. There are a number of ways to tackle this. Could it be extremely robust and well able to survive thousands of uses or will it be very simple to repair with a good support network and easily available spares? How will the materials and style survive the lifespan of the product unharmed? Will you design it to age gracefully and allow the wear and tear to become part of the product’s personality in the way that patina is a treasured quality in classic cars?
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
final design

Toast.it expands on the toaster experience by combining the greater functionality of a toaster oven with the ease of access of standard toaster. With a top hinged lid and a reposition-able control panel, the toaster can be used from the front or the side, allowing for more space-efficient orientation on a kitchen countertop.

Modular elements like the control panel and casing allow for greater repairability as well as the opportunity to implement different feature sets to adapt to future needs. Screw usage (instead of adhesives or bent metal tabs) improves repairability throughout the design.

bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
bread food prep kitchen appliances Loughborough University modular right to repair student industrial design product design
toast.it | toaster
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