DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Easy Bake Popcorn Machine
The Easy-Bake Oven is a beloved children's toy that has been around since the 1960s. It has undergone several iterations and seen many variations. Building on this legacy, the Easy-Bake Popcorn Machine is a proposal to expand the franchise beyond traditional baking.
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ConceptsThe modern toy industry predominantly uses plastic, as it is cheaper to produce and easier to work with for more complex and colorful designs. Although these tend to be more attractive and affordable for the customer, they do not have the same lifespan as wooden toys. They are discarded quickly; yet, they persist in landfills indefinitely. Contrasting this 'throwaway' culture, I grew up playing with toys that were passed down through generations in my family. I wanted to redesign an iconic toy in my own style, using more sustainable materials. I aimed to produce an outcome that was welcoming to all ages and held importance in the hearts of its users, ensuring it remains in the family for a lifetime.
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Moodboard
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To understand the internal working mechanism of the Easy-Bake Oven, I read through the patents it has acquired through the years. Taking from the preexisting solution of the two compartments - the heating and the cooling chambers, I designed a machine that allowed the user to place and extract the popcorn from the same door. This allowed the user to interact with the oven in the same way one would with a traditional kitchen oven. I replaced the current wire heating element used during the cooking process with two thinner metal heating elements that created a heating plate with a three-square-inch area. This reduces the chances of burns and allows the exterior of the toy to be constructed from wood, which would never come into contact with the heated plate. I also added a fan to the cooling chamber to speed up the cooling process. The final design allowed the user to place the popcorn packet through the front door which would automatically lock. Once the cooking ended, the user would push the plate into the cooling chamber where it would hit the fan's button. Once the cooling was complete, the user would pull the tray back out, which would open the locked door, allowing the user to extract the popped popcorn.
04Exterior
05Initial Ideas
To develop a world within which my Easy-Bake Oven would live, I created 3 sets of characters that could own this toy. The celestial Dragon that lives among the stars, a carnival bunny that sells popcorn outside the merry-go-round, and the ethereal sun and moon duo. I used their personality and backgrounds to create small thumbnail sketches of potential designs.
06Final Design
The final design I chose was the popcorn machine operated by the carnival bunny. Its body was inspired by vintage popcorn booths found at fairs and carnivals. The simplicity of the design made it easy to reproduce. The straight panels streamlined the wood cutting process.
07Instructional Manual
08Packaging Design
09Prototype
