Interview about Lavazza Tiny Eco Espresso Machine, winner of the A' Home Appliances Design Award 2023
Lavazza continues its commitment to sustainability by launching Tiny Eco, it's first coffee machine made from recycled plastic and compostable coffee capsules. Overall life cycle assessment, energy consumption and noise level were important aspects in the product development process. Designed with lots of love in Italy, it celebrates its Mediterranean identity with attention to detail, colours and finishes. The shape is made from intersecting volumes to reduce visual mass. It is simple and easy to use. Only one touch and just a few seconds. Enjoy!
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsWe decided in the very beginning that the projects main concept should be based on sustainability. In fact the internal project name was "Compact & Sustainable". So we looked into the use of post consumer recycled plastics and made sure we used as much of it as possible. But we also had to make sure that the aesthetics and the perceived quality of the product would be in line with our expectations. So we had to carefully choose the colour range and the surface finishings.
We explored a composition with intersecting volumes as this allowed us to visually contain the overall dimensions of the product. The different volumes and also the chromatic contrast help to achieve that and lead to a distinct visual identity as well. The general attention to colours, materials and finishes has always been super important to us and is also a natural expression of our mediterranean identity.
As mentioned before, the internal projects name was "Compact & Sustainable" and from the very beginning we considered the sustainability aspect in all design decisions of the product development process. Using as much post consumer recycle plastic and a low energy consumption are two examples for this approach.
There are several different strategies to lower the energy consumption and make a product more efficient.It all starts with the design of the machine's internal architecture and the choice of the single components. The other big enabler lies in the machine's behaviour. Here a shorter standby time helped us to achieve our energy consumption target.
We managed to maintain that premium quality standard through the actual design of the object. We made sure every little aspect was considered and properly designed. Through high quality surfacing and attention to detail we were able to achieve a balanced and visually engaging object with a great user experience.
Using a high percentage of post consumer recycled plastic on visible components of a product brings many challenges. We worked hard to make sure that the aesthetics and quality were still in line with our expectations. We developed a specific colour range and surface finishings that allowed us to limit the impact and hide impurities and other aesthetic defects.
To be honest, in this case we didn't have to do all that much consumer or user research. However, we did apply a lot of common sense and experience. We've been designing coffee machines for quite some time now and we listen closely to any feedback we get. So we have a rather good idea how our products are placed in modern living spaces and what our users need.
I'd like to believe that all the effort we put into making Tiny Eco more sustainable while also maintaining a coherent design approach and form language with the other products in our range was one of the most important aspects. The result is a compact and friendly little espresso machine that easily wins your heart, don't you think?
I'm not sure we really encountered any truly unexpected discoveries during the design process of Tiny Eco. We have a well structured product development process that is rather consolidated and it allows us to be efficient and follow a streamlined time frame. The one thing that was different in this case though, was the fact that we developed the product during the COVID period and that meant we had to be a bit more flexible.
I think we have definitely learned a lot during this special project. Especially with regards to the use of post consumer recycled plastics and how to integrate them and their specific design requirements in our development process. I'm convinced this experience will have a lasting impact on all our future products.
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