Interview about Klix Advanta Vending Machine, winner of the A' Office and Business Appliances Design Award 2024
Klix Advanta matches clean design, a modern user interface with a wide selection of drinks and Lavazza at its heart! Advanta is designed to redefine the vending machine experience. Giving shape and expression to technology and brand values through exceptional taste and a balance of efficiency and elegance. The patented in cup technology delivers drinks without any cross contamination. Ingredients are sealed in the innovative eco cup. Made with sustainably sourced paper and coated with water based barrier it is the first paper cup without plastic lining.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsMaterial choices are really important in product design and they define the footprint and impact a product has. In this case this is valid for the design of the product itself, but also for the cups and all the other materials the vending machine processes. The eco cup here are our first attempt in providing a solution without a plastic lining. Quite a challenging development.
Designing a vending machine isn't easy. In this specific product segment the main cabinet is almost always made from folded sheet metal, which really limits the shapes that can be achieved. So when we decided to have a hybrid door construction - with a structural metal frame and an pressure formed external shell - we had an opportunity to be much more expressive in this area and towards the user.
Well, maintaining our own identity and established form language in design isn't really blocking us from exploring some new directions and extending our brand to different segments and product categories. The premium aspect is further reinforced through our attention to detail and choice of materials and colours. Finally the reduced use of graphical elements that age quickly is an important aspect.
This technology was specifically developed to allow the preparation of each drink in it's own cup without any cross contamination. It has been one of the distinguishing features of the Klix system from the very beginning. Challenges were linked to the new materials we wanted to use for the evolution of the system.
For this project it was super important to create a product that expresses the values of the brand appropriately so that it adds tangible value to many different locations. A clean and well executed design, the perceived quality of the machine and especially the drink selections are the key enablers for this.
This construction was quite important to us as it allowed for more formal freedom on the front of the machine and towards the user. We used the different materials and manufacturing technologies for different parts of the door. The metal frame takes care of the structural part, the pressure formed shell for the main volume and injection moulded parts where we needed to integrate specific functions and fixtures.
Also in this case the machine design with the hybrid door construction and its structural metal frame and wide opening was central in making sure that restocking and maintenance were easy operations. When we designed the machine we didn't only focus on the customer side, but also on the processes of setting up and servicing the machine.
We initially started to develop two design directions in parallel. One that was safer and more conservative, and another one that was more daring and conceptual. The most important moment was, when we decided that we would go with the second option and develop it for production. This was much more challenging, but in hindsight also proved to be the right decision and I'm really glad we did that.
This is actually a tricky one. The need to design a vending machine with several different payment options in mind always has significant impact. It is necessary to find the right balance between keeping all the right doors open, while being future proof and making sure that the machine design remains clean and calm.
Klix Advanta was designed with a lot of attention to materials and finishes, almost more like a smaller product, or a piece of furniture. Not too much like a classical vending machine. This is especially evident in the elegant volume and the reduced application of loud graphical elements. I think this is rather novel in the segment and I'd like to believe that it will influence future products in this area.
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