Enhancing the hand dishwashing process : Designing a dish rack and storage accessories catered to small kitchens through industrial design engineering

In today’s society, many people, especially students and young professionals, live in small apartments or student housing where kitchen space is limited. This project addresses the challenge of hand dishwashing in compact kitchen spaces through creating an innovative, space saving dish drying tool catered to enhance the hand dishwashing process. Through a user-centered design process, including surveys, interviews, observations and stakeholder collaboration with Clas Ohlson, we identified key user needs such as compactness, usability, spaciousness and ease of storage. The ideation phase involved both creative methods and co-creation through workshops. Through iterative prototyping and testing, guided by direct user feedback, the final result is a versatile dish rack that reflects ergonomic principles and anthropometric standards, ensuring comfort and accessibility for a wide range of users. The product’s flexibility ensures it is usable on kitchen counters, in sinks, or as an accessory to a dishwasher. This demonstrates strong usability by minimizing cognitive load and adapting to varied contexts of use. Additionally, sustainable design considerations informed material and construction choices, aligning with Cradle to Cradle and Life Cycle Thinking principles to reduce environmental impact. The resulting product not only fits compact kitchens but also meets the practical, ergonomic, and environmental expectations of modern users. The project highlights how designers can identify relevant challenges by reflecting on their own user experiences, then validating and expanding those insights through broader research. Our solution addresses a growing societal need in compact living and has potential for further development, especially for accommodating larger kitchenware and enhancing intuitiveness. It also contributes a commercially relevant and sustainable product concept that could fit seamlessly within Clas Ohlson’s product line.