A. Prediction
The product’s purpose is to quickly and easily froth milk via what I suspected was a small motor and little whisk that would consequently vibrate. It is designed to appeal to people who drink frothed milk enough to want to make their own, but who don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on it. As a consequence, the product cannot be too complicated or expensive.
B. Observation
The small switch indicates that there is a motor that can be turned on to power the whisk and its little agitating spring. When turned on, it is strong and simple, making it a cheap, portable, and easy way to froth milk. The switch is an affordance and the handle to whisk material difference and size maps how the whisk belongs in the milk. There are illustrations showing how to put the batteries in and describing the sustainability of the materials.
C. Test
The frother is strong and sturdy. It spins very fast and makes a loud hum. In milk, it quickly and effectively froths, making the handle get hot.
D. My milk frother
The milk frother functioned in that it frothed the milk, but it was messier than the Ikea product. Some milk leaked because the frother required manual shaking of the container to agitate the milk. The end product was the same but did not stay as frothy for as long. There were words on the outside describing the maximum amount of milk to place and the whisk balls inside were meant to indicate that it must be shaken, as was the general shape of the product. It did work, and it was clear so we could see the milk. However, the lid was not tight enough to contain all the milk. I would adjust the lid to make this a better product.
E. Analyze
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eHbi2pkzuJ4S-0iL88oPmNOc1z4Tt9pkzSmtzRayNZ0/edit?usp=sharing
The major strengths of this frother are that it is easy to use and very strong and effective. It requires many parts which are not very sustainable, which is a weakness. It appeals as a simple product that froths milk, so complicating it by adding additional features would be counter to its design. I would simplify the battery instructions to make sure they are clear and easy to follow. Disassembling the product helped me realize how many materials and parts go into a relatively simple device.