Prediction: The purpose of the product is to froth the milk. It works by having the tip spin and create motion to form the bubbles. It was designed for coffee enthusiasts who do not want to spend too much money to froth their milk. The design objectives is to be handheld and cordless. The constraints that led to the development was probably the portability. Now the device can be taken anywhere, even camping.
Observation: From my observations, I believe it works by having a motor in the interior that powers the metal rod which is connected to the spring at the top. The objective works since the device is powered by battery instead of power from an outlet. The user can also hold the tool to clean it easier and insert the device into the cup with ease. It is designed this way probably to decrease the space the device will occupy. It is handheld since the shape is a nice size that fits most hands. The button to push it up is there. The battery cover indicates which side to put the positive batter and which the negative.
Test: The device is comfortable to hold, it creates bubbles, which was the main intent of the device. The more expensive one seemed to be made of a stronger plastic so that one was more durable. Both of the powered devices created the same amount of foam.
My own Device
Our own device was successful in making bubbles. Not as many bubbles but you could definitely see some appear. For affordances and mapping, the device you need to hold it in your hands and there is a cup as a cover that you use to help shake. On the cup there is a line where the max amount of milk is to be poured in. Also the wire in the device are meant to remain in there to help generate foam. The strength of my product is that it is hand powered so you do not need to pay for electricity or batteries. The weakness is that it spilled some of the milk when you take the cover off. Also it is much more difficult to clean than the ikea one since my device had a small opening and many wires inside. To improve the device, I’d build it our of more stable materials, so no hot glue or plastic. Also I’d improve the cover mechanism so no milk would spill out when we shook it.
Disassemble your IKEA device: The device works by having a motor connected to a metal rod with a small bit of plastic. The rod has a spring attached to it to froth the milk. To my knowledge, there are 15 parts with 5 moving parts. I believe the most surprising part for me was the motor and taking that apart. I was not expecting magnets on the inside.
Analyze: My spreadsheet- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13Ih_FVLDM4QzM_DyKlUh0Gtgj16ryzss_X6MnYwYz_s/edit?usp=sharing
The strength of this product is that we don’t need to use much energy to foam milk. It also foams the milk fast. The down side is having to go and buy batteries. A refinement that I might add is a detachable rod. That would let cleaning the device easier. I have learned that in some cases, you cannot put back together a product you have taken apart.
