“The car became a fashion item, and, so, the design of a product was no longer exclusively a question of function, but became an increasingly emotional element. Today, Whirlpool is focusing its attention on this change.”
Richard Gresens, the head of Global Consumer Design, presents the organization of this strategic sector.
“There are six centers throughout the world, the biggest is in Benton Harbor, with 120 employees. One in the United States, in Mexico, in Italy, China and India. An organization like this is important, in order to be near the local communities. Attention is paid to cultures and styles, and we try to understand what’s happening around the place. The advantage of a large corporation is being able to coordinate different experiences and consider them when innovating products. We work on sensorial design, for intuitive usability. Other elements are the workmanship and the color. Finally, a lot of attention is paid to the little final touches, which are almost imperceptible, but which may have a significant impact on whether or not the product is chosen.”
There is a great difference between different brands, which might contain the same technology, but which appear very different.
The Whirlpool name is the more global one, as it is present in all countries and pays most attention to innovation. One concrete example comes from the United States, where the washing machine market is changing. In the past, 75% of homes had a vertical-loading model, with less attention to design. Today, as people change their washing machines, they choose front-loading models that have more attractive designs.
