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Cool
inspiration
 At OXO we know that the inspiration for new
product ideas can come from everyday interactions with everyday
tools. Once upon a time there was a chairman and CEO of a Peruvian
investment bank who wanted to teach his son, a budding inventor, how
to pursue his dream of designing an innovative product. One day,
while struggling with the ice cubes tumbling from his freezer, the
CEO was inspired to invent an ice cube tray that lets you release
only as many cubes as you want. The invention went on to win
inventors' competitions in Peru and then internationally. The CEO
presented his product concept to OXO, and together with Smart Design
we further developed the OXO GOOD GRIPS Ice Cube Tray, a terrific
tray that lets you release just the cubes you need, has easy-release
rounded cubes and has a lid for freshness retention and easy
stacking. Check the packaging for the "Invented in Peru" label.
You can't teach an old dog...
 OXO is known for bringing innovative features to
familiar products, but sometimes maintaining familiarity is more
important than innovation. The original OXO GOOD GRIPS cheese grater
was designed to be more efficient and require less force than
competitors' models. Instead of the cantilevered arm on traditional
graters, ours had a cheese chamber that the user could squeeze
directly in her palm. But users, accustomed to having to squeeze
harder on the cantilever-style graters, were squeezing the OXO
grater so hard that it became tough to crank to grate cheese.
Realizing that teaching consumers a new behavior is not easy, we
abandoned our old cheese grater and developed the OXO GOOD GRIPS
Seal & Store Rotary Grater, which has the cantilevered arm users
are used to. Ever the innovators, we found another pet peeve users
had with traditional graters and improved upon it: ours has a
silicone seal that lets the user store cheese in the Rotary Grater
in the refrigerator.
A product speaks a thousand
words
 When designers from TODA brought us the concept
for the Uplift™ Tea Kettle, we were intrigued by the idea of a
Kettle that opens automatically when lifted. We knew immediately
that it would be crucial to design the Kettle so that it
communicates its clever functionality to consumers. Mechanical in
appearance, the die cast lever system perched atop the Kettle
provokes the question, "What does this do?" and invites consumers to
interact with it. Once the user lifts the Kettle and discovers the
self-opening feature, the realization of that "Aha!" moment brings
on a smile. To keep customers smiling, our design team focused on
the quality cues that make the Uplift an enduring favorite: the
spring has just the right resistance, the pouring angle is perfect
and the handle is comfortable and non-slip.
Flushing out ideas
 At OXO we have learned that sometimes going back
to the drawing board is necessary to develop the best products.
Imagine a team of designers and engineers gathered around...a
toilet! The bathroom was the scene of many meetings during the
development of the OXO GOOD GRIPS Toilet Brush and Plunger. The team
assessed user needs and surveyed a range of toilet styles to come up
with viable concepts for our new Toilet Brush and Plunger. We were
ready to develop the products when we discovered that they were not
suitable for certain low-flush toilet styles. Earlier concepts were
flushed, our research base was broadened, and testing resumed. We
even sent one engineer to people's apartments and area stores to
test the products in a broader range of toilets. All that brushing
and plunging has resulted in some fabulous features: the Toilet
Brush bends at the neck to get at tough-to-reach places, the Plunger
has a flat top for pushing, both products accommodate low flush
toilets, and both are neatly and discretely concealed in
self-opening containers.
Details,
details
 Sometimes you don't need a revolutionary
breakthrough to make a great product. After conducting an in-depth
study of cooking tongs, we discovered that the best ones are the
classic stainless steel French style cooking tongs that have been
around for generations. So we set our sights on making small,
meaningful improvements to enhance this classic tool. We focused on
the resistance of the spring and the avoidance of squeaking or
sticking. We ensured that the angle of the tong heads is optimal for
picking up all types of food large or small. We added soft grips for
comfort and control and a lock for compact storage. The focus on
these functional details has resulted in the OXO GOOD GRIPS Tongs,
one of our most enduring OXO products to date.
A
broad sweep
 Designing products that are useable by a broad
spectrum of users is crucial at OXO. But how do we gain an
understanding of the user needs of this broad spectrum of users? We
gather a sample of real people and study their interactions with
products. While developing the OXO GOOD GRIPS Broom, the team at
Smart Design hung a sign outside their New York City studio that
read, "We're testing brooms. Come in and sweep for a while. We'll
ask you some questions and give you $5." People flocked to the
studio where they were videotaped while sweeping. Data such as the
height of the tester, where the tester grabbed the broom stick, and
whether or not the tester leaned over while sweeping were noted. The
results of the user testing can be seen in the finished product; the
OXO GOOD GRIPS Broom is longer to eliminate the need to bend, has an
angled head to maximize bristle to floor contact, and has a soft
grip for comfort.
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