Reimagining an Icon

In the face of intense price competition within a declining category, the original Instant Pot Duo urgently needed a transformation to restore its competitive edge. Our approach was two-pronged: we aimed to establish a visual identity that is unique in the pressure cooker category, while also streamlining production costs. Departing from the conventional platform architecture enabled us to deliver a tighter, trimmer silhouette wrapped in a sleek all-black finish that appeals to evolving consumer preference for a more refined, quieter aesthetic. Concurrently, we optimized the manufacturing process by adopting a unified unibody construction, substantially reducing component count and assembly costs, resulting in a significant $4 decrease in the FOB cost per unit.

I spearheaded the development and implementation of the Unibody EPC architecture across all wet cooking product categories, securing multiple design and utility patents in the process. This initiative has not only yielded a visually distinctive design language but also reinforced our brand's presence on the shelf, setting us apart from competitors, with ownable IP that makes us a tough act to follow.