“OMG. A Hello Kitty Toaster? In Harvey Norman? Are you kidding me?”
Please forgive my drama, but that was exactly my first inner reaction when I saw this Hello Kitty toaster being placed at the same rack as Kenwood, a well-known brand for their electronics. It is not that I hate Hello Kitty, but it triggered my mind to think “why Hello Kitty? would it sell better than the Kenwood toaster?” (Yes I really wanna buy that Kenwood toaster but I have no house in Singapore so that goes to my must-have list)
| Differences | |
| Hello Kitty | Kenwood |
| Rounded shape | Sharp squarish shape |
| Hello Kitty decoration | Plain with a simple logo |
| Fixed heat plate | Changeable heat plate |
| Hello Kitty heat plate | Various function heat plate |
| Similarities |
| White-based color |
| Portable with a handle, but heavy in weight |
| Have an elevation underneath |
Analysis about the Hello Kitty
If it was not sold at Harvey Norman, I would have thought that it is just a toy, and not a real toaster. However I think this design is specifically targeted at kids, especially girls who loves to prepare their own food and learn how to cook. Or it can be for parents who would like to create kid-friendly meals. I was also thinking why don’t this Hello Kitty toaster be designed to have interchangeable plate features. After thinking for some times, I think it is deliberately fixed in order to reduce the chance of children playing with it, especially when it is still hot because an after-use.
The overall round shape resemble Hello Kitty, and indeed looks less mature, hence the roundness is actually more inviting to be seen and touch.
I am not a big fan of this design, and its feature function is not as cool as Kenwood.
Analysis about Kenwood Toaster
It is not only plain, it is also the only table toaster that has the basic shape of a square (I think the rest are rounder in shape). The plate can be changed to suit the need of the users. Using the same machine, consumer could make toast, pancake, sort cake, and waffle. I think one whole box consists of all the different heat plates.
The personality of Kenwood toaster is far more mature and minimalistic. The function is to cater the need of people who often spend their time in the kitchen creating different dishes.
Conclusion
I cannot say that the Hello Kitty is worse than Kenwood, because it serves different functions and different target audience. Kenwood design is more affected by the Function factor while Hello Kitty is influenced more by the Emotion factor. These two products intrigue me because they reminds me that with kids and children in mind, the outcome of the design (function, human, emotion) would change drastically.
