Maytag Vacuums
Tacony
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Style worthy of Maytag's iconic brand and Tacony's world-class engineering
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Cohesive design language ties all three models together and highlights their distinguishing features
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Designed and manufactured in America
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Best-in-class performance and durability
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Vacuum of choice aboard Air Force One
Where they were
Maytag wanted to create a vacuum line that used Tacony's superior technology but had a style worthy of its brand.
Objex worked with Maytag and Tacony to create a clean, modern look for three vacuums that Maytag is proud to claim.
Where we took them
An All Star Team
For years, Tacony has enjoyed a reputation for making some of the highest quality vacuums money can buy. So when a big player like Maytag decided that they wanted to make their own dirt suckers, they knew who to call. When two such highly regarded companies are able to work together, magic is bound to happen. Both Tacony and Maytag pride themselves in producing American-made machines with exceptional engineering and unparalleled performance and dependability--the kind of stuff you buy once and bequeath to your grandkids. Since Maytag has such an established and distinctive brand, Tacony asked Objex to join the party and take care of creating a visual style worthy of such a great union.
Laying the Foundation
Objex had previously helped Tacony develop lines of upright and canister vacuums, designing the aesthetic style as well as the ergonomic function of their handles. So we met again with Tacony engineers to get a refresher course on their technology. The team was able to identify the things that must be held sacred, what things were fair game to change up, and even some known annoyances that our new design could address. Likewise, we spent some time at Whirlpool (Maytag's parent company), and met with their design staff to learn how they work on their product lines. We got the skinny on Maytag's expectations behind each product and the mentality of the brand. We also received a big honkin' style guide that details proportions, colors, and textures that define the signature Maytag brand.
Concept Generation
What both Maytag and Tacony wanted was a new line of three vacuums that had a clean, modern style and retained the superior durability and function of Tacony's best machines. What really threw a wrench in things was this: the three vacuums aren't a good/better/best progression; they're all fantastic, but with different strengths. Objex was charged with creating a design language that subtly explained whether you were buying the vacuum equivalent of a Mini Cooper, an F-150, or a Lexus. We set to work exploring different visual concepts. We created dozens and dozens of sketches, tweaking curves here, moving vents there, getting feedback from Tacony and Maytag, rinse, repeat.
Refinement
After a number of iterations, a style began to emerge that all three teams were excited about. The pencil work moved into CAD, and we started resolving some of the vague details of the sketches and solving issues where internal components interfered with aesthetic details. Tacony provided models of their components, and we created detailed CAD of the head and body shells that integrated with current parts. With the overall form taking shape, we refined vents, lights, materials, and all the little details.
During the dramatic unveiling (email) of the final designs, gasps could be heard over the speaker phone. Objex had nailed the Maytag look and created a beautiful visual language that communicates the strengths of each model. Distinct curves imply air paths, and vents and bulges signal differences in power and performance. Maytag was thrilled with the style, and Tacony engineers were happy that all parts were designed for manufacturing. And so the Maytag vacuums were born.
A New Family is Born
