Gold Home Appliances Design · 2022
Lavazza Inovy Mini Coffee Machine
- A' Design Award 2022 Gold Winner in Home Appliances Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Lavazza
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 73,682
- Verification code 385A355B9E · Verify this award
About Lavazza Inovy Mini Coffee Machine
Inovy Mini is part of a a new range of espresso machines developed by Lavazza especially for the professional segment. It is the smallest of these machines and mainly intended for small offices and hotel rooms. The design is an evolution of Lavazza's form language in this business channel. It has a more serious, professional colour scheme but is still recognizably Italian in execution and finish. In some markets the product is also known as Classy Mini and Elogy Mini is a special version for home use.
Within the tradition of domestic appliance design, this coffee machine emerges as a refined expression of early twenty-first century material culture, where the preparation of coffee has transcended mere functionality to become ritualized experience worthy of sculptural presence. The designer appears to engage deliberately with the heritage of streamlined modernism while incorporating contemporary organic sensibilities, creating an object that speaks simultaneously to efficiency and pleasure. The compositional strategy positions the circular control interface as a contemplative focal point, its proportions and placement suggesting conscious application of harmonic relationships that have governed aesthetic objects across centuries of design practice. Technical accomplishment manifests in the seamless integration of disparate materials, the confident transitions between glossy polymeric surfaces and metallic accents demonstrating manufacturing precision that elevates industrial production toward craft sensibility. The horizontal ribbing traversing the lower body introduces textural counterpoint while functionally demarcating the dispensing zone, exemplifying the principle that thoughtful design allows functional requirements to generate aesthetic interest rather than compromise it. Thematically, this work invites contemplation of the domestic object as cultural artifact, the ways in which appliances designed for daily ritual accumulate meaning beyond their operational purpose. The anthropomorphic quality suggested by the circular interface arrangement with its paired illuminated elements evokes notions of companionship and personality in domestic technology, a design strategy with deep roots in product semantics theory. The chromatic restraint, limited to achromatic values with metallic punctuation, positions this object within traditions of sophisticated understatement while ensuring visual compatibility across diverse interior contexts. Viewers might consider how the elevation of everyday objects through thoughtful design transforms routine activities into moments of aesthetic engagement, and how such objects participate in shaping the sensory texture of contemporary domestic life.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Lavazza has developed a completely new range especially for the professional segment. Inovy Mini is the smallest of those machines, mainly intended for small offices and hotel rooms. It has a single spout and a more serious, professional colour scheme but it is still recognizably Italian in execution and finish. In some markets the product is also known as Classy Mini and Elogy Mini is a special version for home use that also offers the possibility for double espresso preparation.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Dimensions: 135mm / 340mm / 260mm, Weight: 3,5kg,
Power: 1250W, Voltage: 220-240, Frequency: 50-60 Hz.
Removable parts are dishwasher safe. It comes nicely boxed along with a Quick Start Guide and a more detailed instruction booklet. - Tags
- Lavazza, Coffee, Espresso, Single-serve, Office, Hotel, Home
- Production Technology
- main shell: plastic (ABS), finishing textured/glossy
water tank: plastic (SAN)
drip grid, lever: metal
feet: silicone rubber - Design Challenge
- The project was developed in a short time frame and it was important to stay true to the established form language of bigger machines in the same business channel.
- Project Duration
- The project was designed in Turin, Italy. The complete product development from initial concept to product launch took about 18 months.
- Operation Flow
- Inovy Mini is a capsule coffee machine. Simply lift the lever, insert the capsule on top, place your cup on the grid and make espresso. The UI has two backlit buttons for two separate selections. One for Espresso and another one for Lungo. The machine start-up time is 28 seconds. The removable drip tray allows for taller cups and the metal grid has a rather geometric, concentric pattern in line with the other products in the Lavazza office range. The easily accessible water tank in the back holds 0,7 litres and is transparent, so you will always know when it is time to refill. All removable parts are dishwasher safe.
- Research
- Development process through conceptual and formal research, 3D modelling, physical mock-ups, prototyping.
- Inspiration
- Modern design and ultra-small dimensions for a machine suitable for small offices and hotel rooms. The design is inspired by professional Italian coffee equipment. It is an evolution of the Lavazza form language in this segment. It is characterised by precisely formed exterior shells with embossed Lavazza logos on the sides. The simple user interface is placed prominently in a circular element at the front and main touchpoints are emphasised by metal accents.
- Image Credits
- Lavazza
- Patents
- Design patent/registered design
Colors of Lavazza Inovy Mini Coffee Machine
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G0E23 ShopDesign Interview about Lavazza Inovy Mini Coffee Machine
An elegant and compact design offering authentic Italian espresso. All while being a natural extension and evolution of the current Lavazza form language in the more professional segment.
We were aiming to develop an entry level version of some of our much bigger professional machines. The baby of the family if you want.
We recently launched a minor product update offering new colours and material finishes also introducing the use of post consumer recycled plastics.
The complete product development from initial concept to product launch took about 18 months.
Lavazza needed a new smaller product to complete the range and compete in a slightly different market segment.
The appliance has been developed by Lavazza in Italy and is currently in production. It is an important part of the product range.
The main product architecture is based on an existing product and was updated to fit the new specifications.
The product was designed and developed internally. The design theme was quite clear from the very beginning and then the proposal was further developed and brought into production.
The appliance is designed for a slightly more professional settings and also small and medium size offices or hotel rooms.
A well resolved design within the Lavazza range for more professional products. Italian design with incredible attention to detail and a very compact footprint.
The name was developed by colleagues from the marketing department.
The design process involved everything from analog and digital sketching to 3D modeling, mock-ups and prototypes.
I still like how the two side shells move upwards and embrace the metal lever. It has a very organic and sophisticated feel to it.
The design was developed by the small in-house team in collaboration with colleagues from the technical department.
The product itself is actually not overly complex, but uses established technologies and know how to make authentic italian espresso with every preparation.
The design was developed based on market analysis, the target group and relevant trends.
We had to make sure this product was in line with the specifications and expectations of much bigger and more expensive products.
Design competitions play an important part in communication. They help in product and brand positioning. This is why we submit our products to these competitions.
This was an interesting experience where we extended the newly developed form language for our more professional appliances also to a much smaller, entry level product.
That's all.
Grand Interview about Lavazza Inovy Mini Coffee Machine
Thanks. But to be honest, I'd actually be really tempted to say that the aesthetic part is actually very much informed and supported by the functionality of the product. Beauty is nothing without function, you know?
The side shells are really important as they're defining the volume of the machine and I'm very happy how the shape develops in space. The borders are defined by a precise chamfer fascia that runs all around the edges. The three dimensional logos on the side are something that we integrate very often. It is one of our iconic design elements that we use to visually tie the different products together.
My background in automotive design is very important in the way we approach product design at Lavazza Group. I've learned a lot about proportions, surfacing and detailing when working at Centro Stile Fiat. I've been building on that and apply everything I know on our products. Admittedly they are a lot smaller and maybe less complex, but I'm still pushing for that same level of sophistication.
In this case the circular chrome ring is an important feature as it underlines and emphasises the user interface. But most importantly the chrome ring allowed us to visually complete a product family with a much smaller an simpler model. Every one of the bigger product has a chrome ring, so it was obvious that Inovy Mini needed to have it too.
I'd say not so much a single decision, but the close and direct collaboration with colleagues from the technical development was truly key in achieving this short development time and also the relatively compact dimensions. These are crucial in small offices and hotel rooms and we optimised the technical package together.
We had almost all of these signature design elements already developed on previous, bigger models and as a reference. So we just had to find an appropriate way to adapt them to the Inovy Mini and it's compact proportions. In the end it was really quite straight forward and also explains the short overall development time.
In this case we really focussed on the most important things and made sure these core functions were performed properly and the quality of the coffee was as exceptional as it should be. We optimised and improved the internal layout as much as possible. So Inovy Mini makes great coffee, while still having a super compact footprint.
I'd like to believe it's the combination of a solid and well executed design together with a clear positioning of the product on the market and also within the wider Lavazza product range. One specific design element that I personally like a lot, is the way the side panels move upwards at the front and then move around and visually embrace the metal lever on top. I'm quite satisfied and proud of this feature.
In our design process we always aim to use the most appropriate materials for the specific task at hand. We also wanted to highlight the most important touchpoints with regards to the user experience. This is why we used metal accents for important areas like the handle, around the user interface and on the cuprest.
Our design language is a direct expression of our brand identity and our values. It is incredibly important for us, now and in the future. However it is not a static thing. We will continue to build on it, and it will evolve together with every new product we design. And herein lies also the influence of Inovy Mini on the future of our professional coffee equipment.