Design Stories: Exploring Everyday ThingsMain MenuViking Roamer RM-315 RadioBlackberry Bold 9000CGE KE 860 Electric KettleGeneral Electric’s 1966 Mixer Gift SetTorcan 886P Desk FanBaby Champ 5110 RadioCGE Hair DryerNorthern Telecom DisplayphoneAmin Asgari, Jason Taylor, Jocelyn ZinSamson Dominion Ten-Ten HairsetterPedro Amaral, Markiyan Palisa, Maria PerriShayna Adivib7dacecf2514976340c9fee58413be50a837e99dMatteo De Sanctis2c7f0439bc7dbbce394cd0e83390508c4316e0f9Dylan Fleuelling724bd216cf74182c9eb4bf85f4606a9f90300f43Sanyukta Ghag97f13f26df5104f991a5c78bb41d5501520945a0Ipun Kandola03d267ee57ad9e450b2bdf7607c2a096f9e5b707Minjoo Kim49e4f45a5b4fbe8b16e096b51064bd70ed6cdfc2Jessica Lo7d943c8a531bf17a92d4ce73f45508d35571048bSam Loiselleb0bb424f55ffc54d35c4c41f04a27d6f1914a83aLuciana Loucel Morales3d71928b274e19c31fb29bde4fc89cfab59747ebShriya Mujumdar401f34f51ff8386c5fd4b09a5def6038ca96da55Binh Nguyen77159e04ccf5c117d1aafcf7d72182271cfe4379Madeleine North1716571a300e1e377a3f5a2800d66ac1abe953e4Hannah Palmier Blizzardb85a64743cf09ec2b4e0c037a864f93027666ab3John Emmanuel Sanchez33ea7858c1ccddd4c50514af2ce70aadfb85d654Veronika Straka4da98006d10b69194fdb4d8ffa5ee51bb82dc8e6Jersey Louise Stuart51967f8e0c22fbade42e8a48d7cf0a44ab625751Michelle Tieu6e71ec02b710e08ac76005bc08f9bbf8e71f73c6Shane Toyama9b06201b77bf32b849e009b2cbd92a7602c6bc69Kesha Upadhyay31af8fb220a8946dc1166ecfdd2597f5dd8d003cJillian Warneraab1e08d9b244e0aed9e36e52219fd40328c6753Amavi Weerakoon806c26de54e888d00f80819bd6ef5040b78ac4c6Jan Hadlawusers/jhadlaw1e125e7557d6dc997197c765699eef9bff624103
CGE Mixer Packaging
1media/CGE Mixer Packaging_thumb.jpg2025-03-27T16:55:53-04:00Salma Jand0f28d0b2f089bfed48edcee62f301cfecd1204a1351An Image of the Mixers Packagingplain2025-03-27T16:55:53-04:002024061220240612162511Salma Jand0f28d0b2f089bfed48edcee62f301cfecd1204a
12025-03-28T03:27:08-04:00Renee Alli-Khan6f187988cd399fe12591e23f797d61914b3ba0c7Whipping Disc is the emphasized feature.Renee Alli-Khan1plain2025-03-28T03:27:08-04:00Renee Alli-Khan6f187988cd399fe12591e23f797d61914b3ba0c7
1media/Pale Pink CGE Mixer.jpgmedia/Pale Pink CGE Mixer.jpg2025-03-14T13:30:51-04:00Mediation: The Impact of Colour78image_header2025-03-28T12:30:08-04:00
General Electric’s Innovative Approach to Design
As the kitchen space evolved from a small isolated room neatly tucked away near the back of the home to gradually becoming an important space for socialisation and collaboration in the living environment, manufacturers adapted by producing innovative and aesthetic appliances that streamlined tasks while remaining visually presentable (Geller, 2020). By the 1950’s the incorporation of interior design features such as barstools and eating nooks further reinforced this notion of the kitchen space as an area for social gathering, distinguishing it from its previous role as an environment for solely preparing food (Geller, 2020). As the kitchen transitioned into a communal space, with women spending the majority of their time there, the importance of maintaining a stylish and functional space also resulted in the beautification and innovation of home appliances (Geller, 2020).
Within this period, colour became a valuable design asset with vibrant pastels such as pink, green, yellow and blue dominating the industry exemplified by small handheld mixers, milkshake mixers and toaster ovens (Killebrew, 2015). By the 1960s, the increasing rise of women entering the workforce significantly impacted the production of homeware tools with companies marketing appliances such as dishwashers, garbage disposals and freezers as forward-thinking singular tools that perform multiple functions and contribute to easing some of the burden of the domestic workload (Killebrew, 2015). The eye-catching bold colour scheme of the 1950s was eventually replaced by neutrals and harvest gold in the 1960s with appliances such as the hand mixer also following this trend (Killebrew, 2015).
General Electric's Mix and Match Appliance Initiative
In 1955 the company introduced their new ‘mix and match’ initiative with kitchen appliances being offered in a wide range of colours (Green, 2019). This extended to the mixers including white and turquoise as an option for consumers (Green, 2019).
The contrast of colour in terms of the packaging vs the product enabled the mixer to become the focal point of attention when interacting with the artefact. The form of the mixer is not visually obstructed by the packaging where customers are obligated to unbox the product to gain a glimpse of it. This allows the mixer to move away from being perceived as solely a functional appliance but rather also appreciating the product for its aesthetics. Likewise, the packaging also acts as a decorative element expressed through the intricacy of the box and its presentation that enables the product to be propped up and showcased. The use of typographic treatment further affirms this visual language through its cursive and elegant aesthetic. As a result, the intention behind the ‘mix and match’ initiative was that the playful and bold appliances could be utilized in designing a formal kitchen space (Green, 2019). This set the tone for General Electric's progressive marketing that “gave consumers, unmistakably women at the time, choices” (Green, 2019).
1media/Screen Shot 2025-04-08 at 6.34.49 AM.png2025-03-21T13:14:53-04:00Artefact Inspection21plain2025-04-08T06:45:10-04:00
components of the mixer gift set.. things we noticed. things that inspired our research questions and direction.
As a Product
The package contains the mixer, beaters, whipping disc, manual and warranty. When you look at the packaging, the first thing you notice are the neutral pastel colors, which are yellow, beige, and blue, most likely targeted at women, as these colors are often associated with a soft, calm, and elegant aesthetic. The titles on the box use three different fonts and the GE logo appears on every side, which is unusual compared to modern packaging. This was likely due to ensuring brand visibility from all angles, making it recognizable even when displayed on store shelves or in a home setting. The packaging is intended for a gift display, either in a store or at home. This is evident from the big title “Gift Set” at the front and the pop-up on the back, which acts like an easel, allowing the box to stand up and be showcased.
Components
The manual is sectioned into two languages, English and French, making it accessible to a wider audience. It contains important information such as safety, instructions on how to use the product, and a selection of quick-to-make Western recipes.
Observations
Guiding Questions
Note: Model M7A is one variation of its product range that is only found to differ from other models of the same design by feature and voltage capacity. Our approach to researching this artefact has, then, investigated the physicality of this range of mixers, its social and design connotations, and the society it was introduced into, among other aspects. Majority of the information found online and in archival matter concerns models M7A and M47.
