Mediation: The Impact of Colour
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).
