Ergonomic Potato Peeler Design

Red handled vegetable peeler with a metal blade on a white background
Hand squeezing a red and white foam stress ball.

In ARTDES 241: Intro to Product Design, I created an ergonomic potato peeler. This peeler is designed with a few main goals in mind: accessibility, function, and comfort.

Accessibility: This peeler was designed with both left- and right-handed users, as well as large and small-handed users in mind

Function: This design deviates from the form of traditional peelers, bringing the hand closer to the subject. This allows for more control and peeling precision.

Comfort: Creating a peeler that both looks and feels comfortable is the final goal, achieved through the use of clay modeling to mirror hand contours.

Ideation and Brainstorming

Collection of abstract sketch designs resembling modern tools or gadgets in black and white.

Inspired by designs like the Alessi Objets-Bijoux Sfrido Potato Peeler (left) and the Kuhn Rikon Piranha Y Peeler (right), my ideation process began with rough design sketching

Stylish metallic vegetable peeler with a unique twisted handle design.
Red kitchen peeler with a curved handle and a horizontal blade.
Hand holding a gray sculpted object resembling a miniature slingshot with a wooden stick as the elastic component.
Hand squeezing a gray stress ball
Handmade clay figurine resembling a boomerang with a small stick.
Gray clay model shaped like a simple shoe with two toothpicks inserted at one end on a white background.
Hand holding a gray, clay-like object with a hole and stick

Prototyping and Design Selection

Handcrafted clay sculpture with an elongated shape featuring a wooden stick embedded inside, lying on a neutral background.

Using clay and toothpicks, three initial designs were realized and tested for comfort and accessibility. Design 1 (above) features a close design, intended for gripping using the handle. Testing determined a more comfortable side-grip (top left). Designs 2 and 3 (bottom left, center/right) feature a more traditional peeler shape. Design 1 was chosen to move forward with and iterate upon.

Final Design

Close-up of a red plastic hand-held pencil sharpener with a metal blade.
Close-up of a person peeling an apple with a red peeler on a white background.
Red car roof design concept with sleek, curved shape and glass panel.
Diagram showing dimensions and design of a handheld plastic peeler with a silicone grip and stainless steel blade, measuring 4 inches in length, 0.5 inches in height, 2 inches in width, and 2.5 inches in depth.
Red handheld vegetable peeler with a metal blade

The final peeler was created using SolidWorks and Blender to model the overall shape based on clay prototypes, then 3D-printed using PLA plastic and painted with acrylic paint. A blade from an old peeler was snapped into the 3D-printed frame, allowing the final prototype to function.