What kind of product would Rubbermaid and Maytag create together? Here, I explore a theoretical collaboration between the two brands—combining their values, goals, product categories, colors, materials, and finishes into a single product.
Rubbermaid + Maytag
Brand Identity: Rubbermaid
Brand Values: “When your life is in order, you’re free to live it!” Rubbermaid creates practical, durable products that simplify everyday organization and help people make the most of their space.
Product Categories: Home and kitchen organization, food storage, cleaning, and waste management
Colors, Materials, and Finishes: Plastic, glass, and metal, in red, black, gray, white, and clear tones
Brand Identity: Maytag
Brand Values: “At Maytag, everything we do is about dependability.” Maytag stands for reliability and strength, designing long-lasting appliances built to perform day after day.
Product Categories: Home and kitchen appliances, including washers, dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators
Colors, Materials, and Finishes: Metal, plastic, and glass, in blue, gray, white, and clear tones
Product Idea:
To combine Rubbermaid’s focus on organization with Maytag’s expertise in appliances, I decided to design a product for laundry room organization. A step stool felt like the perfect fit to help users reach high cabinets above laundry machines. I planned to base my design on an existing Rubbermaid stool, modifying it so the top step sits flush against the washing machine.
Early Sketches and Models:
Prototyping:
I decided to design a stool with just two legs that would lean against the washing machine, essentially a mini ladder. My first prototype couldn’t support a person’s weight and would slide off the machine with even a little pressure. Since the final design would include rubber feet, I added rubber to the part of the stool that contacted the machine and to the bottom of the legs. This change worked, and the stool securely held my weight.
The second problem with this prototype was that the steps were stacked like a ladder rather than arranged like stair steps. To address this, I created digital sketches to refine the proportions, then built a new prototype.
The second prototype had improved, more stair-like proportions, with rubber applied only to the tops and bottoms of the legs, as intended for the final design. I tested it with another person to ensure it could support a person’s weight.
Final Details and Renders:
Next, I finalized the stool’s design details and created the final renders.
The form of my step stool is based on a pre-existing Rubbermaid stool. My design essentially cuts the original in half, allowing it to fit neatly against a washing machine. I also added a stronger curve to the outside corners of the legs to give them a lighter, more elegant feel.
Since my stool is basically half of the Rubbermaid stool, it doesn’t collapse like the original. Instead, the top step folds upward for easier storage beside the washing machine. In the final design, I would add a handle on the underside of the top step to improve portability.
Using the same materials as the original Rubbermaid stool (plastic with rubber feet), I explored Maytag-inspired colors and finishes. I rendered the stool with shiny metallic finishes in a light, medium, and dark shade to complement the machine.
I placed the logos at the center front of each step. They would be molded directly into the plastic during injection molding for cost efficiency, embossed to echo Maytag washers’ bold logo placement, which stands out as a separate piece.
The original Rubbermaid step stool has a textured step surface with a circle pattern. My design replaces it with a triangular pattern, echoing the triangle motif on Maytag machine doors.
