Style Meets Function

National Dishwasher Launch | Kenmore

Introducing a first-of-its-kind hybrid console while helping shoppers and sales associates navigate the wider lineup.

My Contribution

Art Director

Launch Art Direction and Design
Photography Art Direction
Retail Prototyping and Print Production

Launch Scope

National print, retail, motion, and sales education

Partnership

Five years across dishwasher, refrigeration, laundry, and cooking launches

The Challenge

Developed in response to customer demand, Kenmore’s new hybrid console combined the clean appearance of hidden controls with the visible cycle information of traditional models.

The launch needed to explain that difference quickly and equip sales associates to introduce the model alongside the existing lineup.

Putting the Product in the Spotlight

The new model called for photography with a little drama. Dark backgrounds and directional lighting emphasized its finish and control details.

For the environmental images, I designed a detailed kitchen composite before a set existed. Kenmore’s production team used it to evaluate the environment and build the physical set.

I art directed one day on set and supported the rest remotely, then selected the final images and reviewed retouching for the launch library.

Making the Innovation Clear

Within Kenmore’s established brand, our creative team shaped Style Meets Function around a simple product story: the new console brought the clean look of hidden controls together with visible cycle information. I translated that idea into a visual system, using split images to pair the two existing control configurations before revealing the new hybrid model. The words followed the same idea, with “Style” on one side and “Function” on the other.

Designing for the Sales Floor

I created a foldout that fit inside a sales associate’s lanyard. As it opened, the split-product treatment revealed how the new console brought style and function together. The client shared that associates hadn’t seen a piece like it before and enjoyed using it with customers to explain the product.

A separate flyer provided detailed product information and doubled as a customer handout.

Making the Lineup Easier to Compare

The full dishwasher range needed more detailed sales support. I designed a guide associates could thumb through for product information, plus a foldout chart comparing models and features.

Grabbing Customers’ Attention

Retail signage highlighted features across the dishwasher lineup. Display toppers promoted hidden-control models, while a hinged price card introduced the hybrid console and opened to reveal more detail.

I created the die lines, built prototypes, and tested each piece on the products and fixtures. Installation sheets showed retail teams how to set up the signage.

I also conducted final quality-control reviews and approved other designers’ files for print production.

Showing the Features in Action

I developed storyboards and visual direction showing how the cleaning and drying features worked. Kenmore’s in-house video team produced the animations, and I guided revisions throughout production.