FinaMill Smart Kitchen Mill by Alex Liu

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

AL : Years ago, I wanted to correct the flaws of an imperfect spice grinder, flaws so deep they had become the norm, and then build from the ground up a brand new grinder nobody had ever seen. A defense against the cross-contamination of flavors. A quicker, more efficient way of changing spices. Single-handed operation. These features were unheard of within the spice grinding industry. The key to our invention came one day when I was working my power tool, and I knew my answer is: interchangeable pod.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

AL : Easy to use and easy to change spices, interchangeable pod has to be refillable.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

AL : Our goal is to distribute this product to every market that uses dry spices and herbs.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

AL : 2008 was the year the idea first conceptualized, it didn't began to take shape until 2017 and in 2018 things were kicked into high gear.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

AL : We had several iterations until we reached this concepts, single handed operation was something we insisted early on. I breakthrough design came to us in 2018.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

AL : We are currently producing this item, however we need to expand our distribution.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

AL : I have been making spice grinders since 2006, naturally this design fall into my line of work.

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

AL : The target customer for this design is home chefs. We are considering to make a more powerful version for professional chefs.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

AL : There is nothing like this.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

AL : It came from the word finale - we want to create the ultimate kitchen tools hence the word "finale."

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

AL : We use CAD, 3D printing and other prototyping technique.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

AL : Interchangeable pod.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

AL : My own engineering team.

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

AL : No special technology

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

AL : Market research and patent search.

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

AL : Going from a wish list to reality can be challenges, after many trials and errors and finally we reach a

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

AL : We thought our design was good, however we trust a prestigious panel like A'Design would give us their unbiased opinion. The market trusts A'Design.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

AL : We are still learning how to improve our grinding mechanism to outperform our current model.