Smart Infrared Heater

A portable indoor heater can be an essential appliance in keeping the home warm throughout the year. Infrared heaters offer even more benefits in warming large rooms and maintaining a controlled temperature. The Honeywell My Energy Smart technology can even save considerably on electricity with temperature presets and timers for greater control.

While these heaters can bring added comfort to the home, they can also potentially cause problems if not used correctly or maintained.

Through our research, we found that such misuse even led to fires and damage, and in the worst cases, became fatal.

We found three major areas for improvement: 1) Prevent the ability to store objects on top. 2) Create better access and visibility to the controls and settings. 3) Provide easy access to a clean reusable filter.

In our design, we address each one of these issues. With an angled top surface, we could discourage users from placing objects on the machine and thus prevent fires. Additionally, by relocating the User interface to the top of the device, the information and interaction become more accessible and efficient for users. By designing a removable door with a wire mesh filter, users could easily wash, clean, and reinstall it. In turn, this would help keep air quality clean, prevent internal clogging from dust and debris, and further reduce the risk of fire. Additionally, we want to add other useful features not found on competitor products, including electric cord management and storage, a useful lifting handle, and caster wheels for quick repositioning.

Design for Manufacturing

At Unbox, we go beyond crafting beautiful, seamless designs that elevate everyday experiences and drive business growth. We specialize in Design for Manufacturing (DFM). From the earliest stages of a project, we integrate manufacturing considerations to ensure feasibility and optimize the product development process. Our meticulous approach addresses every detail, from moldability and minimized part count to cost-effective assembly and scalable production. No challenge is too great, and no detail too small.

Background

For us, design is not only about aesthetics and feel, it’s fundamentally about functionality. With each project, we identify opportunities to innovate and add value. While researching the infrared heater market, we uncovered several critical issues commonly overlooked in competitor products.

Many heaters had significantly shorter-than-expected lifespans, primarily due to poor filtration systems and a lack of cleanability.
Most concerning, these devices posed serious fire hazards, as users frequently stored flammable items on top of them.
The user interfaces were often poorly designed and inconveniently placed, limiting visibility and usability.

These shortcomings resulted in products that underperformed, frustrated users, and presented safety risks. Our design approach addresses these failings directly, enhancing performance, improving user experience, and prioritizing safety.

Design Solutions

We believe the most effective design solutions are those that feel like common sense, intuitive, user-friendly, functional, economical, and commercially viable. Achieving such innovation requires a systematic and proven design process. This approach not only uncovers areas for improvement but also reveals opportunities for meaningful innovation.

Through a rigorous concept development phase, initial ideas are refined into seamless, integrated solutions. For Honeywell, this process led to several key design enhancements:

Incorporating a user-friendly air filter: We designed an easy-to-remove, easy-to-clean air filter that protects internal components while enhancing usability and maintenance.
Reconfiguring the top surface: By angling the top surface where the user interface would be relocated, we improved visibility and usability while discouraging the placement of potentially hazardous objects.
Improving portability: A balanced carrying handle and bottom roller casters were added, allowing users to easily relocate the heater for optimal placement and maximum comfort.

These thoughtful refinements demonstrate how a disciplined design process can lead to intuitive, effective, and safe user experiences.

Visualization

Creating lifelike images and animations is a powerful asset in product development. These visuals provide clear, accurate representations of a product, demonstrating its form, function, and key design details. High-quality renderings enable stakeholders to visualize the product during early development stages and serve as compelling content for later-stage commercial marketing. This dual purpose enhances both design validation and market readiness.

User Interface (UI)

Strategic placement of the control panel ensures clear visibility from a standing position, enhancing usability and supporting a more human-centric user experience. The interface features a flush-mounted polycarbonate glass surface with back-mounted touch sensors, LEDs, and segmented LED displays, resulting in buttons that are seamless, responsive, and easy to clean.

Silkscreened graphics on the glass provide clear, organized indications of each control function. For added safety, a raised tactile power switch ensures the unit powers down if objects are inadvertently placed on top.
Our approach to User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design goes far beyond visual appeal. It considers every aspect of user interaction: tactile, haptic, auditory, sensory, security, and safety to deliver a thoughtful and comprehensive experience.

Engineering

While detailed part design refines external geometry, our mechanical engineering expertise ensures each product is optimized for quality, durability, efficiency, and manufacturability. We carefully evaluate internal space and component layout to achieve a precise fit while also prioritizing ease of moldability and assembly to maximize production efficiency.

In most cases, undercuts are avoided to streamline manufacturing. However, the generous size of Honeywell’s heater enclosure allowed us to maintain a single-piece outer body without introducing unsightly parting lines, preserving both structural integrity and visual appeal.

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Prototyping

Prototypes can range from low-fidelity mockups and proof-of-concept models to high-fidelity, looks-like/works-like Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). With extensive experience in prototyping, we build, test, and validate designs quickly and efficiently. Our comprehensive capabilities enable us to support projects from rapid prototyping through to low-volume production.

Throughout this process, designs are rigorously tested and refined for reliability, safety, user interaction, and structural integrity, ensuring a well-rounded and robust final product.

Concept Development

Our proven design process begins with in-depth market research to uncover user pain points and identify opportunities for innovation. By thoroughly analyzing functionality, usability, and safety considerations, we create designs that enhance the user experience, increase product value, mitigate risk, optimize efficiency, and reduce costs.

This holistic approach ensures maximum return on investment while delivering elegant, intuitive products that integrate seamlessly into everyday life.