In its first five years on the market, sales of that model soared from 60,000 to 275,000. That all those sales occurred during the Depression made industrial design a viable career choice. For the next few decades, phones came in black, coffee came in caffeinated, and refrigerators came in white. A kitchen makeover meant new curtains and maybe a change of wallpaper. Now, however, entire magazines, television series and exclusive stores are devoted to kitchens.
Customers can choose refrigerators that reflect their income, aesthetics and even lifestyle.
The company installed video cameras in the homes of 75 volunteers. Triggered to run whenever the refrigerator door was opened, the cameras showed actual use, along with loading and unloading. At first, the scarcity of fresh meat and produce being stored in the fridge only underscored the company's question. But what the researchers realized was that people were stocking up on bulky packaged foods instead. It's hard to tell if customers are driving design or designers are driving customers.