Zenith Electronics collaborated with Cesaroni Design to develop a new consumer television. In a price driven industry like consumer electronics, appearance is vital to the success of a product.

We began the project with initial concept sketches and renderings to evaluate aesthetic design options. Once the project team selected a design direction, 3D geometry was generated to create a full size foam model. The final design was detailed in SolidWorks.

Consumer televisions need a distinctive look to stand out from competition. The dramatic form of the new product is a radical departure from typical designs. The sculptural back, hard edges and organic forms are designed as if the plastic enclosures were stretched over the inner frame and pulled back to two symmetrical points.

Staggered side venting cuts into the innards of the device. The cuts and arcs visually pull toward the lower back area forming tight edges. This crisp organic treatment of materials is complemented with the undulating façade.

The enclosures are injection molded from high impact polystyrene and require minimal fasteners for assembly. This manufacturing process allowed us to add structure, reduced the cycle time in the mold, and reduced the overall product weight. As a result, there is a better cosmetic part with fewer imperfections, which in turn lowers rejection rates due to cosmetic blemishes, sink marks, etc.

The Chicago Athenaeum honored the product design with a Good Design award.