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STONE

Redefining the Premium Espresso Experience

Client

STONE Srl.

Year

2023

Role

Lead Industrial Design

Website

https://www.stone-espresso.com

Led the industrial design and strategic development of STONE, a new brand and compact espresso machine for Rocket Espresso.

 

By bridging high-end Italian engineering with a modular, user-centric design language, the project resulted in a successful global product launch at Milan Design Week 2023 and established a new market segment for urban, design-conscious coffee enthusiasts. Today this product is commercialized worldwide.

The Challenge
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The premium home espresso market was dominated by bulky, "prosumer" machines that lacked aesthetic flexibility and took up significant space. Rocket Espresso needed a new brand identity and a product that could fit into compact urban kitchens without sacrificing the professional thermal stability and performance their reputation was built on.

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The Strategy

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  • Modular Customization: Engineered a "removable side panel" system, allowing users to change the machine's aesthetic (wood, stone, or metal finishes) without tools. This extended the product's lifecycle and reduced inventory complexity.

  • Compact Footprint, Pro Performance: Optimized the internal boiler and group-head layout to reduce the overall width by 30% while maintaining industry-standard brewing pressure.

  • Brand Positioning: Developed the visual language for "STONE" as a standalone brand—minimalist, bold, and distinct from the classic "stainless steel" look of traditional Italian machines.

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The Process

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  • Industrial Design & Engineering: Utilized SolidWorks and Rhino to manage the mechanical constraints of high-pressure steam and water systems within a smaller chassis.

  • Design for Manufacturing (DfM): Worked directly with Italian manufacturers to ensure the sheet metal components and internal brass fittings were optimized for cost-effective assembly.

  • Rapid Prototyping: Developed functional prototypes to test thermal stability and user ergonomics (knob feel, portafilter clearance, and steam wand articulation).

  • Stakeholder Alignment: Collaborated with the Rocket Espresso leadership team to transition the design from a concept to a production-ready asset in under 12 months.

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The Result
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  • Global Launch: Premiered at Milan Design Week 2023 to critical acclaim from the specialty coffee industry.

  • Market Expansion: Successfully captured a younger, design-focused demographic, leading to international distribution across Europe, North America, and Asia.

  • Sustainable Lifecycle: The modular panel system allowed for "style updates" rather than full product replacements, aligning with circular design principles.

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Project Details
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