The Usability of Iconic Designs a Case Study of Juicy Salif

This paper is the first part of a research project about the lack of usability in products with a strong aesthetic appeal. The hypothesis of this research is that products — Icons, influenced by marketing and admired by consumers for aesthetic priority, have a disabled usability because of the absence of ergonomics approach during the design phase. Here, a short history about the arise of industrial aesthetic and the relationship between product and beauty is presented, together with a study about product's pleasurability. A case study about the lemon squeezer JUICY SALIF, a design icon considered product, is also presented, through usability tests, questionnaires and comments suggested by admirers through an internet forum.