The Octo citrus reamer is a modern twist on an old kitchen favorite, designed by Almond Studio for OTOTO. With many ways to grip and an ergonomic angle, this citrus reamer is both fun and functional and fits right in with OTOTO's product line-up.

When looking at existing citrus reamers, we could easily imagine them to be octopuses. The ridges looked like tentacles and the handle looked like a head, the design concept was almost screaming to be realized.

To make the design fit OTOTO, we had to make it easily moldable and playful without compromising functionality. It had to be clear that the design should resemble an octopus, but it still had to be simplified and ergonomic. We chose the teal color to set it apart from both oranges and limes, and make it able to blend into modern kitchens and bars.

Naturally we started with simple sketches to discuss and explore possible ways to execute the concept. We chose to go for twisting tentacles, as it made for a more dynamic design and appearance and made the octopus look like it was propelling through the water.

During the shape development, we used Fusion 360 to model the design while staying in control of the size, moldability and surface quality. We 3D printed prototypes to check the ergonomics and functionality before settling on a final design. Many minor details mattered, like the sharpness of the tentacles, angle of the head and shape of the tip. The 3D printed models could be sanded and painted to give us a very clear idea of the final product, and in the end we settled for a design that was ready to be injection molded.

People that have seen Octo love to fidget with the surprisingly comfortable shape and twisting it around to see the light move across the surface. Octo will be presented at several design fairs in Europe this year, and we can't wait to hear more people's reactions.

We had a ton of fun designing this citrus reamer, and we are glad to see people enjoying the playful design. Many design projects are very focused on sleek lines and maximizing value, but this project was all about having fun and making something that is enjoyable and useful. Really, when life gives you lemons, you can choose to make a fun lemon reamer!

This was the winning design for Korea Design Challenge 2017, a yearly design competition arranged by Sangsangmadang and various foreign companies. Almond Studio's submission was chosen among nearly 200 submissions.

Erlend Storsul Opdahl

A product/industrial designer from Norway, educated at AHO, Norway and Hongik University, Korea. Now running Almond Design Studio in Seoul as a designer/co-founder. Specializes in modern, Scandinavian minimalism and methodology, with experience ranging from bottle openers to table tennis shoes.

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