Gina Zhang
GZ

Overview

Our Place built a highly recognizable cookware brand around the Always Pan, combining thoughtful functionality with a distinctive visual language. As the company expanded into cookware, bakeware, tableware, and more, the challenge was to create a cohesive design language across the entire portfolio. At Atlason, I was a core contributor across research, strategy, and industrial design.

The process

Every product ran in the same loop. Research → Strategy → Design → DFM.

User journey map for poaching an egg: actions, touch points, emotional curve, pain points, and opportunities across preparation, cooking, and serving
Egg poacher user journey
Sketch sheet comparing glass and cast iron lid options for the cast iron pan
Lid concepts for cast iron
Sketches of the cast iron pan and pot with lids and the spatula resting on the handle
More lid concepts
Render of the cast iron pan with ribbed silicone grips on both handles
Silicone grip concept sketch
Render of the tagine lid sitting on the Always Pan
Tagine concept sketch
Sketches of bowls and plates nesting into stacks
Tableware concepts
Sketch sheet of serving combinations: bowls, plates, cups, and lids in different stacks
Serving bowl and plate concepts

Final products

Samples of some of the shipped products I worked on.

Lilac cast iron pan with a glass lid, styled with flowers and fruit
Green cast iron Perfect Pot full of food next to a round cast iron grill with flatbread
Stacks of terracotta, charcoal, and pink bowls, plates, and mugs
Flat lay of the sage Always Pan and Perfect Pot with lids, steamer basket, spoon, and spatula
Pink egg poacher tray with four perforated cups
Blue bakeware set: loaf pan, baking dishes, and sheet pan with pastries
Stacked glass storage containers with blue, terracotta, and teal lids
Set of beige silicone utensils laid out in a diagonal row

More Work

Red Dot Design Concept Award

How might we make nutrition tracking disappear into the act of cooking?

NUTRI AI KITCHEN SCALE2022
Smart Home

How might we give the caregiver and the patient their independence back?

DAWNLIGHT LUMIMATE2021
Health

How might we capture the feeling of energy in a box?

ALTA 12V BATTERY2022
Energy
OUR PLACE — Gina Zhang