How KitchenAid updated its legendary kitchen mixer without sacrificing its design

The silhouette could not change. This was the main parameter guiding the designers and engineers at KitchenAid as they set out to upgrade one of the brand’s hero product, the stand mixer. Used by amateur and professional bakers for more than 70 years, the classic stand mixer is a staple of the kitchen appliance world, and much of its staying power has to do with the consistency of the product, which has changed remarkably little in all that time. Most notably, the mixer’s bowl-hugging form factor has defined it since the start. So when the company decided to integrate some new features and functions into an updated version of the mixer—the Artisan Plus Stand Mixer, now on sale from $599—the design team knew that any change must not affect that signature look. [Photo: KitchenAid] “We’re in a unique spot here because we are really attached to the silhouette. We really don’t want to change the outside, which is a challenging engineering function when you say