Kuniokoa™
After graduating I began working for a startup called BURN Manufacturing that develops cookstoves for emerging markets. While there I led the design and engineering of their wood cookstove project, the Kuniokoa™. Once the design was complete on the stove I transitioned to the Kenyan office and supported the tooling design and production ramp up. BURN Manufacturing is the first company to commercialize clean cookstoves in East Africa, selling more than 500,000 cookstoves since 2013.
Development
Modern cookstove design is a relatively new field and as result requires extensive iteration and experimentation. As the lead on the project I was required to design, build, test, and evaluate every aspect of the stove.
Concurrently, the product aspect of the stove was developed. One of the greatest struggles encountered in the modern cookstove world is adoption. Creating a user experience that is convenient and familiar to the customer is critical to product success.
Prototyping
I personally built out or facilitated the build out of over 200 stoves for testing, market research, durability, and marketing. This experience in prototyping was invaluable in informing the design and manufacturing processes because it allowed me to see personally what it would be like putting together on the production line during assembly.
Market Research
In addition to leading the design and engineering of the stove I also supported the market research, conducting focus groups and home placements in rural Kenya. This helped in informing design decisions and tracking the reception of the stove. I found this experience particularly enriching and allowed me connect with users on an intimate level.
Production
After the design of the Kuniokoa™ was completed I switched over to preparing the stove for production. In my role I designed tools, created the assembly line layouts, and established techniques for production.
Production Tooling
When designing tools for production in a cookstove factory, emphasis must be placed on tool simplicity and durability. Often automated processes are too cost prohibitive to implement, so focusing on how operators will interact with a tool is crucial to success during production.
Final Design
The Kuniokoa™ is a top performing, natural draft wood cookstove that improves on traditional cooking techniques. Field study results revealed that users are saving 27 days a year in firewood collection. 90% of participants gave the Kuniokoa™ the highest favorable rating; citing the product is easy to light, faster to cook, has less smoke, and is more stable. Thousands of Kuniokoas are now sold each month with markets in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Cambodia.
