Differences Between the Designer Series and Total Blender
Blendtec introduced the first Total Blender in 1996 (although it wasn’t called the Total Blender back then). This revolutionary machine was the first home blender to include blend cycles. Each of the six buttons was programmed with a unique blend cycle, but it wasn’t very clear which button was the right choice for a given blend (until you read the instruction manual, anyway). To address this issue, we replaced the numbers on the buttons with descriptive words, such as smoothie, ice crush, batters, and whole juice, making it much easier to determine which button to push. We also added speed up/down buttons to provide users with additional options. The Designer Series was developed with the idea of creating an ideal user experience. We brought together groups of people; placed them in a room with blenders and ingredients; and watched them make smoothies, 
milk shakes, and other recipes. We saw what worked and what didn’t. Then we used this information to develop the Designer Series. So what are the major differences between the Total Blender and the Designer Series? The first and most obvious difference is the industrial design. In talking to our customers, we realized that many people want to use our blenders to create healthier lifestyles. To do this, they need to use their blenders daily, sometimes many times a day, and leaving the blender on the countertop is a big convenience. We also found that people are more likely to leave a blender on the countertop if the blender fits underneath the cupboards and if the blender is beautiful. The Total Blender has always fit underneath kitchen cupboards, but the Designer Series is a definite improvement in style over the Total Blender! The Designer Series is a blender that I'm proud to display on my counter. The second area that we focused on is the user interface. We maintained all of the functions of the Total Blender but made them beautiful. Rather than using small text (which some people had a hard time reading), we developed intuitive icons to represent the blend cycles. We kept the ability to manually control the speed but also designed a slider control, making it possible to select any speed at any time with a single finger tap. Our new controls are capacitive touch, creating a control surface that is completely flat. Talk about easy to clean! The icons are backlit, and they disappear completely when not in use, leaving a beautiful, clean appearance. 
There are a lot of other small differences, including improved airflow for better cooling, better motor control, and additional colors and surface finishes so that you can select a unit that matches your kitchen. There are also some things we did not change. The Total Blender introduced commercial power to the realm of home blenders. Both the Total Blender and the Designer Series use the same motor and jars that are used in our commercial blenders. With the Designer Series, you get the same high-quality smoothie that you’ve come to expect from the Total Blender—you just do it with more style!
milk shakes, and other recipes. We saw what worked and what didn’t. Then we used this information to develop the Designer Series. So what are the major differences between the Total Blender and the Designer Series? The first and most obvious difference is the industrial design. In talking to our customers, we realized that many people want to use our blenders to create healthier lifestyles. To do this, they need to use their blenders daily, sometimes many times a day, and leaving the blender on the countertop is a big convenience. We also found that people are more likely to leave a blender on the countertop if the blender fits underneath the cupboards and if the blender is beautiful. The Total Blender has always fit underneath kitchen cupboards, but the Designer Series is a definite improvement in style over the Total Blender! The Designer Series is a blender that I'm proud to display on my counter. The second area that we focused on is the user interface. We maintained all of the functions of the Total Blender but made them beautiful. Rather than using small text (which some people had a hard time reading), we developed intuitive icons to represent the blend cycles. We kept the ability to manually control the speed but also designed a slider control, making it possible to select any speed at any time with a single finger tap. Our new controls are capacitive touch, creating a control surface that is completely flat. Talk about easy to clean! The icons are backlit, and they disappear completely when not in use, leaving a beautiful, clean appearance. 
There are a lot of other small differences, including improved airflow for better cooling, better motor control, and additional colors and surface finishes so that you can select a unit that matches your kitchen. There are also some things we did not change. The Total Blender introduced commercial power to the realm of home blenders. Both the Total Blender and the Designer Series use the same motor and jars that are used in our commercial blenders. With the Designer Series, you get the same high-quality smoothie that you’ve come to expect from the Total Blender—you just do it with more style! *The WildSide jar is no longer available for purchase. Please check out our new and improved WildSide+ jar.
Hi Brad,
It’s clear from your post that you appreciate the design and interface of the Total Blender – thanks! I can see how you would perceive this as a step backwards, however we believe that this is a step forwards in design. What we’ve learned in our market research is that each of our customers interact with our blenders differently. For some, the speed buttons on the Total Blender are rarely used — they only every use the cycle buttons (my wife is one of these, she uses the smoothie button almost exclusively). Others rarely use the cycle buttons, preferring to control the speed of the blender manually. For these customers, our Designer Series was their best option. The Signature Series represents an ‘in-between’ solution. We kept the most used blend cycle buttons and created an interface that allowed easy manual control of the speed. It’s true that we don’t have as many discrete speed steps, but for most of our users the five steps that we have will be exactly what they need. For those that want finer speed control, the Total Blender and Designer Series are their best option.
Regards,
Paul
Hi Susan,
We don’t know a time frame for if or when the Designer Series will be available in Australia.
Hi Paul – can you tell me the purpose behind the Signature series? It seems to have evolved backwards – only 5 speeds vs. the 10 of the Total Blender, plus the very useful and popular Ice Crush cycle was removed. No engineering improvements are cited – there is no claim that it runs cooler or quieter than other models – so what was the goal of this model?
Hi I am also wanting to purchase a designer series in australia, will it retail here in the near future Thanks
I just bought the Blendtec Tabletop Total Blender and the owner’s manual included doesnt actually match the buttons and interface on the device. Like I dont have an Ice Cream button, etc. Can I find a manual somewhere for this particular model? I’ve searched the internet and so far, cannot find one. I’m pretty excited about trying to make ice cream, but without the button, I dont know what setting to use. thanks!
Leave a comment