Progress Week 8- Green Gifting Developments- Exploring Unorthodox Forms

For week 8, refinement of concept and detailed sketches were required To kick-start this refinement process I considered the advice given to me by tutors and peers the previous week. 

One of the main points talked about was to create my own 'unorthodox' form for the cork tableware; not to restrict myself to current forms. For example, with the cork acting as an insulation material, there is no longer the need for a traditional handle.

The following image shows my thought progression for creating my own form and stamping my 'design DNA' into my product. I started with my original (traditional aesthetic) concept from week 7, I then collect images of how I wanted users to interact with my design i.e. the same emotive sensation felt when holding or smelling fruit as well as the ergonomics of drinking soup from a small bowl.

I then collected images of products currently in the market that I believe capture the essence of what I would like to achieve from my tableware. Finally, some key words and possible design intent phrases were developed; these included emotive words like: "love" and "connection" as well as function based words  like: "comfort" and "safety".



From this exploration, rough sketches were developed, and illustrator line drawings were created:

sketches of original cup formThe idea behind the two openings was that users would 'slip' their two index fingers through the openings and grasp the mug from the back for a full grip and a stronger connection than a traditional handle.

The criticisms of the form for the original cup were that it still had connotations of traditional mugs (or small soup bowls), as well as the illogical reverse thinking of adding more handles to cup which would not need them.

 sketches of jug form

The thought process for the jug, was that it users could grab the body of the product from anywhere with a big round behind and a curved palm-fitting front. There is also an added overhang for more control.

At this stage in my presentation my tutor advised me to focus on only one product (either the cup or the jug) because this is only a short 2 week project.

I also presented some possible profiles for different volumes of cup and some different handle configurations.

Peers and tutors were most drawn to the tall elongated profile in the second row. The long sweeping lines are dynamic and give a sense of elegance, however, there are issues with how the form will stay standing up freely.

The following foam forms were mocked up to test appearance and ergonomics

short vertical axis

long vertical axis

Both of these forms proved unsuccessful and unappealing. Both were far too big a volume for a standard cup of tea and weren't successfully conveying an emotional connection between the user and the product through the grip.

I then decided to do some quick Google Sketch up forms in hope of some more clarity of scale and form. I also overlooked the research I had done on cup volumes (in ounces)

 (above and below) Circular and elliptical openings with round bottoms- different heights

 (above and below) Elliptical openings, with circular and elliptical shaped flat bottoms

The final form was determined by sending the previous images to peers and getting their feedback on their more desired aesthetic. 

The final form:

With the final form and dimensions were confirmed, I was ready to begin the model making and technical drawing stages of the project.