A New video scenario is in editing process and will be updated soon
Brief
A Directed Study course in Speculative Design
My Role
Independent and Self-directed project under the supervision and consultation of Dr. Ron Wakkary
SAVOR
Abstract
Savor is a set of silverware and dinnerware that entails eating slowly and allowing yourself to savor the texture, taste, and mouth-feel of food. The project is subtly criticizing the short amount of time we spend sitting around a table to eat food and genuinely relishing each bite.
Cutlery set 3D Printed in stainless steel - New sets of images are in process
Bowl and Plate set made with Ceramics- New sets of images are in process
Introduction
We are living in a world where the rush and stress of today’s typical lifestyle has left us with no choice but to rush through the time we spend on eating. This has resulted in people paying almost no attention to their eating experience with all of their senses. This mindless eating – eating without giving thought, focus and attention- takes away the pleasure seeking aspect of eating, with no savoring of the experience, nor appreciation of the moment. Eating or specifically mindful eating, is not just about fulfilling a need of hunger, it’s about appreciation and engagement of human senses; it is an exercise in self-nourishment.
Concept
The Savor set, through Material Speculation, utilizes and challenges the natural and everyday eating rituals of humans by provoking both familiar and unfamiliar experiences and senses while eating food. Savor aims to create another world where humans encounter familiar objects that paradoxically create unfamiliar and unusual interactions. It’s counterfactual in the sense that eating utensils are made for enhancing and simplifying the eating process, however, the Savor set creates a challenging situation for its user by changing the dynamic and norm of using eating utensils and triggering sensation.
Design Process
I began this project by researching the topic of Mindful eating and did a user study on 3 people with different eating habits for a duration of one week. I then interviewed the participants in order to find patterns, differences or similarities in eating habits of people and understand how eating utensils impact these habits. Based on the results, I began ideating, sketching and creating 3D models for possible flatware designs.
The first concpet that was considered in form exploration and ideation process, was the functionality of each piece. I looked into the history and origin of spoons, knives, and forks in order to find the purpose and reasoning behind the current shapes and functionality of each utensil. Considering that knives were used for carving, spoons were used for holding liquids and forks were primarily used for hunting and picking materials, I decided to start with a para functionality feature; a form that would not utilize an easy use, like the current flatware designs, nor it would be too difficult and perhaps useless to use. In the ideation process, I considered factors such as size, weight and thickness in order to make a form that is challenging to use or work with.
3D Models of possible designs
Final Form
The idea behind the final forms was to create a shape that disrupts the natural and everyday norm of the way humans use eating utensils. The bumps on the silverware create a challenging and unfamiliar interaction that results in a time-consuming eating process. Since the bumps make contact with the mouth, they trigger senses inside the mouth that result in experiencing the food more intensely. The bumps on the dinnerware and the leveling of the bowl, create a friction between the dinnerware and the flatware sets, making the process of cutting and picking up the food a bit challenging.
