One Minute Video

Please change quality to 720 or 1080p.

100 Words

Thoughtless Food uses design to stimulate debate and discussion about the amount of food waste we all produce. It makes a statement about how little we consider the effort used in producing our food. It is a bespoke food waste bin made using traditional craft techniques – the amount of effort expended on it is obvious. The bin can only be filled – never emptied. When full, the whole bin must be disposed of – dramatically equating the wasted effort of constructing the object with the more abstract effort wasted in producing the food which has been taken for granted.

Studio Shots

Now that the bin is finished and the plaque is on I’ve taken some pictures in the product design photo studio. These are just to show what the finished piece looks like – the ‘One Great Image’ deliverable won’t be taken in such a boring setting.

 

Brass Chemical Etching

After trying out the different materials and styles for the plaque I decided that the one I was going to go for was the brass with chemical etched writing on it.
To start I printed my text onto TTP (toner transfer paper – normally used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards) using a laser printer and spent about  20 minutes ironing the transfer onto the sheet brass.

This transfer protects the areas of the brass which are not to be etched from the abrasive chemical. I ended up doing 4 iterations – trying different sizes and styles. The first ones I tried etching the text into the brass and for the other I protected the text using the TTP and etched away the surrounding areas.

Once the design had been transferred on I put it in the chemical etching machine which is basically a spray bath that eats away at any of the brass which isn’t covered.

After about 20 minutes in the machine the plaque was ready to come out. Once out I gave it a quick polish with some steel wool to remove the protective transfer.

Thats the four attempts (above) – as you can see 2 of the transfers didn’t quite work so I didn’t bother putting them in the chemical spray machine. So the choice was between the text being etched into the brass and it looking quite polished and clean or the text being raised and easier to read but looking worn. I ended up going for the more worn looking one.

So that is the final one which will be screwed onto the bin. I’ve already got some old fashioned domed and slotted brass screws. Although it doesn’t look as clean and polished as the other one I feel that the overall style and look of this ones suits the project’s visual language much better. It makes the plaque look as if its decayed over time, giving it an almost antique appearance which I like and feel encourages people to appreciate it more.

Deciding on Plague

Today I’ve been trying out a few different styles/materials for the plaque which will be placed on the front of the bin. I’ve tried one in plywood (as I’ve posted about before), one in black plastic and one in brass. I’ve also changed the wording a little that goes on the plaque – made it a bit shorter and more succinct. I think the brass one goes best with the overall ‘feel’ and aesthetic of the project. The prototype one (pictured) is a little hard to read (due to problems when making it which I’ll post about later) so I’m going to remake it and hopefully oxidise it so that the lettering stands out more.

Plaque

The next big decision was what was going to be on the plaque below the opening. I’ve decided that it will be a sort of short introduction/summary of the project as a whole. I think this will help as it will make it more apparent what the bin is for and the what the thinking behind it is. I’ve not decided on a final material for it but have done a quick mock-up of what it might look like using some plywood. The user would remove this to keep as a memento before the bin is discarded. Almost like a small ornament which would remain in the home to remind people to be more appreciative of their seemingly endless food supply.

This plaque will be placed just below the opening – again echoing the design of a post box.

I only had access to the laser cutter at the last minute today, so the wording of this will likely change – right now it is a slightly updated version of the 100 words that I submitted for the degree show.

Making the Surround

Recently I’ve been working on making the surround which will go around the opening of the bin. I used a thin (about 1.5mm) sheet of basswood which I laser cut to the right shape then painted with 5 coats of matt black spray paint.

I’ve also painted the inside of the bin black to create the impression of more space. It also helps to reinforce the idea of the post box – looking into a sort of blackness – and therefore the idea that food can go in but nothing comes out.

Sanding and Oiling

Today i’ve taken about 3mm off of the top and bottom surfaces of the bin so that they are now exactly equal to the thickness of two of the layers. I’ve also given it the first few coats of Danish oil. I started oiling with a mixture of 60% oil and 40% white spirit (so that the wood absorbs it better) then worked up to pure oil.
Half way through the first coat.
Second coat finished.

Overall I’m happy with the way it looks – the oil really brings out the natural colour of the woods and increases the contrast between them.

Opening

Over the past few days I’ve been working on a few different things – mainly trying to get the actual bin itself finished. The opening was cut out by drilling 6 holes (one near each corner and two in the middle) then roughly jigsawing between these holes – I then used a chisel to remove the remaining wood.

It was then sanded on each surface until smooth.

After that I filled all the small gaps between each of the segments and layers by rubbing in a mixture of bees wax and pine rosin. So the outside is pretty much done now and ready to be oiled using Danish oil.
I’ve decided that I will make some sort of surround to go on the opening as I feel that being able to see the flat edges of the segments is distracting. I may also spray the inside matt black to give the feeling that there’s more space inside – to reinforce the post box idea.
I did a quick mock up of the sort of surround i intend to make using card which I coloured in with black marker. The final will probably be made out of plastic (a non eco-friendly material) which will remind the user of how unsustainable wasting food is.

The two other parts of the project I’ve been trying to finalise are the title and what will be on the plaque below the opening. For the name/title of the project I’ve been thinking something like ‘Thoughtless Food’ (trying to emphasise how little people really consider where their food comes from and what’s gone into producing it) but I still haven’t made the final decision. For the plaque I think it will be a short explanation/summary of the project itself but I’m still unsure wether this will be something the user can take out and keep or if it will be binned along with their food waste.

The next big decisions once the bin has been finished are the ‘one great image’ and the 1 minute video hand ins – more to come on these later.

Degree Show Catalogue

Although the project is not over, we have all been asked to submit a short (under 150 words) summary of our project along with a picture which represents it to be used in the degree show booklet. As my final piece isn’t completed yet the picture I’m using is quite ambiguous and just shows some detail of the wood working/style. Summary:

A critical design project based around the amount of food waste that we all produce. The project aims to make a statement about how little we think about the effort and resources that have gone into producing our food and how carelessly we throw it away.
Simply, it is an intricate food waste bin which can only be filled – never emptied. Each bin is painstakingly crafted using traditional decorative woodworking techniques – making obvious to the user the amount of effort expended in constructing it. It is sealed so that once filled the bin must be disposed of along with the food waste inside – instantly and visually equating the obvious wastefulness of discarding the object with the more abstract wastefulness of the resources and effort used in producing the food which we have taken for granted.

Practising the Opening/What’s next

Today I had a go at cutting the slot out of my bin which the food waste will go into. Luckily I practised on my mark 1 prototype first, as it was a lot more difficult than I anticipated. I’ve decided that the best way to do it is to drill four corner holes then jigsaw between them but getting the angle of the drill right is quite difficult on the curved surface.

I’m going to have another go at it tomorrow then move onto the actual one. I think I will also put a small wooden surround on the opening just to make sure it looks as neat as possible.

The next big decisions are the name of the project and what is going to go on the little plaque/card below the opening. I’ve had a few ideas regarding this but no concrete decision has been made.
I’m thinking it’s either going to be a sort of explanation of the project and/or something which the user takes out and keeps after the bin is full and has been disposed of.
I could also go a bit more out there with it since my project already exists in a sort of fiction (as in it’s a bit more of critical/discussion piece – not something practical that people would buy) and make it a sort of dystopian “This card states that you have wasted all the food that you are allowed to.” kind of thing.

Defining the project

* is a conceptual project based around the amount of food waste that we all produce. But rather than simply discouraging people from wasting food, the project aims to encourage people to think more about the resources/effort that have gone into the food which they are discarding.
Simply, it is an intricate food waste bin which can only be filled – never emptied.
Each bin is painstakingly crafted using traditional decorative woodworking techniques – making obvious, to the user, the amount of effort and resources expended in constructing it.
It is sealed so that once filled the bin must be disposed of along with the food waste inside – instantly and visually equating the obvious wastefulness of the object with the more abstract wastefulness of the effort used in producing the food which we have taken for granted.

*I don’t quite have a title/name for the project yet.

Mark 2 – Part 4 Turning

Today I finished turning the bin (started yesterday) so thats the basic shape finished now.
Quick video of me checking it was all level and smooth – is also quite trippy on the eyes.

I’m happy with the way it has turned out and I feel that the look of the contrasting woods works well and will give my final piece a strong visual identity.

The next step is to decide on exactly the size and shape of the slot then get it cut out of the bin. I also still need to decide on what information will be on the card below the slot – I’m now pretty much decided that it will be something that the user will be able to take out and keep once the bin has been used. So that makes it an even bigger decision as it will need to be something that the user would want to keep once the bin has gone.

Slight Rethink

After a chat with my tutors I’ve decided that rethinking the shape and design of the bin is the way to go. As I said in my last post, I wasn’t happy with it being such a literal translation of a post box – I was essentially going to make a mini wooden version of a post box.
So I’ve decided to make the overall shape of the object as simple as possible – I don’t want the design to become over complicated which I think it was becoming. The new shape will simply be a cylinder with the slot cut out.
One thing that really interested me that my tutors said was that the simple shape of a slot with a rectangle below displaying some sort of information instantly brings to mind a post box which kind of makes any other post box related elements of the design quite tacky and gimmicky.

Above are some sketches I’ve done playing with the idea of these two shapes instantly bringing to mind a post box. I was considering if changing the shape slightly from two standard rectangles but I think this would again just be over complicating things.

So the next big decision is what will be displayed in the rectangle below the slot? I’ve been considering a few things such as something which the user would be able to keep once they have filled the bin an disposed of it (what could this be?) or maybe simply a piece explaining the project and the concept behind it. I’ve not made any firm decisions yet but I will update when I have.

Mark 2 – Part 3

Today I’ve been clamping and cutting the base and top of the bin and joining it all together.

After this one of the technicians added that I should probably try and sand down some of the angles on the main body as they may catch whilst turning and gouge out chunks of wood.

So now that’s pretty much it ready to go onto the lathe and be turned.

However, I have been having some second thoughts on the overall design. I feel that having the domed top and wider base as well as the slot is taking inspiration too literally from a post box. It just feels a bit heavy handed and obvious so I’ve been doing some sketches and trying to rethink the design slightly.

I think keeping it as simple as possible is probably the way to go – the slot should be enough to evoke the idea of post box and communicate the same things. It may seem late in the day to be rethinking it but I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about my original plans and I’m glad I’ve decided this before I put it on the lathe!

Mark 2 – Part 2

After gluing each of the fifteen rings together I’ve started gluing the layers one on top of the other. This time, to try and minimise the small gaps between each layer I’ve sanded each of the rings individually and glued them in much smaller amounts (instead of gluing all 15 at once then clamping I’ve been doing it in groups of 3).

 

The next step was to join the two planks of Walnut together (the piece I bought isn’t wide enough to form the base and top without being cut and glued). After clamping and drawing on these two planks I was advised to use biscuit joints to make sure they were absolutely flush and wouldn’t come apart when I went to turn it on the lathe.

The biscuit joints are basically a small crescent shaped hole each of the bits of wood, a ‘biscuit’ (oval shaped piece of absorbent wood) is placed in one of the holes – when glued this biscuit expands and locks the two pieces together.

The next decision was about the best way to cut the slot where the food waste would enter. After advice from the workshop technicians I decided that it would be best to cut this after the bin has been turned so that the chisel doesn’t get stuck whilst turning.
I’ve also been thinking about wether or not to put a small surround on the slot to add to the overall aesthetic as well as preventing the food waste from spilling onto the outside.

Mark 2 – Part 1

So I’ve been to Brodies Timber in Dunkeld again and got the materials to start my mark 2 prototype. Same as last time, American Black Walnut and Scottish Sycamore, just in much bigger quantities as the mark 2 will be around 3 or 4 times the size of the mark 1.
The wood has been planed and cut, this time with much more accurate angles to make sure there are no gaps between each of the segments.
These are the plans along with a quick rendering I did of what I want the mark 2 prototype to look like.

             

Some of the cut segments along with a shot of four of the rings gluing in clamps.             

So that’s where the mark 2 is at the moment. This time there will be 15 layers each consisting of a ring of 8 segments of the alternating Walnut and Sycamore woods. There will also be a solid piece of Walnut at either end (roughly double the width of one of the layers – making the whole thing a lot taller and wider giving the object a much bigger physical presence.

Post box

I’ve decided that the final design for my food waste bin will take inspiration from post boxes. I feel that this is a good starting point as it’s something that pretty much everyone recognises. I feel it also quickly communicates the idea that you are allowed to put things in but not take them out – similar to my food waste bin.

The bin will still be made in the same style as my mark 1 prototype – using traditional woodworking techniques to give a sort of ‘beautifully crafted’ feel and look to the product. The bin will be sealed at both ends and have a slot near the top (similar to the post box slot) where plates can be scraped straight in. I like interaction that the user would have with this – semi inserting a plate and scraping their leftovers into the bin. I think this would again remind the user of the effort of producing the food since a meal would have just been cooked.

I’ve been doing some sketches and this is the sort of thing I’m thinking about. Trying to keep the form simple yet still communicate the post box idea as I feel adding too many details would detract from the crafted feel.

The lid

My main concern at the moment is deciding how people will use the bin. How will the user physically get their food waste into it? This interaction will be critical to the project so right now i’m focusing on that and what it could be. Not just from an engineering ‘how will this work’ point of view but from a designers’ point of view – how/what will it communicate to the user. The aim is to create something that will be able to instantly convey what the project is about to someone who has no background knowledge of it.
As per the advice given to me at my mark 1 presentation I’ve been taking my ideas to the extreme in search for inspiration. Looking into how you might seal something whilst simultaneously communicating this fact. A few thoughts I’ve been having on the very general ‘sealed things’ have been; welding, rivets, clasps, safes, combination locks, post boxes, plastic packaging and even ideas such as meshes or grills so that anything going into the bin would have to be cut into tiny pieces or liquidised. Whilst these are pretty ridiculous it’s a starting point from where more sane ideas could be worked out.
I quite like the comparison with a post box as it’s an object which almost everyone is familiar with and its also universally understood that you are able to put things in but nothing can be taken out.

Thoughts on Branding/Sealing

Today I’ve been thinking about the branding of the bin and how this will affect the way people think and interact with it. To go along with the bin I’ve decided that it would be good to include some sort of information explaining the concept and possibly how it was made and the effort that’s gone into it. This would hopefully help to emphasise in the users mind the wasted resources going into the food which they are throwing away.
Some sort of leaflet/booklet or printed packaging could be included. The branding and over all look of these would be extremely important, influencing how the user sees and interacts with the product.

I’ve also been considering how important it is that the bin is sealed and thrown out after use. I like the idea and the critical point that it makes when the whole product needs to binned after use. But would a well crafted and beautiful object be enough to encourage people to waste less food on its own? Still making the same point – equating the effort of producing the food with producing the bin – but without such an overtly critical tone.

Do I want my end result to be so overtly critical/an impractical object?

Making Mark 1 – Part 3

So my mark 1 prototype is off the lathe and the chipboard has been sawn off.

Testing some different waxes/oils on spare segments to see what they look like on the walnut and sycamore.

Decided to make a quick base for it from some 6mm birch ply (would probably have preferred to use more sycamore but the birch will do for the mark 1).
Gluing the base on.

After that, it was a case of a bit more sanding and applying some Danish oil (the oil that I decided suited best).

So thats the main body finished bar a few more coats of the Danish.
My main decision now is what do to for a lid. I’ve been thinking about how important it is, especially for the mark 1 prototype, for it to be sealed so the user can’t get the food waste out once its in.

Making Mark 1 – Part 2

Continuing to make my mark 1 prototype.

Gluing the seven layers together with the chipboard on each end to attach to the lathe. Using all the clamps the workshop has to offer.

Turning.

Beginning to take shape.

Finished turning, ready to saw off the chipboard and sand.

Making Mark 1 – Part 1

Over the last couple of days I’ve been planning and making my first major prototype. I’ve been taking time over each step of the process to ensure that the end result communicates the amount of effort and skill involved as this is an integral part of the project.

Started out by getting my two bits of wood cut by the technicians in the workshop into pieces of equal dimensions.

Then spent a few hours cutting and sanding these strips into exactly equal segments with 22.5° angles on each side.

Gluing and clamping each of the seven layers.

Once these dry they’ll be ready to be glued vertically and have the chipboard attached to the top and the bottom in preparation for being turned on the lathe.

Beginnings of a Mark 1

Today I took the first steps towards what I think will be the mark 1 prototype. After drawing up plans for the food waste bin and having a conversation with Malcolm in the workshop I decided that it was probably best to practice making parts of the prototype with cheaper wood rather than jumping straight in with the stuff I got at the wood mill.
And although its only the mark 1 prototype I do feel its important to make it out of reasonably high quality materials as part of the project will be seeing how people interact with the object and what message it communicates.

Basically the bin will be made up of 7 disks of wood each with alternating light and dark segments (these will then be stuck together and turned on the lathe). Technical drawing and first attempt at creating the segments. 

The first attempt at making one layer was not bad but some of the angles were off – creating slight gaps that would be problem when turning. I made another, more carefully measured this time which was better (less gaps) but its still pretty difficult to cut and sand 8 identical pieces of wood all with a perfect 22.5 degree angles. So for tomorrow I’ve made some MDF templates for the segments which I can draw round and cut – making them all (hopefully) identical.

Phase 2: Desk in need of a tidy.

Ideas from Grandad

I’ve decided to move forward with a prototype in the style of one of my Grandad’s handmade lamps (see last post). In light of this I’ve done a few quick sketches of ideas and also purchased some nice wood from The Old Sawmill in Dunkeld. I’m planning on using a two different types of wood which will give a contrasting effect. So I got some American Black Walnut and some Scottish Sycamore.

Quick renderings showing two-tone.

The wood.

I’ll update when I have more solid plans/have started making!

Form, Materials and Initial Prototyping.

This week I’ve been looking into what shape my food waste bin will take and what kind of materials will be used. In order to get people to value the bin and be aware of the effort exerted while producing it, I’ve been trying to use shapes and materials that would give it a a real ‘craftsmanship’ type feel. Something handmade but not tatty or sloppy – made by a skilled hand.
I’ve also been trying to think of ways that the user will be able to put food waste into the bin without any way of getting it out again (i.e. sealed so the whole thing must be discarded once used).

On the craftsmanship side I’ve been taking inspiration from a variety of sources as well as looking at some of my grandad’s work – he used to make wooden table lamps (amongst other things) that I really like and think communicate well the amount of skill and effort involved.

I’ve been taking inspiration from these, especially the chequered one with the light and darker woods.

Some quick initial idea sketches.

Some quick sketch prototypes – playing about with different forms using blue foam. Two done on the lathe and two just using hand tools. (Obviously they are at different scales!)

End of Phase 1

Today marked the end of Phase 1 of the project and the beginning of Phase 2. Phase 2 is the final stage and means I need to start prototyping the final concept (prototype mark 1 is due on 25/02/13). To mark this, heres a video of all the pages in my main note/sketchbook for the project. Its mainly text but hopefully that’ll change now I’ve decided on my concept and am about to start prototyping.

Whacky Inventor?

I’m not particularly happy with the ideas that I’ve been coming up with so far, they seem to me to be quite boring, gimmicky and a bit sort of ‘whacky inventorish’ which is really not the aim of this project. I’ve been reminded that the final product doesn’t have to be something new.
I would like to get back to where I started on guru’s day – using a more critical design tone and making a statement with the final concept. Since the project will form the centrepiece of my portfolio when I’m finished I would also like the outcome to be a highly resolved piece of industrial design.

In light of this I’ve been looking at existing food waste disposal bins and designs. They are all incredibly practical, often resembling a scaled down wheelie bin. Could their be something there that I could work on? I’ve also made the decision that, instead of taking on the huge task of convincing absolutely everyone to waste less food, I’m going to focus on users who are already quite eco-concious. Trying to shift the emphasis from composting food waste to preventing the waste in the first place. Again, highlighting the importance of the amount of resources already consumed by producing the food (transport, water, processing, packaging, deforestation, etc.).