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.

Final Decisions

Since my last update I’ve made a firm decision that it is important to the project for the bin to be sealed and for people not to be able to empty/re-use it. I’ve also decided that it will definitely exist as some sort of a critical design piece – not necessarily an everyday practical object. 
I’would also like to somehow communicate this through the way it looks – so that a person looking at it for the first time would be able to understand immediately.

My mark 1 prototype presentation went reasonably well and I’ve decided to continue with the traditional woodworking techniques as I think these quickly and concisely communicate the amount of effort and craftsmanship involved in the process. The only negative feedback I received was due to the mark 1 not having a lid/top and this sending some mixed messages about the project. Also, being able to see inside  was again confusing as it still looks somewhat unfinished and rough. One suggestion on where to go next was to think about the lid – take it to extremes and come up with some completely unworkable designs then try to narrow that back down to something more pragmatic.

The size of the piece is the next big factor – right now I’m thinking roughly 3 times the size of my mark 1 prototype as I want it to be a tabletop/worktop sized object yet still stand out – so that it’s not easily hidden away.

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?