Refresh - Designed by Jack Anderson and myself was about driving a systemic change in the single-use coffee and water bottle industry.
The project took a huge influence from the Circular Economy Model, which brings an awareness to the planet’s finite level of natural materials and the need to better manage our resources. Therefore as designers, it begs the question, ‘How can we design for the future benefit of our planet's resources with reduce, reuse and recycle in mind?’
We propose a system branded ‘Refresh’ that aims to the reduce the damage created by single-use, disposable vessels in the coffee and water bottle industries. Through applying the sustainability strategies of reduce, reuse and recycle
We thought globally with this project but acted locally as we acknowledge the challenges of changing consumer behavior on a macro level. With 3.1 million New Zealanders having a driver's license and purchasing petrol at least once a week, we chose to design ‘Refresh’ to operate in New Zealand petrol stations.
Refresh provides a service for washing and refilling reusable drink containers, and incentivises the collection of the containers at the end of their lifecycle.
There are four components to ‘Refresh’;
1. Reusable coffee cups and water bottles;
2. Wash stations that clean bottles and cups on-site;
3. Collection bins allowing bottles and cups to be easily collected and reconditioned;
4. An app where consumers can visualise and set goals to reduce their ‘throw away’ impact on the planet.
Metrositi public transport shelters do double duty, informing and sheltering travellers in daily life and guiding, supporting and reassuring the community in a disaster.
Design team: Leon Du Plessis, Maria Alejandra Marin Hoyos Jeremy Gardiner, Dennis Wai Chu, Rodney Adank and Klaus Kremer
These handcrafted porcelain dragonflies with translucent wings were inspired by the native New Zealand dragonfly.
Made to hang on the wall via small nail.
L 155 mm, W 170mm.
Supplier of the following art galleries:
Aratoi Wairarapa Art and History Museum
Masterton, Wairarapa
http://www.aratoi.org.nz/
Gallery at the Hub
Greytown, Wairarapa
http://www.greytownvillage.com/the-gallery-at-the-hub/
Ora Gallery, Design + Art Space
Wellington City
http://www.oragallery.co.nz/
Aero is a protective, lightweight, and aerodynamic helmet for the contemporary equestrian rider.
Through my primary research, it was discovered that current horse riders find their 'everyday' helmets uncomfortable. A combination of the helmet's weight and lack of airflow in and out of the helmet, resulted in excessive head sweat and an itchy scalp.
The focus was to design a helmet that channelled sufficient airflow through the helmet thus cooling the rider's head during their schooling sessions. Further, it had to made from lightweight materials and be affordable ($100 - $200) for purchase as an 'everyday' helmet, opposed to a competition helmet which sits in the high price brackets ($700 +).
T-Ulm is a porcelain cup, strainer and saucer all in one. Designed to create a simple and convenient green tea experience.
Inspired by Hans Roericht's 1950's TC100 tableware design from the Ulm School of Design
C-Cup was an explorative project that aimed to disrupt the subconscious behaviour of coffee drinkers for a more memorable and visceral experience.
Avid coffee drinks are quite ritualistic and enjoy the robust taste and aroma when they consume their coffee of choice. Yet when asked to describe their most recent experience one could not explain in detail.
The aim of this explorative project was to play on the subconscious part of the brain and disrupt the habititual routine of consuming coffee. I wanted to spark the primary part of the brain through the different form (yet still functional) and tactile elements of this unique porcelian coffee vessel.
A two-part ceramic structure. Supported and kept stable with a lime stone rock. Symbolic of our need to better manage and protect our natural resources.
After watching 'Millennials' a youtube video by Simon Sinek, it was made apparent the challenges we will face as we head deeper into the digital era with regard to empathy and genuine human interaction.
Millennial's engagement with technology and cellphones has created a generation that is addicted to their phones, Facebook and Instagram. This is because it releases the hormone dopamine. As Simon Mentions this is the same hormone that is released when people smoke, gamble and drink, so in other words, it is highly addictive!
We could potentially end up with a generation that lacks the social skills to have genuine and empathic conversations because they've grown up communicating in a way that is 'artificial'.
Kids as young as 12, perhaps even younger have cell phones these days. As result, I was then inspired to ideate a game for preschoolers that laid the foundations for empathic interaction.
The Empathy game is a supplementary tool for preschool teachers to help instil empathic behaviour in our future generations.
The empathy game is a take on charades. Getting the class to sit in a half circle, one member of the class stands up and rolls the coloured dice. Whatever colour is facing up, the young preschooler goes and picks up the natural timber card from that particular coloured pile. He/she must then act out the emotion to the class and the member that was sitting next to that individual must guess the emotion being acted out. If guessed correctly, the card is passed to that individual and then it is their turn. If they missed it, then the opportunity then passes to the next individual. At the end of the game when the cards have run out, the youngster with the most cards is the most empathic player.
The game creates an opportunity for teachers to recognise those who struggle to recognise how an individual maybe feeling. The teacher can then spend the time to work and develop their social skills and in turn provide them with the confidence to develop more solid relationships with their peers.
