product designer Cambridgeshire

How many times you had to look for a tea spoon?

If you look around there are numerous types of mug designs. However, the basic shape has not changed that much maybe because its main function stayed the same. A mug holds hot or cold liquids. In other words it needs to have a primary shape of a container, a hollow object, to hold liquid in it. Circular or any other geometrical shape, it needs to be able to hold liquids, i.e. it needs to have depth or height.

The advantage of a mug to a cup is that it does not need a saucer.It is more convenient to use as it can be used by itself. However this advantage is reduced when you need to look for a tea spoon.

I considered two facts that a mug needs to have a depth and a tea spoon is usually the same length of an average mug height. Furthermore nearly all mugs need some kind of a handle. Joining these facts together, I thought to myself, I can design a mug with some kind of a handle to keep a tea spoon in it.

And this was how I came to create these mug designs.

As long as the handle is straight it can hold a small tea spoon in it. To use the tea spoon, it is pulled out of the handle and once used it is put back in the handle for next time.

Now every time you take your mug, particularly in a shared kitchen, your tea spoon comes with it.

Not only it's convenient, but also more hygienic as well.

Who said you can't reinvent the wheel? Yes I know this is not the wheel, but sometimes in design the idea is to look from outside of the box and ask yourself if you can do something different.

I find the best thing about any design is the challenge it creates.

Do you prefer your pizza covered and warm?

I noticed nearly everywhere serving pizza, it is not covered. Beside as pizza is basically a form of flat bread covered with little ingredients it gets cold very quickly as well.

Most foods are kept warm by being covered. Then I asked myself why can't keep pizza covered? If it is in a box and closed, it does stay warm longer. The problem is probably the size of the lid. Most users do not have sufficient table space to put the lid down once it is removed.

I was also wondering if half the pizza, for example, is used why we need to cover the whole plate then. That is how the idea came to me.

The slot in the lid provides enough gap to remove one or two slices. To serve there is no need to remove a big heavy lid and once remove the lid you do not have to look for a place to keep it. All you need to do is to slide this lid to any direction while it is covering your pizza and just remove a slice. This lid can be made of glass or ceramic.

Bon appétit

Design Simplicity

I am a mechanical engineer by background. Even before starting my engineering degree my ambition was to create new designs. After finishing my engineering postgraduate studies and being involved in engineering for about 10 years, I was convinced design is the way forward for me.

In my believe design is for industry what alphabet is for literature. Everything so far created or invented has some kind of design. But sometimes I ask myself why design is less appreciated and invested in. This was one reason I decided to do a more direct design course at Central Saint Martin, University of the Arts, in London.

I take my design job very seriously. I tend to give my clients as much information as possible. To be honest I go as far as and just stop telling them their idea may not have a market. With two kids and like many other people I work for money too. This is the only reason I do not tell them their idea may not be a winner. Anyway ideas have their own sessions. What today is not sellable next year maybe.

From the beginning of my design, I tend to consider manufacturing, assembly, maintenance and also the environment. However for me simplicity is one of the main decision factors in selecting the best design idea from a selection. Technically speaking I believe simple designs are better but there are times I ask myself do the consumers want simple design too. Aesthetically, it seems some consumers think design simplicity equals luxury. As an engineer simple design equals to good design for these reasons;

- Simple design is easier for consumer to use.

- At least in some cases simple design can be more functional.

- A simple design is manufactured and produced more easily.

- Simple design has less maintenance and repair time.

- Sometimes simple designs cost less for consumer too.

However, how far a designer can go to achieve this?

Won't over simplification give a cheap image to a design?

What do you think? Where one draws the line for simplicity?

Thank you for reading.