Bublé
2022
A flatware set with bulbous handles for an ergonomic and comforting dining experience. Hand-carved and rendered models.
Mood Board
Sketches
Process
After coming up with enough sketching and drafts, orthographic drawings were made of the four origional ideations and spread out on a CAD (Rhinoceros) file. Laser cutting was performed to produce exact measurments of the front and side views. In order to test the flatware designs, wooden prototypes were made. Each front and side view corresponding to the correct set and utensil was stenciled on to a wooden block. The bandsaw created the general shape of the flatware, which was then carved by hand for more detail. Contrary the origional mood board inspiriations, the style of the flatwares changed significantly throughout the design process.
For the second set, an acrylic laser-cut set was heated and moded into a curved shape to mock the end design. One of the most noticable changes made to the second set was the size, as the first set was smaller than prefered. Therefore, about an extra inch and a half was added on to the second set. While carving the protoypes, A spoon from the first set snapped due to the pressure of sanding and had to be remade, demonstrating how cautious one must be while working with wood material.
Wooden Set
Set 1 - Feno
Feno takes an aesthetic approach by drawing attention to a simplistic apperance and gentle form.
Set 2 - Bulbe
Bulbe focuses on the comfort, usability and ergonomics of users.
Test Analysis of Cutlery
The functions of the Bulbe flatware set was analyzed by performing a test by using the three set pieces for a meal. The fork grabbed the contents on charcuterie board well, which included salmon, pineapple and oranges. The shape of the spoon head is large, round and has a fairly shallow dip. The shape was intended to scoop more food and to be more easily eated with. The Bulbe spoon was able to easily grab the mac-n-cheese, as well as soup. The knife cut and smeared the cheese onto the cracker well. Another feature to note is the divet, which was created for users’ finger to rest on. Some factors that can be improved on is the curve of the flatwares. The spoon and fork head felt somewhat stiff and seems to need a greater curve. Overall, the test analysis was successful.
