Hug project
The past year has been tough on all of us, including me. Overnight my small flat also became my office, the stress of the outside world came pouring in. We need more defined spaces for relaxing.
So this project was about creating a piece of furniture that meets this need. Furniture that indulgently shelters us from the world outside, something that is unapologetically relaxing.
Muffle project
Over the lock-downs, I decided to buy an Alexa smart speaker. It’s super useful and for the most part I’m happy with the purchase. However, there is one issue… it creeps me out.
In order to hear the wake word they constantly listen in on us and record what we say to them (you can find the recordings in the companion app). Combine this with all of the scare stories around privacy leaks and breaches, and you have plenty of fuel for paranoia.
So can we create a system of muting that is easier for us to trust? Software may be more efficient, but it lacks that tactile visual quality that inspires implicit trust. This project is about bringing this quality to Alexa.
Cutlery project
It was inspired when I was looking at existing adaptive cutlery sets for people with Arthritis. In some places, the same flatware was also sold as baby cutlery. I wanted to design a set that was less exclusionary, something that we would all want to own.
It was all about working directly with those in need of the solution and using my knowledge of ergonomics and prototyping to produce a solution.