REFINE
12
247
As of: February 9th, 2009 - 12:00am
Date Added: January 22nd, 2009
Let's take a step back by scaling things down and appreciate how small designs can impact our daily lives. REFINE was inspired by the notion of how little we appreciate the smaller things in life. Dish trays are widely used in cafeterias, hotels, and hospitals; however, I realize it has been neglected from the design aspect. During the design process, I decided to strip away from any busy ornamentation and allowed the simplicity of geometric shapes to shine through. Not only this design approach is visually pleasing to the eyes, but the less complexity of a design the more it encourages interactions from the user. When a user picks up REFINE, balance is required to transport its supported items from one location to the other. Other than the literal side of how REFINE relates to the theme "balance", it also serves as a personal reminder to observe the beauty of small designs while practicing large scaled projects such as architecture.

Tripartite is a familiar concept in architecture, it means a plan or a section is created by the method of dividing in thirds. I applied this concept into the dimension of REFINE. The gridlines shown in one of my project images depicts how each component of REFINE is strategically placed. In addition to using tripartition as a guideline, it also served as an opportunity to connect my passion into a smaller object.

Comments

Jan 27 2009 | 03:18 pm
Mike says:
is it dishwasher safe?
Jan 27 2009 | 12:24 pm
Anthony says:
There a few constructive comments on the board already. To get a little deeper in details... Do not use steel. Stainless steel usually deals with sanitary stuff. 304 SS is the more common type of SS. It looks like the tray is sitting on two points, so it's able to tilt when you press down on the handle or the opposite corner. Those corners would need legs. There will always be engineers telling you what's not going to work.
Jan 27 2009 | 02:39 am
Sam Phu says:
I like it and love it because the simplicity of the designs are unique and beautiful.
Jan 27 2009 | 01:46 am
JayJay Johnson says:
Very creative concept - mediocre execution
Jan 26 2009 | 04:09 pm
APU says:
I'm worried about bacterial growth in all the crevices..."A" for effort though. :)
Jan 26 2009 | 02:43 pm
Kris MestizO says:
its different. cool. the colors arnt that cool tho
Jan 26 2009 | 11:27 am
Sam says:
I voted, but the colors just aren't working for me. The project needs some more editing too...what function does the steel rod carry?
Jan 26 2009 | 10:37 am
Ernesto says:
very nice work. keep it up.
Jan 26 2009 | 09:16 am
Ann says:
Has to be one of the stupidest designs of this competition, scrap that I would not call it a design.
Jan 26 2009 | 03:32 am
bobby says:
add oil..go go go...
Jan 26 2009 | 02:40 am
paul says:
HEY! we're the only CPP grads who tried out for this?! i got your back, you got mine? haha
Jan 26 2009 | 12:00 am
Javier Navarette says:
i applaud your take on this project, but i agree with the previous post that overall, there isn't really anything wrong with trays the way they are, they are flexible as to what they can carry and are very easy to clean and stack, making them very efficient. Nice heartfelt try though!
Jan 25 2009 | 10:46 pm
Sara says:
I like that you chose something completely different to design. However, I have concerns about the ease of cleaning a tray with all those metal bars attached. In the real world trays get dirty, from soda to ketchup they get gunked up. How much more work will be required to wipe the grime off of those metal bars instead of just wiping the whole thing clean? Also, as I have said with numerous designs, can I get a radius please? It just looks so sharp, am I going to cut myself on the corner trying to drink from that cup?? Adding a corner radius not only improves the safety of these mass-used items but also makes your renderings look more finished. And color choice! I love green and purple, but this tray is for eating and they just don't say appetizing to me. This is a visually interesting design, it just needs some refinement and a bit more thought.
Jan 25 2009 | 10:25 pm
Justin says:
Great!!
Jan 25 2009 | 07:42 pm
phillip says:
good job~~
Jan 25 2009 | 04:04 pm
archie student says:
i agree with Edward-- design is only as good as how useful and practical it actually is... having a "cool looking design" doesn't mean anything unless it can be used. This design wouldn't stack well, nor would it be easy to wash compared to the average tray. Also, food that is placed anywhere but the purple parts would be prone to falling off the flat edges.
Jan 25 2009 | 02:22 pm
David H says:
awesome design!!!
Jan 25 2009 | 01:43 pm
Vivien Lin says:
Very interesting design.
Jan 24 2009 | 08:49 am
Edward Lee says:
This design is a very good start. It merits some serious thoughts from tray manufacturers. The idea to place dishes and glasses in confined spaces will help remove the age old problem of things sliding around the tray. However, this is the design phase. As one approaches implementation of the design, out of necessity this "Refine" concept will need some refinements to address practical issues of ease of tray manufacturing (the beauty of one piece polypropylene tray), tray stackability, ease of washing the trays, and ease of sliding trays on tracks from one food station to the next. Keep up the good work.
Jan 24 2009 | 05:30 am
Gucci Mane says:
Very interesting design you have there. I love how the whole tray is actually elevated from the surface by the use of metal rods I assume?
Jan 24 2009 | 12:35 am
JohnBobJr says:
The concept definitely demonstrate a high level of simplicity in a intricate and elaborate way. The creativity of this concept balances out all the complicated things surrounding us. There are times where the most simplest things are neglected. I'm sure everybody can use some refinement in their life - Right?