Cigarette Extinguisher
RISD Design Conference
This was designed and prototyped for the IDSA conference at RISD in 2002. It incorporates a second use for old fire extinguishers along the lines of the industrial ecology theme of the conference.
Medical Light
Recycling IV Bottles
Because of the need for sterility, old glass IV bottles cannot be recycled for their original purpose. The wire loop on top gave me the idea for a hanging light, and the results were magical. This is another example of closing the loop of an industrial waste product towards extending the materials life-cycle.
Here are the before/after pictures. The bulb was halogen, and put out enough light to read/work with. It also created a cozy ambiance for a living room or den type of placement.
Broom
A new look at an ancient concept...
Why mess with something that works? Because if you are a student in Industrial Design School, you can. This is an ergonomic broom that I made half jokingly for a class. Little did I realize that it would actually work, and be much more comfortable than the standard. Who-da-thunk...
The top handle of the broom swings up at an angle that the user can adjust. The sweeping mechanism pro-tracts to adjust for the height of the user. And it's covered in fake cow fir because I love fake cow fur.
Desk Tray
Designed for the Designer
The idea was to design a tray that would attach to a drawing table.
As with all things, it started out with a drawing.
I wanted the tray surface to be sticky, so I created a mold for 'nubs' out of beads, and a plastic forming machine. I then poured 2-part silicone into the form, and presto! I also included a non-nubby area for drinks.
The bearings in the arm required some artificial rusting in order that they have some degree of resistance.