MY THEME
My project began as an exploration aimed at bridging the knowledge gap in sustainable practices through the lens of design thinking—a five-phase iterative process emphasising problem understanding, redefinition, and innovative solution creation. Frustrated by the current disengaging methods of teaching sustainability, I sought to reimagine waste materials as valuable resources, highlighting their hidden beauty and purpose.
This is my final piece from my final year project. The project was split into three individual courses, Prototyping, Discourse and Resolution. For this brief, we had to follow our own personal theme and develop our concepts through prototyping and research, followed by a semester focussed on consolidating our theme into one final product.
THE BRIEF
Coop is a compostable bowl made using discarded eggshells from The University of Edinburgh’s catering services. The bowl has been painted on the inside using tempera, a medium using egg yolk as a binder with water and paprika as a natural pigment. My main aim with this project was to find both beauty and purpose through exploring the properties of waste materials.
Final Degree Project
THE PROCESS
Throughout my final year project, I explored sustainable design, focusing on fostering sustainable practices among designers and end-users. Mindful of sustainability principles, I made a conscious effort to use waste materials throughout my prototyping journey. My prototyping development began with exploring a more speculative approach to my concept, for example, I used litter found in my local area to demonstrate a world where litter behaved like a pet dog, following their owner around. The idea was that people would learn to take responsibility of their litter. I then developed this concept by designing an electronic bin on wheels with the intention of combatting littering by autonomously following people in public. Central to my approach was the intersection of biomaterials, waste repurposing, and hands-on making, with a particular emphasis on eggshell waste.
THE RESULT
My journey led me to develop "Coop", a compostable bowl crafted from discarded eggshells sourced from The University of Edinburgh's catering services. Through hands-on making and consumer involvement, I aimed to deepen understanding of biomaterials and circular design principles. I wanted to highlight the importance of involving various stakeholders in creating truly circular systems, championing the journey of waste into renewed value.
Project Journey
To better explain how I got to my final piece, I have broken my project journey into five different sections:
Concept Ideation
The beginning stages of this project, exploring methods of developing sustainable habits.
Tempera
Testing how I was going to decorate my final piece with sustainable painting and varnishing techniques.
