Areca Toys

Material Exploration, Research, Product Design
4 Months, 2016

How might we add value to a material majorly used as firewood?

The project was undertaken at the Natural Fibres Lab at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology headed by Janak Mistry, Design Principal at Srishti and sponsored by Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven by Tjeerd Veenhoven, product designer with a love for inventing materials.

The Problem Space-
Preliminary Research

Product Lifecycles produce waste.
Lifecycle is dictated by choice of material used.
Increasing length of lifecycle increases the gap between the user and the natural resource and also the embedded energy of the product.

DURABILITY- AT WHAT COST?

This yellow duck was sold with a warning stating that it contained traces of a chemical that is known to cause birth defects and cancer despite being a children's product. The chemical, Thalates, increases the durability of the product, gives it flexibility and makes it squeak.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Do longer product lifecycles lead to loss in connect between users and the natural resources?
Is the manufacturing material of the product the problem or is it how we use it?
Can natural material be used to dictate the relationship between the user and the product?

THE SOLUTION SPACE

How might we (ii) use Areca Sheath to come up with a range of toys that can either be introduced to industrial processes or crafts. The toys must facilitate direct interaction with the material.