Convergence.

This week my group singled out a concept for our design. Convergence. We want to design a space where diverse, exotic peppers from around the globe are brought to you. We had a lot of trouble coming up with this concept. My group and I were too focused on the cultural diversity of the peppers which lead us astray. We got carried away with various themes that had no correlation to our object - peppers. Our "Ah-Ha" moment came when took a step back and thought about the function of our space. Our retail booth reflects a coming together of cultures and their native peppers. Convergence. We are finally able to start designing!

We want to design a space that has a clear direction. We want to lead the customer toward the center where we will have a display of dry crushed peppers (the "convergence" of various pepper blends). Each design element will reflect our concept. We are playing around with different ways to best lead the customer into our space. In our first model, we designed angled shelves on the walls that point toward the center of the space. We also want to reflect a global, multicultural aspect to the chili peppers. We have design floor mosaics of peppers. Again, they point toward the center. On the ceiling we have an image of the world. It references the internationality of the peppers being sold.  

We have a lot left to do and little time but each decision is much easier to make now that we have a concrete concept. I can't wait to share more soon!

Concept Struggles.

Project Four. Kiosk.

Last week we were assigned groups and asked to pick a new object and design a kiosk/booth structure. As a group, we selected chili peppers. I am excited and sad at the same time to abandon my orange. I was finally in a groove with my orange. I enjoyed building off of my previous work with each new assignment. Now it's back to step one. Establish a concept.

The chili pepper is a fun and "spicy"object yet we have found it difficult to distinguish between a design "theme" and a design "concept" for the pepper. Our first idea was to design a kiosk that sells spicy peppers from all over the world. We selected four cultures widely known for their spicy cuisine: Thailand, Egypt, India, and Mexico. Our "concept" was to bring the experience of shopping in those four local markets for peppers to an American consumer. We designed a pentagonal-shaped booth. At the top of each side we placed an image of a universally recognized architectural structure from one of those four cultures (see image).

Mayan Temple - Mexico, Sphinx - Egypt, Taj Mahal - India, Pagoda - Thailand

My group was very excited about this idea. However, after getting some feedback from Professor Anderson, we realized that our concept was too complicated. She suggested either picking one culture and committing ourselves to it, or abstracting the entire concept and focus more on the "diversity" of the peppers and less on representing four different cultures. We realized that our entire idea was becoming more about showcasing exotic cultures and less about spicy peppers. 

Our next idea was to showcase the Indian culture and their peppers. We thought we could build a tent-like structure with an opening in the shape of the Taj Mahal (similar to the image above). We would then design the interior to resemble an indian food market with lavish Indian fabrics and decorations. After exploring this idea, we realized that this idea was more of a theme than an actual concept. What do Indian decorations have to do with their native peppers? Unfortunately for us, nothing. 

Back to the drawing board! I hope to have good news to report next week!

Final Display

As much as I praised the process of model-making in last week's blog post, I am sorry to report I have developed love/hate feelings toward it now. While I still recognize it is the best way to present a design solution to a client, I have also experienced the torture (both physical and mental) of making that solution a reality.


When it came down to making my final display model I completely underestimated the amount of time it would take. I constructed the chipboard frame of my model relatively quickly but then came the dreaded small-scale orange packages. 28 to be exact. A lot of trial and error went into constructing these mini cubes. Constructing them first out of chipboard with a balsa wood facade was a failure # 1. I realized that bristol board was much easier to work with at such a small scale (each package is 1-1/4" x 1-1/4"). I also attempted to adhere the balsa wood with double sided tape - failure # 2. In the end I glued together each bristol board frame then glued a balsa wood facade to each cube. 

While making the miniature packages was extremely time consuming, my main concern was clearly conveying my heart-healthy message with my display. Prior to gluing a balsa wood facade to the shelving frame, I carefully glued orange paper squares to the chipboard, creating a heart shape. 


Overall, I struggled with the small scale of my models. There are slight imperfections with the models that keep me from being completely satisfied with my final product however I still believe that my purpose and intent are clear. I am also proud of the continuity between my work this semester. I believe this design is a successful way to display my heart healthy orange and it's crate packaging.