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!