I told Tom about how I was considering how the products would be packaged/shown in-store. He suggested combining the sawdust from CNCing the dough scraper and the lame with fungi to create a mycelium packaging. This would be in keeping with my project because it's considering the whole life-cycle of the products and encouraging sustainable processes.

I talked to Eleanor about branding my products. I thought maybe I could embroider a logo onto the linen bowl cover, stamp a logo into the bottom of the bowl and engrave the logo into the stainless steel of the dough scraper. Eleanor thought that branding would go against the whole ethos of the project, because when people get attached to brands they're more consumeristic. Brands are synonymous with trends and people who are following trends tend to be more consumeristic.

I mentioned that part of my design criteria was ensuring the designer/manufacturer was transparent, so the user knew who to come to if the product broke or if they wanted to have more information. Perhaps this could be achieved with a stamp on the bottom of the bowl, or in a card that is included in the packaging, but without dominating the products with branding.

I talked with Emma about my project and about the suggestions that Uli had for it. Emma thought that if the stacking function hindered the customisation of the lid, then perhaps it was not suitable for my project. I.e. the lip and/or groove of the bowl will have further affordance as it allows the user to use a cloth, towel, plate etc. to cover the bowl, and if the stacking function doesn't allow for this further affordance, it might lessen the attachment the user develops towards the product.

Emma wants me to test using a second part in the mould, to support the lip as it drys. This will hopefully stop the walls of the bowl from buckling.

Emma agreed with Uli's suggestion of using the same forms of the bowl for the dough scraper and lame, because it's a good way to unify the tools as a family. I need to move on to designing and making the scraper and lame as soon as possible, and I'd ideally like to have some models of each in time for the 'state of play' exhibition on Friday (1 week away).

Uli helped me vac form my new mould, and I discussed my project with him. I told him I was using 'noble' materials (dense, warm materials like wood, ceramic, brass, steel) and he had some good ideas about uniting the tools as a family.

I could use the materials to unite the family. Why not use ceramic for the handles/blades etc as well as the bowl. Or if I have a silicone lid, it would make sense to have a silicone spatula. Because bakers often keep multiple starters, maybe I need to make the sourdough starter container stackable. This would mean the lid would have to be a harder material like ceramic, wood, glass. The lid could have a slight groove that the base of the next container fits into. How would the user remove the lid?

Uli talked about a big brother container for mixing the bread, or one for proofing. The containers could all use the same basic profile, i.e. extend the side profile in one direction to make a bigger container with the same aesthetic. This would unite them as a family through their form. I could use imagery in my presentation to The same form could also be incorporated into the other tools. maybe the side profile of the dough scraper matches that of the starter container. 

Today I talked individually with Emma about my brief and design criteria, and we had a helpful discussion about research methods. I'm interested in the cultural probe. It would be a kit of postcards, maps, journals, cameras, recording devices, text and imagery etc. which is sent to participants and designed to inspire the participant to consider personal context and circumstance, and respond to the design team in ways facilitated by the materials. This qualitative method will generate insights into key patterns and themes that might emerge from the participant group.

Emma talked about a previous student who had used a cultural probe and gotten some valuable, insightful information from it. This particular student asked participants to name 5 hashtags that they thought were relevant to a particular topic, which the student could then search for on instagram, twitter etc. to find even more information. This would be useful for my project. She also suggested that because my project is interested in slow design and encouraging people to be contemplative, I shouldn't overload participants with information, and so should restrict their space to write, the number of activities included in the kit etc.

Talked to Mike about CNCing a plaster mould"

• CNCing is:
  
  • time consuming
    • Block must be completely dry (7 days at 50 degrees)
    • 30hr to CNC
  • Messy
    • Requires extraction 24/7
• It would be better to make a mould from a master (CNC'd from MDF, Cibatool etc.)
  • Mould doesn't need to be dry before slip casting
    • Quick and efficient

Lyn and Yueyun's comments from my 8 minute presentation:

• Thoughtful and developed presentation. I really enjoyed that
• I got the joke
• Kmart is a good story. Give it a time and date. At the moment it is a bit abstract
• Objectives were good
• Tell us where your ideas came from e.g. Slow Design principles
• Tell everyone that the diagram is yours "ta da!"
  • Atm it is ambiguous what is yours and what is other people's
• Building into a really good story
• Make sure your process is in there
  • Make it obvious how you have developed your ideas
  • Have it raw
• Nice drawings, shows sensitivity
• We are seeing good visualisation skills
• Work with traditional/noble materials
  • Warmth, texture, dense
  • Wood, brass, steel, cork, fabrics, ceramic
• Get it right down to the details
• Where do they fit in the home?
  • Nest together?