The Design Brief
“Explore the history, functionality and aesthetics of culinary tools that we use each day. Redesign them to better accommodate our idiosyncratic bodies, lifestyles, needs and desires.”
I reframed the brief as a cultural question:
What if dinner tools encouraged play instead of restraint?
What if noise was welcomed instead of corrected?
This led to the concept of a utensil set for children to interact and play through sound, transforming the dinner table into a space of expression rather than control.
Project Evolution
This project developed across three academic phases:
2022 - Initial 5-week Exploration
Concept development and first utensil prototype.
2024 - Expansion Phase
Expanded set to three utensils, produced 3D models and renders to communicate interaction and form.
2025 - Refinement and Fabrication
Focused on cohesive character design, fabrication strategies, and exhibition branding for capstone presentation.
(Future) Packaging and expanded product system
*Unmute videos to hear the rattle and croak sounds produced.
Concept Framing (2022)
Early research explored both traditional culinary tools and culturally significant objects, including Mexican cookware and toys. Through this I found direction: a combination of domestic ritual + childhood play.
Rather than designing tools for efficiency, I defined a new design framework:
Concept: Disrupt traditional dinner etiquette
Context: Social/family dining
Audience: Children
Objective: Encourage interaction, play, and sound
Form: Game-like, expressive, and playful
Guiding Question:
How can a utensil set create an interactive experience that challenges expectations of quietness at the table?
Initial Forms and Interaction
Early ideation explored interaction modes such as launching, pulling, assembling, and sound-making. Noise emerged as the strongest narrative and experiential driver.
Prototyping and Early 3D Development
Rapid prototyping began with physical mockups using foil and tape, followed by 3D modeling in Rhino and rapid 3D printing to test ergonomics and sound mechanisms.
Character Development
To connect with children, I introduced animal characters through sculptural heads and expressive features. Shop drawings constrained Sub-D modeling to maintain consistency while allowing personality through organic sculpting.
Expansion and Cultural Grounding (2024)
As my design practice evolved, so did the project’s intent. The work became explicitly rooted in my identity and values, using design as a tool for belonging, cultural affirmation, and resistance to imposed silence.
This led to expanding the set into three pieces:
Spoon
Fork
Molinillo (replacing the Euro-American standard knife)
The molinillo, traditionally used to prepare hot chocolate, introduced sound through motion, becoming a rattle-like tool that naturally aligned with the project’s concept.
Technical Design System
Each utensil was designed with:
Child-scale ergonomics
Shared structural language
A consistent character system
Animal-inspired forms native to Mexico
Visual cohesion was created through:
Repeated head forms
Shared proportions
Linear transitions from handle to function
Unified expression
Cohesion and Ornamentation (2025)
I refined character cohesion through shared facial features, proportions, and expressions, while individual identities were expressed through Alebrije-inspired ornamentation.
Modeling and Fabrication
Organic modeling was transitioned to Nomad Sculpt to support expressive form development.
Fabrication planning included multi-part assemblies:
Spoon: Single CNC piece
Fork: 3-part assembly (CNC + hand-carved)
Molinillo: 5-part assembly (CNC + hand-carved rings)
Fabrication explored CNC machining, 3D printing, and hand-carving techniques.
Building a Visual Language
The exhibition identity was derived directly from the physical objects:
Alebrije-inspired color palette
Child-centered visual language
Playful typography
Shape-driven compositions
Printed materials highlighted animal characters, Spanish naming, and intended interactions.
Practicing Growth: Takeaways
From Concept Object to System
Expanding from a single utensil to a cohesive set emphasized the importance of systems thinking; how form, interaction, fabrication, and branding must align.
Belonging Through Objects
Creating tools that invite noise and interaction reinforced my belief that design can help people feel seen and allowed to take up space.
Play as a Serious Tool
Play is not decorative, it is a powerful social mechanism for learning, bonding, and communication.
