Return Home
Context: Years of studying abroad keeps me away from home. The tie between my family and I grows stronger as we always miss each other. This experience was the catalysis of the project.
Individual project
Duration: 3 months
Define the problem
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Based on research, Chinese students pursuing a higher education overseas have been increasing at about 13% each year. Many of these students, especially the ones who were born in between 1980 - 2000, were the only child due to the Chinese one child policy. The chance for the students to visit their families is low and thus precious. One of the indispensable rituals of the family reunion is dining.
How can I design a glassware that captures the intimate atmosphere of the dining ritual during the reunion?
Final Design
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An influence of the one child policy
The family bowl set was designed for a typical family of three, which is common in China due to the one child policy. The set includes two larger bowls for the parents, one smaller bowl for the child, and a wooden lid to hold together the separate bowls as well as to preserve heat.
Three bowls and one wooden lid forms a full set
Use of circle to represent reunion
Family is often considered as one unit. The idea was to have three family bowls that could be stacked together to form a circle, which often symbolizes reunion in China.
Two color variations of the family bowl set
Use of Chinese calligraphy to emphasize the idea
Chinese words, "回" and "家," which mean "return" and "home," were incorporated into the design as an emphasis of the idea of reunion.
Handle of the wooden lid resembles the form of the Chinese character "回" (return).
The Chinese character "家," which means "home," is engraved on one of the big bowls.
A sentimental detail
Only when the small bowl is nested inside the big bowl at the right position can the Chinese character "回" (return) be revealed. Metaphorically like a child returning home, only by then is the family reunited as a whole.
