SEMANTICS IN PRODUCT DESIGN
BY KSHITIJ CHAUDHURI
INTRODUCTION
Project Schedule - Five weeks
A brief project based on conceptualizing existing products or objects and developing them into useful and interactive elements. In this project, as the heading states before coming up with a certain product analyzing and figuring out the mechanism of it was essential before making the idea tangible and finalizing it. How it works with users, what would it look like in visual aspects were all kept in mind.
The next step was to create a multipurpose product out of the existing one and in my case I chose a simple Coca Cola can and converted it into a salt dispenser so that when users buy it they could later on use it for another purpose instead of disposing it in the bin.
ITERATIONS
My initial iteration regarding the product started off with what one can use Coca Cola cans apart from just a soda can. These ideas and concepts are listed below as how one can use these cans in forms of DIYs.
The first idea is a depiction of the can that could be used as a mini cooker for heating popcorn with the light below it and a tiny hole above from where popcorn can pour out.
The second iteration is the use of can in the form of a lamp with cutouts of shapes and other designs on the surface. Those shapes which were carved out from the surface could also be used as cookie cutters which is inserted in ovens.
The third iteration is using the Coca Cola can as a pot for growing plants. These pots could be suspended in air with threads attached on both sides. the holes below the can are drainage for water if incase too much water is poured while watering them.
My last idea shows the use of the can as a salt dispenser or a pencil holder. The final concept I went ahead with was the salt dispenser.
PROTOTYPE
Picture of the can before and after I made the changes. Here the first picture shows the top of the can untouched while the second one shows the can with a hole through which salt can pass through.
In this picture one can see three more holes on the surface of the can just like one would notice in a traditional salt dispenser such as in ‘Catch’. This is for people who don’t want too much salt.
As one can see here the can has two lids instead of one because the first lid consists of the three holes and a big one. The upper most lid rotates in opposite direction which hides the holes as it passes on top. Both lids have been closed by screwing them from between.
Here one can see the big can having a single lid while the smaller one consists of two since I chose to modify the smaller one instead of the bigger can. This was more of exploring the size and shape of the can that I selected.
