Japanese Dinnerware Set
Individual project
Fall 2019
Software: AutoDesk Fusion360
The goal of this project was to redesign a dinnerware set for a particular type of cuisine. I decided to focus on Japanese cuisine, so my first step was to eat at a nearby Japanese restaurant with some friends. The benefit of eating with friends is not only company, but also getting to see a wide variety of dishes and the way they are served.
My biggest takeaway from this meal was that the physical dishes were not cohesive, for example the meal I chose included a few different foods and looked like this:
To summarize:
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The tray came with many different plates and bowls of varying sizes and materials
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The tempura vegetables were served in a small round basket
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The sushi was served on a rectangular wooden plate
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Order in which food was meant to be eaten was unclear and not intuitive
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Single-use disposable chopsticks were served alongside many beautiful reusable dishes
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Tray was overcrowded yet had a lot of unused/negative space
This made me wonder, what are the aspects of traditional Japanese cuisine and what does a dining room look like in Japan?
Traditionally a meal includes one soup, 3 dishes, and rice; this is called Ichijyu Sansai. A typical meal combines a 3-course meal into one meal, with their dinner consisting of many different dishes all served at once. They like to eat a variety of foods cooked in different ways during one meal (fried, grilled, marinated, boiled) and it is common that each food is served on a different plate.
Washoku is used to describe traditional Japanese cuisine and consists of simply prepared rice and side dishes that use only seasonal ingredients. It also includes fish or seafood and seaweed. Washoku focuses on balance within a meal and uses traditional Japanese lacquerware.
With this in mind, I created a moodboard that focused on the comparison between traditional Japanese culture and the intense modernization of the country. I found this contrast very interesting visually.
Next up was the prototyping phase:
cross section view
The design language for my dinnerware set:
