Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder by Sameh Ibrahim Emam is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award in Art and Stationery Supplies Design Competition Category.
IronArt Supplies· 2023
Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder
Client: Kokuyo
A' Design Award Winner in Art Supplies Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #148645The Design
About Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder
Imagine expressing your daily moods with a simple piece of paper on a tree! Mood tree is a unique memo holder with a different memo design; every paper has 2 different colors: Rose at the top representing happiness, and yellow at the bottom representing sadness. You can use the memos whenever you like and when you dispose of them, you will put them on the face that represents your mood now. Or you can flip an old paper to express your current mood. It can serve from one person up to seven.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award
Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Interviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
The main idea was to give a light touch of human interaction within a common national symbol of Japan. The Bonsai tree symbolizes harmony and peace, which was the perfect symbol to use as a concept for the design
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
Ease of use and understanding of the hidden meaning right away
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
Manufacturing it on a global scale
Grand Interview
Your innovative fusion of Japanese Bonsai symbolism with emotional expression in the Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder beautifully addresses workplace communication challenges - could you elaborate on how this cultural inspiration shaped your design process?
The inspiration for the Mood Tree stemmed from my fascination with Japanese culture and its emphasis on subtle communication and emotional balance. Bonsai trees, with their intricate forms and serene beauty, symbolize harmony, patience, and the interconnectedness of all things. I wanted to capture this essence and translate it into a functional object that could enhance workplace well-being.The design process involved a deep dive into Japanese aesthetics and the psychology of color. I chose a minimal design language, inspired by traditional Japanese minimalism, to create a calming and focused workspace. The color palette for the memos was carefully selected to evoke specific emotions: soft pink for happiness and warm yellow for sadness. These colors are universally recognized and can be easily interpreted, making the Mood Tree accessible to people from diverse cultural backgrounds.By incorporating Bonsai symbolism and a thoughtful color scheme, the Mood Tree aims to foster a more empathetic and harmonious workplace environment. It encourages users to express their emotions openly and respectfully, leading to better communication and stronger relationships.
The Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder employs WoodPLAy Wood Fill PLA that looks, smells, and feels like wood - what led you to choose this specific biodegradable material, and how does it enhance the user experience of emotional expression?
The choice of WoodPLAy Wood Fill PLA was a deliberate decision to enhance the tactile and visual experience of the Mood Tree. This material, with its natural wood-like appearance and feel, evokes a sense of warmth and tranquility, aligning perfectly with the calming nature of Bonsai trees. The subtle scent of wood further contributes to a more immersive and sensory experience, inviting users to connect with the natural world.Furthermore, the biodegradable nature of WoodPLAy resonates with the product's underlying message of sustainability and mindfulness. It encourages users to be conscious of their environmental impact while expressing their emotions. By incorporating this eco-friendly material, the Mood Tree becomes more than just a functional object; it becomes a symbol of harmony between human emotions and the natural world.
How did your background in both architecture and gamification influence the development of the Mood Tree Desktop Memo Holder's unique approach to facilitating non-verbal communication in professional settings?
My background in architecture and gamification played a pivotal role in shaping the Mood Tree's unique approach to non-verbal communication. As an architect, I am trained to consider the spatial and experiential aspects of design. I applied this knowledge to the Mood Tree by creating a visually appealing and functional object that could enhance the user's workspace. The Bonsai tree form, with its intricate branches and calming presence, was inspired by architectural principles of proportion, balance, and harmony.Gamification, on the other hand, provided the framework for designing an engaging and interactive experience. By incorporating elements of game design, such as (Trophy shelf: game technique in which you have something that communicates instead of you), the Mood Tree encourages users to actively participate in their emotional expression. The color-coded memos serve as a playful way to track and share one's moods, making the process enjoyable and effortless.The fusion of architecture and gamification in the Mood Tree creates a unique and innovative solution for non-verbal communication in professional settings. By combining form and function, aesthetics and interactivity, the Mood Tree fosters a more positive and empathetic workplace culture.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Imagine expressing your daily moods with a simple piece of paper on a tree! Mood tree is a unique memo holder with a different memo design (every paper has 2 different colors "Rose at the top representing happiness, and yellow at the bottom representing sadness"). You can use the memos whenever you like and when you dispose of them, you will put them on the face that represents your mood now. Or you can flip an old paper to express your current mood. It can serve from one person up to seven.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Material: WoodPLAy Wood Fill PLA 3D Printed filament
Length: 21.87 cm
Width: 4.36 cm
Height: 11.89 cm
Memos: 40 memo - Tags
- Mood, Tree, Bonsai, Emotion, Social issues, Memo, Desktop, Memo Holder
- Production Technology
- As the memo holder represents a tree (Bonsai tree) it was made by 3D printer Technology with the shape of it as 2 halves (vertically) the filament used to print it was WoodPLAy Wood Fill PLA that looks, smells and feels like wood. Gravimetrically filled with up to 40% ground wood particles, it is also Biodegradable.
The memo pad and the lower stand were also printed with the same specifications and the same material.
Memos on other hand was made as 2 sides color memo - Design Challenge
- The main challenge in this project was how to make this mood shower tool be seen as a normal and beautiful object to be placed on the desktop and also to match the Japanese culture.
- Research
- This project is part of a more significant project about engaging Gamification with product design to produce products that can help solve big problems like global warming, scarcity of resources, and many Social issues.
- Inspiration
- Displaying intense emotion is usually avoided in Japanese communication. This is especially the case in formal situations such as in the workplace or school, which may make this environment very stressful and out of balance. In Japanese traditions, the Bonsai tree symbolizesharmony, peace, order of thoughts, and balance. Mood Tree is simply an elegant way of communicating your feelings and emotions to others in order to restore this balance between your inside thoughts and outside reaction
- Project Duration
- The project started on July 2022 in Japan. The target of the project was to design desktop products and sets that can solve social issues and make people embrace their changes and differences. Then the project was finished as a concept ready for realization on September 2022, then it was 3D printed and tested between October and December 2022.
- Operation Flow
- As you can see right away it looks like a Bonsai tree, with some leaves on it, so you find yourself thinking about Japanese culture, a calm and peaceful environment. Take your memo and write down whatever you want, and then peacefully hang your memo on the face that represents your current mood. And that's it! You can now see other people who observe your current upright color changing their behavior to match your mood. It a such an easy and very efficient way to calm yourself down and also to communicate your mood without saying or making any social contact. Inside a small product on your desk.
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