Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak by Marko Stanojevic

Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak by Marko Stanojevic is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award in Laberako Tresna, Mahai Tresna, Edontzi eta Sukalde Tresnen Diseinua Competition Category.

BrontzeSukalde Artikuluak· 2023

Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak

by Marko Stanojevic

Client: UMA Network Ltd

Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award Winner in Sukalde Artikuluak Category

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The Design

About Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak

Uma Hong Kong-eko arrisku-kapitaleko enpresa bat da, ekonomia sortzaileetara bideratuta. Atsedengabeko txuletak oroigarri objektu gisa diseinatu ziren, aldaketa bat egiteko baliabideak inbertitzeko konpainiak duen balioa irudikatuz. Konpainiaren logotipoak marra lau bateko pultsu baten antza du, lerro lauko txuleta batean txertatuta zegoena. Oihal baten aurrealdeko aldea beti altxatzen da eta mahaiaren gainazaletik urrun mantentzen da, txuletaren gainazalaren beharra kenduz. Pulse-a beti nahikoa urrun egoteko diseinatuta dago, talka ez egiteko, eta funtzionalki balio du janaria jasotzeko, mokadu txiki zorrotzenetaraino.

The Recognition

About the Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award

Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award irabazlea da, sormenak, asmamenak eta zorroztasunak bereizten dituzten diseinu bikainei ematen zaien aitorpen oso prestijiotsua. Brontze-mailako irabazleak trebetasunez beteriko eta nabarmenki sortzaileak diren artefaktuak dira, beren diseinatzaileen esperientzia zabala, irudimena eta ekimena egiaztatzen dutenak. Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak oso estimatua, miretsia eta maitea den objektua izatea espero da, nabarmenki profesionala eta berritzailea dena. Brontzezko Saria A' Design Award irabazi duen diseinu honek artearen, zientziaren, diseinuaren eta teknologiaren praktika onenak biltzen ditu eta xehetasunei ematen dien arretagatik bikaina da. Restless Chopsticks Mahai-Tresnak beharrak bikain asetzen dituen, desirak ukitzen dituen, sentimenduak xarmatzen dituen eta jakin-mina erakartzen duen lana da.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The body of a chopstick is divided into sections: one at top is held by hand and the other one at the tip comes in contact with food and mouth, with an overlooked neutral zone between them. This zone is where the design intervention took place - a ‘distancer’ shaped like the company logo (a Pulse on the flat line) was inserted, elevating the tip of the chopstick away from the surface however it dropped down, eliminating the need for a chopstick rest. This is done, regarding the positioning and size, so that the chopsticks remain functional and do not collide when in use.
Dimensions & Packaging: The product is 260mm long, with 7.5mm width at the back end and 3.5 at the front. The Pulse segment itself is 25mm long and 13.5mm wide between the maximum-distance points. This makes the front end always elevated from the surface by a minimum of 5.5mm.
Tags: Tableware, chopsticks, utensils, tradition, narrative design, memento object
Production Technology: The product is made of titanium with bi-color titanium coating (dark gray and gold), all food-grade. Surface is polished in two steps allowing for two finishes.
Design Challenge: It was a challenge to transform an ordinary object, a pair of chopsticks, into a future-proofing tradition and contemporized heritage. Their beautiful simplicity is only disturbed by the fact that a third object is actually needed in the etiquette of how they are used - a chopstick rest. This contradiction of “clean two that actually need a third” to work properly made the design direction clear: find a way for the purpose that the chopstick rest is for to be fulfilled, but without the rest.
Research: Remaining true to East Asian heritage, the Pulse (life) segment is titanium coated in golden color with polished surface finish, while the straight parts (flat line) of the chopstick are titanium coated in matte dark gray with brushed finish to create contrast between the two. Each polishing and titanium-gold coating of the Pulse is on purpose done in a low controlled manner against highly controlled and repetitive-mass-production feel of the brushed, dark-gray flat line parts of the object. Allowing shiny, golden randomness to happen is in tune to the actual beauty of randomness of a real life. Finally, on a very concrete level, it makes each chopstick piece unique and special.
Inspiration: UMA is a Hong Kong venture capital company focused on creative economies. The task was to design a multi-facetted communication object representing the company's values (invest resources to make a change), but also to be able to function independently in a retail environment. A set of chopsticks, iconic and recognizable, culturally relevant, was a chosen as a topic. UMA logo, a Pulse on the flat line, was embedded into a flat-lined chopstick becoming its' functional, aesthetical and communication core, all in one stroke.
Project Duration: Hong Kong SAR, China
Operation Flow: Chopsticks with no rest :)
Patents: UMA Network Limited
Image Credits: UMA Network Limited