Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì by Yohei Murai

Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì by Yohei Murai is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ohun-èlò Ọmọ Kékeré, Ọmọdé àti Ìkókó Competition Category.

IdẹOhun-èlò Ọmọ Kékeré· 2025

Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì

by Yohei Murai

Client: Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts

Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award Winner in Ohun-èlò Ọmọ Kékeré Category

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Colors

The Design

About Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì

Ọ̀rọ̀ Ìwé: Shellmine Kids jẹ́ ohun-èlò ohun-ìjẹun tábìlì tí a ṣe fún àwọn ọmọ ọwọ́. Ohun-èlò náà ní àwo tí ó dàbí ẹyin, àwo tí ó dàbí ọmọ adìẹ, ago kan àti àwo yíyí méjì. Àádọ́rin-in-méje nínú ọgọ́rùn-ún ohun-èlò tí a fi ṣe é wá láti inú ẹ̀wù ẹyin, àti àwòrán ọmọ adìẹ jẹ́ kí àwọ funfun àti aró tí a dàpọ̀ ti resini ẹ̀wù ẹyin hàn kedere ní ilé-ìtajà. Ìpìlẹ̀ tí ó nípọn dín àárín ìwúwo kù, àti ojú ìta tí ó ní ìlà-ìgbì mú kí dídìmú rọrùn, tó bẹ́ẹ̀ tí ó fi ṣòro fún ohun-èlò náà láti ṣubú. Àwo ọmọ adìẹ tí a lè yọ kúrò àti àwọn àpẹẹrẹ tí ó rọrùn jẹ́ kí àwọn àgbàlagbà pẹ̀lú lè máa lò ó ní ìtẹ̀síwájú, èyí tí ó fa gígùn ìlò ohun-èlò náà sí i.

The Recognition

About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award

Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí gan-an tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó tayọ tí wọ́n yàtọ̀ nípasẹ̀ ìṣẹ̀dá, àrékérekè àti ọgbọ́n inú. Àwọn olùborí Idẹ jẹ́ àwọn ohun èlò tó ní ìjáfáfá gan-an tí wọ́n sì ní ìṣẹ̀dá tó yani lẹ́nu tí wọ́n ń ṣe ẹ̀rí ìrírí gbígbòòrò, ìrònú àti ọgbọ́n àwọn olùṣàwòṣe wọn. A retí pé Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì yóò jẹ́ ohun tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó jẹ́ ti ọ̀jáfáfá lọ́nà tó ṣe pàtàkì tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ nínú iṣẹ́ ọnà, sáyẹ́ǹsì, àwòṣe àti ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ jọ, ó sì tayọ nítorí àfiyèsí rẹ̀ sí àwọn àlàyé kékeré. Shellmine Kids Iṣẹ́ Pàtàkì: Ohun-ìjẹun Tábìlì ń tẹ́ àwọn ohun tí a nílò lọ́rùn lọ́nà àgbàyanu, ó ń fọwọ́ kan àwọn ìfẹ́ inú, ó ń gbà ọkàn ó sì ń fa ìfẹ́ láti mọ̀ mọ́ra.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Most biomass resin tableware on the market does not look like it is made of biomass resin at first glance. Because they look like conventional products, it is difficult to get people to buy them at a high price. Therefore, by using a chick as the design motif, the raw material, eggshell resin, is made visible, exposing the coloring, which is a mixture of white and brown eggshells. By doing so, we created an opportunity for people to understand what the material is at the storefront. In other words, it is a design that asks people to make a choice about the future global environment.
Dimensions & Packaging: Egg Plate W230mm D230mm H24mm 380g, Chick Plate W240mm D180mm H22mm 274g, Cup W81mm D81mm H87mm 140g, Small Bowl W96mm D96mm H43mm 110g, Medium Bowl W107mm D107mm H50mm 164g
Tags: SDGs, Kids Design, Eggshell Plastic, Biomass Plastic, Environmental Problem
Production Technology: 57% of the material is made from eggshells and has acquired the Japanese Biomass Mark 55.
This product can contribute to a recycling-oriented society by turning discarded eggshells into something attractive.
The specific gravity of the material is almost the same as that of ceramics, and it combines the crack resistance of resin with the robustness of ceramics.
Tableware made of this material, for which a manufacturing process was patented in Japan, can reduce CO2 emissions by 37% and petroleum-derived components by 44% compared to conventional resin tableware.
Design Challenge: We decided to make children's tableware because it sells for a higher price than usual as a gift and therefore biomass resin can be used. Through this product, we can also convey the importance of environmental problems from parents to their children. Education is essential to raising environmental awareness. However, we faced a problem here. Children's tableware is often thrown away as they grow up. Therefore, to extend the life of the product, we made the chicken dish removable and designed a shape that is easy for anyone to hold, thereby creating a product that can be used even as an adult.
Research: Based on a survey of more than 120 parents with children, Shellmine Kids was designed to have a shape that is easy to hold and functions that are easy to use. The most common request from mothers was for a shape that is easy to wash and can fit in a dishwasher. Based on the results, we filled in the grooves that should have been on the back of the chick dish to make it easier to wash. Such ideas are usually not good for the environment because they increase the amount of resin used. However, since this product is made from 57% eggshells, the environmental impact of adopting such an idea is minimal.
Inspiration: This project was commissioned by a Japanese commercial tableware manufacturer to design a set of children's tableware using eggshell plastic. Fukui Craft is the company that introduced plastic tableware to Japan and boasts the largest sales volume. However, environmental problems caused by plastics are becoming more serious worldwide, and the company has developed a biomass resin using eggshells. Biomass resin is an ideal material with low environmental impact, but its high cost makes it more expensive than products made from conventional resin. Especially in the plastic tableware market, where it tends to be chosen because it is cheaper than other materials, it is extremely difficult for tableware made from biomass resin to win the price war. In response to this major problem, we thought about how we could help people choose environmentally friendly products.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2022 and finished in July 2023, and was exhibited in GOOD DESIGN EXHIBITION 2023 in October 2023 etc.
Operation Flow: The main target of this tableware is infants. The risk of children dropping dishes or cups while eating was reduced by the following methods. By making the bottom of the tableware thicker, we have controlled the center of gravity, which made it harder to fall over. The specific gravity of this material is about the same as that of ceramics, so it can add weight with a small thickness. By undulating the outer surface, it gets caught in your hand when you hold it, which makes it difficult to drop. By helping children eat easily, we support children's desire to eat by themselves.
Image Credits: [ Main image: Photographer Naoki Tatori, shellmine, 2023. ][ Image#1: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Shellmine, 2023. ][ Image#2: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Model: Yuzuha Oka, Shellmine, 2023. ][ Image#3: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Model: Ame Murai, Shellmine, 2023.][Image#4: Photographer Naoki Tatori, Shellmine, 2023.]