We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Yi-Hsun Hsu about their original and creative Sensory tableware set design work. Yi-Hsun Hsu is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original sensory tableware set works.
Yi-Hsun Hsu ("YH") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Ium Sensory tableware set. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
YH : I noticed that kids love to play with sensory toys, which easily attract their attention. Since visualizing and listening are perceptions that are sensitive to kids other than tasting, I decided to integrate musical tone and heat-sensitive color into IUM.
YH : By integrating colors and sound into tableware, IUM not only encourages participation, but also creates an enjoyable, interactive eating experience for children. It keeps kids at the dining table throughout the entire meal.
YH : 1, Kids between ages 2-5. 2, Kids who think eating is boring and never done their meal. 3, Kids who easily get distracted and take long time on eating.
YH : IUM emphasizes the importance of sensation. By adding both colors and sound into tableware, I believe that IUM's sensory tableware can stimulates interaction and exploration at the same time, and educates kids' comprehension on sensation.
YH : "Yum" is what kids often like to say when they think the food has good taste or when they have great appetite. "IUM" is another word of "Yum" as it replaces Y with I for a unique name. IUM implies a purpose for making kids "enjoy eating".
YH : Indesign, Photoshop, Solidworks, Keyshot
YH : Qin Li was my instructor who gave me helpful suggestions and direction while I was working on IUM. Thank you for your patience and direction!
YH : The color bowl is made of thermochromic material, which changes colors when it senses heat. It is same type of material used on color changing heat sensitive tea mug, which is popular in the market place lately. The inner surface of the music bowl is made of hollow wood, divided into layers in different thickness, allows users to play sound in different tones with utensils.
YH : Through my research on toddlers and kindergartens, I found that 80% of kids in the United States get easily distracted during the mealtime; 63% of parents concern about food waste from their kids; 37% kids do not accomplish daily sufficient nutrients. Judging by my observation from interviews, the source of distraction could be the interference of surroundings such as TV and toys. To remain kids at the dining table, it is fundamental to integrate fun and explorative features into tableware.
