Spice + Mortar. Part 1: Research log. by Faina Iasen

FAINA IASEN

SPICE & MORTAR Research

BA (Hons) Product Design 2019/20 Final Major Project

contact info:

Spice and Mortar research book by Faina Iasen, 2020

UX gap

)NALP( ENILEMIT

discover the gap

dis co ve r

design solution

define the gap

e fin e d

devise solutions

de vis e

test solutions

product concept formulate the concept

e cid e d

prove the concept

produce

find users' problems in organisation

choose and develop a direction

find as many solutions as possible

test all of the devised solutions

combine all successful solutions

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

finalise and prove product concept, produce it

Sem. B Sep. 15

Sep. 29

Oct. 20

Nov. 10

Dec. 9

AREA QUESTIONNAIRE I chose the area in which I wanted to work for my final major project a year ago - I knew that I wanted to try and figure out something connected to the organisation of one's space or time. But what I didn't know is what I would be trying to organise. So instead of choosing it myself, I decided to ask people what they had difficulties organising and go from there. I wanted to know what people would choose without a prompt and then also give them some areas that aren't usually the first thing that comes to your mind - like kitchenware or toiletries, or spices. So I designed a concise questionnaire that wouldn't take more than a minute to complete to find out how people feel about messy/clean surrounding and what areas they experience difficulties cleaning,

Which of these places/spaces in your home do you find difficult to keep in order?

What are the top 3 messiest places/spaces in your home?

Kitchenware

Fridge

Toiletries

Wardrobe

Spices storage

Toiletries

Fridge

Spices storage

Wardrobe

Kitchenware

Shoes

'Other' answers included: desk shelves coffee table bedroom floor 'random stuff' storage couch kitchen countertops

'Other' answers included: desk sink corridor winter coat storage bedroom floor dining table laundry area

How does a messy surrounding affect you? Your mood, work, activities?

How does a clean surrounding affect you? Your mood, work, activities?

I get depressed and demotivated when being in a dirty room for awhile. And the longer it stays messy, the harder it is for me to start cleaning.

I generally feel better, sleep better and spend less time on cleaning it up. When I don't think about having to clean, I can do my chores and work faster.

I spend as little time there as possible; it makes me feel tired even when I'm not. I don't work at home, so it doesn't affect my work, but I am less active for sure.

I spend more time in my home; it feels more inviting. I can free up space in my mind to get busy with things I want to do instead of cleaning up.

I find it harder to focus, and I'm more melancholic. It's hard to be productive– you don't want to cook in a dirty disorganized kitchen or do schoolwork at a messy desk, but these are the hardest places to keep neat. I feel depressed and uncomfortable when the space around me is dirty or messy. My desk is the worst, there’s stuff everywhere, and I can’t handle it, I usually just throw it on the sofa and then back on the bed, and it makes me feel bad. I feel better when things are not messy. Fortunately, all of the untidy areas are hidden behind doors, so I don't feel surrounded by them too much.

It’s definitely got a more positive impact on my mood when everything is clean and tidy; I can focus better or chill out. Easy to find what you're looking for, no visual distractions.

Clean room, clean mind. Easy, clean and happy, I feel like an adult. Refreshing is what comes to mind.

It makes me feel good and more able to focus and be productive. I’m a lot more motivated and productive in clean environments.

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS SUMMARY From the survey statistics, I learned that many people don't notice how messy some of the areas in their houses are until someone points to them. This led me to a conclusion that further investigation of this topic is required, most likely in the shape of one-on-one interviews. The questionnaire also confirmed my assumption that most people feel depressed/demotivated/unproductive/tired while in a dirty/messy surroundings while feeling uplifted/refreshed/ inspired in clean/organized environments.

DESIGN AREA OPTIONS Toiletries storage

My guess is that the main problem with toiletries is that most bathrooms are pretty small and don't have enough shelving/storage to keep all of the products neat + many households have more than one person in which means at least double the products required.

Spices storage

Spices are such a small thing that many dismiss them as not creating a mess. Still, when many of them pile up, all the different bottles and bags and jars make up a pile of difficult to organise the clutter that takes a lot of space that could otherwise be used much more efficiently.

Kitchenware storage

Storing kitchenware is something I never saw to be difficult as it is usually stored in the kitchen cabinets or on shelves. Still, it was a surprisingly popular answer, so I will have to look into it during the interviews.

Fridge Wardrobe I'm not going to be looking into fridges and wardrobes since they are organisational tools themselves and I want to develop a solution that's stand-alone and solves a problem that hasn't been solved yet/solved well enough.

INTERVIEWS Personal experience questions Do you usually upkeep the order in your house or do a massive clean-up once in a period of time? (If latter, what period of time is that?) Try to recall as best you can the last time you cleaned. What were you cleaning? How did you feel in the process? Before and after it? What are the areas/spaces/items in your home that you find hard to keep organised? Why?

Area-specific questions How are the toiletries stored in your home? What difficulties does it bring if any? How are the spices stored in your home? How easy it is for you to use them? What difficulties do you have with the current state of their organisation if any? How is kitchenware stored in your home? By what categories is it divided if any? What difficulties do you experience with the way they're currently stored if any?

weeks cycle

daily upkeep + monthly home clean-up

Toiletries: no difficulties, only the products that are currently used are stored, bought when it runs out. Metal shelves in the shower + a shelf under the mirror over the sink. Kitchenware: stored separately in cupboards, separated in 4 categories: everyday tableware, occasional tableware, cutlery in a drawer, cookware in a drawer. Plates and mugs that are used every day are kept in the drier on the countertop. Spices: all spices are stored in the same containers they were bought in - jars, grinders and plastic bags. The latter are stored in a cardboard box in the cupboard above - are very uncomfortable to find what's needed + hard to close them. If she was to 'rule the kitchen', she'd buy identical glass jars and put all of the spices in them. She doesn't like that purchased containers are all different.

SWEIVRETNI ELPMAS

Anna N., 22 yo lives in a suburban house with 4 people

tries to upkeep the order more or less continuously, but has a massive clean-up once a month + the change of seasons clean-up; doesn't have enough space in her wardrobe to keep it organised as all the clothes that don't fit have to be shown in and cramped;doesn't really enjoy the process of cleaning, but feels the satisfaction after everything's been cleaned and organised; the messiest and hardest to organised space is her make-up storage: 3 bags in a big plastic IKEA box, sorted by the part of the face it is used for. Even when she organises it, it doesn't stay clean longer than 3 days + lack of visibility and organisation makes it very hard and uncomfortable to find what's needed.

upkeeps order by cleaning up massively, and then being very organised for one week, then gets lazy and accumulates mess for two weeks - cycle repeats. can't stand being in a messy room: "I can't take a satisfactory shower because I feel like I'm dirty all the time". likes to clean the whole home in one go, gets a rush of satisfaction after it, "but it requires the right mood and time." She doesn't get the same joy from daily upkeep of order. the messiest place for her is "kitchen, of course": food leftovers and trash bin. She often forgets to put the uneaten food in the fridge and hates to take out the trash because of its bad smell. Toiletries: 2 bathrooms, body treatments are stored in the shower on a shelf, face and teeth products are stored in the other bathroom, no "future supply" only what's used in the present is stored. Kitchenware: keeps it separate: pans in are in 2 huge bottom drawers with kitchen utilities + in the oven, cutlery has its own drawer with dividers, but she stores it in the drier instead. Cups, mugs and bowls with plates are stored in dedicated cabinets. She doesn't experience any difficulties with the kitchenware. Spices: Loves to cook, does it at least twice a week, has lots of spices at home. Part of the stores in the mills they were sold in, some are bought on weight and stored in IKEA spice containers, some come in plastic bags the drawer is divided by categories: meat - not meat - backing. Navigates very quickly: "It was me who put them there, so I know what's where." She'd like them all to be in jars because sometimes she gets lost in plastic bags, but she doesn't have enough space for it + she forgets how much she has of the spices in the plastic bags since they're not on display.

Arina G., 21 lives alone in a flat in the city

weeks cycle

1 week of upkeep - 2 weeks accumulation of mess massive clean-up

INTERVIEWS SUMMARY From the 12 interviews I conducted, I learned that spices storages and their cleanliness/organisation are one of the most overlooked areas in the house. Most people don't think about it much until someone points it out, yet still experience a lot of annoyance due to the lack of organisation in those storages. Lack of system and messy piles of spices make cooking (and even eating the meal afterwards) much less enjoyable. Kitchenware and toiletries, on the other hand, don't seem to create many difficulties or irritations. This means I will go through with designing a system for spices organisation.

SPICES QUESTIONNAIRE After deciding to work towards the spice storing solution, my next step was to learn a bit more about people's relationships with spices and their ways of storing them. I've made another questionnaire to gather up some statistics and general numbers to start with. I also asked people to submit photos of their spice storages (optional) to have a look at ordinary people's storages and see if there are any patterns or categories. Over the course of two weeks, I've received 89 responses from all over the world by using Reddit to spread the questionnaire and get a tasty variety of people to answer it.

Approximately how many types of spices do you keep in your kitchen? 20-30

How many of them do you use throughout one week/regularly?

3-5

10-15

5-10

15-20 5-10

30-40

Would you call your spice storage messy?

> 10

10 10

Average: 6

Median: 5

Median: 20

Average: 22

So m

> 40

Ye s

> 15

What would be the most important feature in a spice storage for you? (E.g. size, looks, humidity)

Some of the more descriptive answers: How it looks and I want to be able to see every label without touching anything.

Compact size

Size. Small containers on the market are too small for a bag of spices from the store, meaning I fill it up and then still have the rest of the bag lying around. The size of spice container should match the size of spice bags at the supermarket.

Ease of access Ease of navigation

Multi-functionality (I own different spices and not all of them fit in shakers).

Ease of use

Stable - the most frustrating thing is containers constantly falling over.

Looks

It should have enough space for different sized containers but also not waste much storage space in the kitchen overall

Capacity

Something thin and tall because I do not have much counter space in my kitchen.

Low humidity/airtight

ZERO PLASTIC in fact, no containers. I have jars for all the spice. I wish I could just refill the jars themselves.

Minimal form-factor

I don`t like to put something on my cooking table. Need to save as much room as I can. So any additional storage must fit into cabinets.

Stability

Accessibility, i don't like to go through cabinets to find what I'm looking for and i don't always remember where i put ot the last time.

Flexible labeling

Amount of spices it can store, quick and clear recognition of what is what, ease of use of the spice from that storage - I never use the ones that need a spoon

I would also be very thankful if you could attach a photo of your spice storage (a rack/ cabinet/ drawer/ set of bottles), no matter how messy or small it may be - I need to see the range of different storing solutions that people utilise.

REQUIRED FEATURES Clear labeling

Vertical storing

Security

Labels were determined to be imperative to smooth navigation through the spices. But at least a small transparent window has to be included to see how much of the spice is left.

is a great way to provide instant visibility of all the spices at first glance and allow for efficient space use + saving the countertop surface for other purposes.

The system has to lock for transportation and when not in use to ensure the security of the units and their contents. This would also account for the possibility of children in the house or falling over.

Easy maintenance

Versatility

Protection

The units should be removable and washable independently to allow for easy replacement or change of contents.

The storage should account for all possible types of spices and provide excellent user experience during cooking.

Herbs and spices should be kept out of direct sunlight at all times and have a airtight lid to prevent breathing out and cultivation of bugs.

OBJECTIVES Details The final design of the system should account for all the smallest aspects of the user experience and eliminate all of the inconveniences that exist in previous models. I want to produce an object that brings the best user experience and makes cooking more enjoyable and less irritating.

Size The system should allow for storing many spices.

Easy navigation It should be clear but noninvasive and subtle, not tiresome to the eyes.

Customization to an extent. Limited number of adjustments, min and max number of units.

Seamless experience with any spice bought at any shop - it should fit the whole bag and be comfortable to fill.

METHODOLOGY Part 1 - recipe:

1 EBORP

the first part of this probe is observational. I watch the user cooking and note how and when in the recipe they use their spices.

Part 2 - identification:

the second part is designed to see how people identify the spices that don't have labels & which senses they rely on for that. It consists of 6 spices packed in identical brand-less semi-transparent bags. The user is allowed to open the bags, smell, taste and look at the spices inside to try and guess what it is. Then they have to tell how they would usually store and use that spice.

Recipe: Chop onions, fry until they become transparent. Add chopped garlic, fry for 2-3 minutes.

Elena T., 21 yo lives in a city flat with her mother and younger brother Cooks 3-4 days/week, 12-15 days,month. Breakfast, dinner and lunch (to take to work) Spices are stored in 2 cabinets and near the stove. All in different jars (reused), bought bags and small boxes.

Cut celery in cubes, add them to the pan and cook for another 4 - 6 minutes. Chop pork filet and add it to the pan. Season with fine table salt, freshly milled black pepper, chicken and steak mix, szenchuan pepper, dried tomatoes flakes, smoked paprika, and garam masala powder. If you want a bit more punch, add Tabasco. Serve with rice.

right guess

the spice inside the bag which senses helped the user identify the spice

wrong guess

LEGEND

Chicken spice mix

"It's definitely a mix of sorts, has pepper in it, salt, a bit spicy, coriander, kinda like hmelisuneli. It's probably for chicken." Use: a shaker with big holes

how would the user use this spice

Chicken spice mix

hot paprika

"It's definitely a mix of sorts, has pepper in it, salt, a bit spicy, coriander, kinda like hmelisuneli. It's probably for chicken."

Chilli? It's really spicy. Cayenne pepper ? I don't think it's paprika...

Use: a shaker with big holes

Use: a shaker with two openings (one big hole and many small once - depending on the dish)

Sea salt

Cumin

It's definitely crystal sea salt!

Anise? Cumin?

Use: take a pinch from a jar

Use: just take with a hand from a box or a jar

black pepper

Bay leaf

Come on! It's just black pepper!

Even not seeing it I can tell just by the smell that it's bay leaf. But once you see it, there's no room for mistake.

Use: a grinder or whole in a jar (for soups/rice dishes)

Use: airtight container since it breathes out momentarily

PREFERENCES AND NOTES

Navigation: labels over the visibility, but at least a small part of the container should be transparent to see how much of the spice is left inside of it. Buys spices only in Indian stores and only by weight. She buys them in plastic bags (zip bags that the store provides) and puts them in the reused jars and boxes at home. Plastic bags don't let the spices breathe out for about 3-4 month. If she buys more spice than the jar can fit, the leftovers are kept those plastic bags in the back of a kitchen cupboard. She can't sacrifice the 3 basics she keeps on the countertop near the stove at all times - mix of pepper cinnamon and salt. All the other spices are stored in the cabinets and are used 'on-demand' depending on the recipe, but those three are always used. It's crucial for a spice container to be airtight and be kept out of straight light. It's always better to have bigger storage than needed than a smaller one.

It's always better to have bigger storage than needed than a smaller one. The thing she likes the most about vertical storage is that you can see what's where right away and navigate quickly. The series of products would be great! Having a spices storage, she'd happily purchase a similar one for teas. It would even be possible to use the same storage as for spices since tea has similar requirements for storing (low humidity, airtight containers, and to be kept out of direct sunlight. Another excellent possibility for a series would be a similar storage for bulk products (grains, cereals, noodles, baking ingredients) - it would only need to be bigger to fit more in. Another good option would be singular containers for bulk products - she said she'd purchase one about 2-5 litre capacity for flour. The materials she sees the most fit for a concept like this are wood, glass, ceramics or very high quality thick heavy plastic. She'd prefer it as a stand-alone product, but still with the ability to be put on a shelf or hung on a wall.

WHAT'S INSIDE

2 EBORP

METHODOLOGY There are 8 types of containers, two of each type are given to the potential user with 2 types of spices: flakes (dried tomatoes) and powders (kurkuma). The user tries to use the spices out of the container in all possible ways; then the user gives feedback on the experience and rates it on the scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 is awful and 5 is amazing),

Container №1 + flakes

Container №2 + flakes

Container №3 + flakes

Container №4 + flakes

The container is too narrow which makes it impossible to put a spoon or fingers in it to take a pinch of spice. It is especially inconvenient with flakes-like herbs and spices since its often better to measure out the amount in pinches and/or tea spoons. Pouring the flakes is ok, but it doesn't go out too well - particles get stuck in the edges and glossy plastics .

The fact that the cap fixates and doesn't close on its own is great, but the holes in it are too small for the flakes to pass through, so only the smallest particles fall out - it's absolutely unfitting for this type of spice. Although it would be great if instead of many small holes, it had one big opening - but keep the cap!

The jar itself is nice and heavy because of glass, and the size is good, but the neck is too narrow. Therefore nothing can go inside - not a spoon nor a pinch. It's also bad for pouring since the spice stops on the narrowing edge and then just uncontrollably spills over. It works great as a mill for pressed spices, but doesn't fit for flakes or powders.

Container №5 + flakes

Container №6 + flakes

Container №7 + flakes

Container №8 + flakes

The container is great in all ways - the size could be a bit bigger (perfect - 7cm by 5cm). All usage ways are great, the best feature is the closing cap - it's vital for the spice's preservation. The rectangular shape so far is the best for storing (though the edges better be rounded since the spice gets stuck in sharp corners). This experience overall is the best one of all options.

The smaller size of this container is nice for handling, but not too great in terms of capacity. The holes in the cap are too small for the flakes (both small ones and the big one) so very small amount is poured out. The thin plastic of it also feels very cheap and unreliable - like it's going to either crack or the cap will go off if the jar is pressed too hard.

This container is too small to hold anything aside from maybe very rarely used spice? The thick plastic fills nice, but that is its only advantage. The only way to get any spice out of this one is to spill it out, but because of both its size and shape, most likely you'll just spill out everything at the same time. It has a nice spin cap, but taking it off causes spillage since it closes very firmly.

The little bowl is a great container shape in terms of all the usage ways being comfortable. Ceramics is also great for both the feel and spices - they don't stick thanks to the glazed surface and it will not absorb the smell like plastic would overtime. The rounded shape w/o any corners allows for nice take out of spices. The only downfall is the inability to close it properly.

Container №1 + powder

Container №2 + powder

Container №3 + powder

Container №4 + powder

The container is too narrow which makes it impossible to put a spoon or fingers in it to take a pinch of spice. Pouring the flakes is ok, but it doesn't go out too well - particles get stuck in the sharp corners and glossy plastics It's also hard to control how much spice you are getting out because of it getting stuck - it might go smoothly or just completely spill over..

The fact that the cap fixates and doesn't close on its own is great, and the size of the holes in it is perfect for powdered spices to pass through. Although it would be great if instead of only small holes, it also had one big opening - so you could pour it slower or faster depending on the situation. But powdered spices gets stuck in the corners even more so than flaked.

Container №5 + powder

Container №6 + powder

Container №7 + powder

Container №8 + powder

The smaller size of this container is nice for handling, but not too great in terms of capacity, however it'd work for the spices that are used in small quantities (like chilli). The holes in the cap are great for the powdered spices. The thin plastic of it feels very cheap and unreliable like it's going to either crack or the cap will go off if the jar is pressed too hard.

PROBE SUMMARY Container shape Out of all the containers tested in this probe, container number 5 performed the best. It allows for every extraction method and also has a tight cap that keeps the spices safe from breathing out nad insects, or spilling. Container size It's very important to find the right size for the container since it has to comply with multiple requirements at the same time:

it should be big enough to fit a whole standard store-bought bag of spices, so there's no leftover; It also has to be big enough to fit 3 fingers and a spoon for more precise spice extraction; it should be small enough to fit comfortably in most people's hands;

Ways of using spices: Knife A knife is a convenient tool to take spices (mostly powders) out of thin containers or jars with narrow openings. Fine powders stick to the slick metal surface and pile up on the knife's end.

Spoon Both teaspoons and tablespoons are commonly used for measuring the amount of spice in recipes. It's also the best way to use spices that will stain one's skin if touched (e.g. turmeric).

Pinch Pinching spice is also widely common and often is the best way to distribute the seasoning evenly through the whole dish - it allows for very precise placement. But most of the times this method is inconvenient for powdered spices.

Open-top jar this containers are convenient for pretty much any spice - the spice inside can be poured directly from the bottle or scooped with a spoon if the opening of the jar is wide enough to fit one.

Grinder (mill) Grinders are an essential part of every kitchen they're almost the only way to crush pressed or grained spices (e.g. peppers, crystal salt) aside from a manual grind.

Shaker Shakers are the most common spice containers, especially in public places like cafes. The shaking motion breaks up lumps of spice and then gradually pours it out of the holes at the head of the shaker. The holes' sizes vary depending on the spice it is intended to hold.

Store research: Since the size of the container is one of the most critical aspects of the design I'm going to produce, I have to calculate and prototype it at the best of my abilities. One of the criteria for the size of the container is that it has to fit a whole standard store-bought bag of spice. I had to find out what the standard amount of spice in those bags are, so I went to the closes big supermarket and conducted a bit of market research. I measured bags of the same spices, but from different brands and bags from the same brand, but of different spices. At the end I've come to the conclusion that the weight of spice they put in a bag is varying for different spices, the volume is always the same. So I have to keep the volume that one standard bag fits in mind, when choosing the size of my containers.

DESIRED FEATURES OF THE FINAL DESIGN

Previously identified features: Easy navigation

Versatility & universality

Clear indication

Compact size

Security & protection

Easy maintenance

Limited customization

Seamless experience

Vertical storing

Newly identified features: Clean aethetics

Ease of access

Flexibility & adaptation

The form factor of the system's outer shell should be minimal and non-invasive when it comes to interiors. It should be able to fit in in most (if not all) styles of interiors. It should also create an initial impression of singularity.

All of the spices have to be easily accessed. Both in the sense of taking out a container and extracting the spice itself out of its vessel.

The containers shouldn't be unextractable, and the organisation system has to allow for rearrangements. There shouldn't be any complex manipulations required to change the system or replace a label.

FINAL REQUIREMENTS Easy navigation

Versatility & universality

Clear indication

Compact size

Security & protection

Easy maintenance

Limited customization

Seamless experience

Vertical storing

Clean aethetics

Ease of access

Flexibility & adaptation

Faina Iasen, 2020