The Stablow concept challenges the conventional form of the bowl in a fairly basic way, but this greatly enhances the practicality of this universally common object. Chen Xiaowei, Lu Nannan, Huang Yunlei and Zhou Xiang won a 2013 Red Dot Design Award for this idea, which replaces the bottom of the standard bucket with a strong stretchy material.
The elastic fabric retracts flatly when the dish is placed on a level surface, but slumps down with the weight of its contents once it's lifted. This is a wonderfully practical feature for a laundry or washbasin that needs to be carried between a tap and a more useful location. When the Stablow bulges, the water level lowers so that there's less risk of spilling any liquid in transit with a full load.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Expanding Base Bowls
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create collapsible or expandable bowls with adjustable capacities for easy transportation.
- Stretchy Material Containers
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop containers made of stretchy materials that adapt to the contents' weight, reducing the risk of spillage.
- Practical Dish Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design everyday dishes with practical features that enhance usability and convenience.
Where This Applies
- Kitchenware
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce innovative kitchenware products that improve functionality and user experience.
- Household Goods
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create new household goods with flexible and adaptive designs that solve common usability issues.
- Product Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore new possibilities in product design by incorporating practical features and materials.
