#HTE

Sad But Real: A Smartphone Stand Designed to Blend in with Tableware

This object falls into the category of “I’m sad this exists, but I understand why it does.” With Swan, industrial designer Oneseo (a/k/a Wonseo Choi) addresses the fact that many people, particularly in his home country of South Korea, eat their meals while staring into a smartphone.

“What should a smartphone stand meant for the dining table look like?” he asks. “We feel a design that would harmonize well with tableware culture was appropriate. To this end, we tried to provide aesthetic unity by applying formative language and materials common to tableware.”

“It was inspired by the shape of a spoon, a unique shape of tableware. We did sketches to express the shape of the spoon and did mock-ups to find the angle and height suitable for use on the table.”

In the end, I find the object pleasant to look at, and the application abhorrent. An “A” for execution, and an “F” for society.

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See Also: The Anti-Loneliness Ramen Bowl