Project: dish rack & pad

Client: Dorai Home

Capabilities: research // design // PROTOTYPE // manufacturing

CLIENT REQUEST: Existing dish pads and racks on the market supported old paradigms of dishwashing. Research showed most of what common dish racks hold (plates, cups, utensils) go in the dishwasher while pots, pans and delicate items are what really needed to be supported with a dish drying system Plus, traditional dish racks were ugly and clearly only utilitarian. The client wanted to literally freshen up the dish washing process.

THE CHALLENGE: Pairing more earth friendly materials with the revolutionary instant -drying diatomaceous earth material (used in the bath stone we designed with them) was really important to the Dorai team. They wanted well-designed features with enough functionality to support all the knives, pots and cutting boards someone can have. We needed a solution for the minimal cook and a solution for the heavy duty family dinner cook. Additionally, all solutions needed to ship flat and store slim.

THE APPROACH: We researched extensively into dish drying behavior in current households as well as explored many different aesthetic forms, including Japanese style Wabi-Sabi organic/natural forms. There was lots of analysis into modular attachment pieces as well, and heaps of mock-ups and testing prior to production. Oh - and it had a hugely successful Kickstarter launch!

THE RESULTS: The most modern, eco-chic and beautiful way to show off your hand-washed kitchenware. The Diomat material instantly dries itself thus preventing mold and bacteria from accumulating. The Dish Rack, Dish Pad, and sink caddy are excellent companions - the rack for constant use and accessory specific, and the stow-away pad for easy, open-ended drying, and sink caddy for keeping sponges dry and clean. Name a better sustainable trio… we’ll wait.