Blossom

Blossom by Suraj Soren from uk

designer's own words:

Anticipation of the birth is both exciting and frightening. For a father, the arrival of a first-born is a unique and confusing experience. Product research has shown that fathers often find it difficult to connect to the growth of their unborn baby, as unlike the mother they are not physically linked. The segregation of father and fetus has excluded the father from the pregnancy experience. Consequently for some fathers the baby is not ‘real’ until its birth.

This insight led to the design of a product that connected the father to the fetus during the anticipated nine months. Each petal represents a week in the pregnancy. It holds information about the fetus’ development at that point in time. This enlightens the father of the changes taking place inside the womb. The light begins as a small warm glow, which with each week brightens. By thirty weeks the product is almost completely unraveled and the light is almost at its peak.

When designing the product it was important that the light was tactile, and easy to peel; each petal overlaps with the earliest weeks on top, in this way the product must be unpeeled in order. It was also imperative that the father would want to progress to the next week; that he would anticipate the products evolution, in the same way that he anticipates the baby’s development. To create this effect a light was sunken into the ash-wood base. Through the unraveling of the product the light intensifies and the product transforms. The simple info-graphics on the inside of each petal aid the father’s understanding of the baby’s growth.

The ash base was created on a lathe, giving it a smooth curved finished, not unlike the form of the mother’s womb. The petals were hand made with textured card, and reinforced with florist wire. Each petal was then inserted into a groove in the wooden base, and secured with adhesive. A small hollow in the base was carved out so that the light fixture could be inserted. The size of the product is small enough that it can be placed on any bedside table or office desk.

This fully blossomed light illuminates the room symbolizing the full growth of a baby during pregnancy.
Blossom
The project research was epitomized by one key quote, which describes how a father anticipates the baby’s growth and in turn his own ability to become a father.
Blossom
This series of info-graphics illustrates fetal development in a time line, anticipating the growth and birth of a baby.
Blossom
Each week the father peels back a petal, as the product unfolds the light intensifies, anticipating the birth of the baby. The tactile design of the product allows the father to become immersed in the growth of his child. As the light strengthens, the father can visualize the fetus’ development.
Blossom
To aide the father’s connection to the pregnancy each unraveled petal reveals an info-graphic of the fetus’ growth. This is coupled with a short caption describing the fetus’ capabilities; for instance at 32 weeks the baby will respond to light. These captions are designed to bring the unseen and unfelt fetus to life for the father.