behavior lab by guus kusters from netherlands
designer's own words:
“When we get a new product, in time we get used to it. It starts to join in our routine and stops being new. But wouldn’t it be logical, that when we get accustomed to using a product, the product would get accustomed to our behavior of that use?”
Behavior lab is a level white tea set, which creates a customised pattern. The porcelain is slightly porous and has a non glazed pattern. Baked on a specific temperature to evaporate through the material, but not absorb liquids. By this the colours of the drank tea will slowly start filling the exterior pattern of the set. But not only the colours have an effect on the pattern. Also the speed of drinking, the heat, the strength and type of tea and even the time between drinking and cleaning will create a unique identity to the set every time. The pattern on the cup is a line of dots and a unique cup number like in a laboratory strip of paper. By this the viewer can analyse the drinking behaviour of the user by “reading” the cup. It tells you the dialog of user and product.
f.l.t.r. Unused cups with a white pattern, used cups with a filled pattern, pattern absorption tests, different types of tea with their pH value and colour in porcelain, tests of absorbing with different baking temperatures. photo José van Riele
Analysis of cup in the front: Preference for regular teas like Ceylon; Very regular build by evaporation; He or she is a fast drinker. The porcelain didn’t get the time to absorb much moist.
The pH value and colour in porcelain of different kind of teas.