High Tech & Low Tech
Carton Tree and Egg Jet
Many people share eggs from backyard chickens as gifts, often packed in reused cartons or plain containers, but these vessels miss the chance to reflect the meaningful relationships they represent; coop to kitchen.
My sister projects, Carton Tree and Egg Jet, both reimagine egg-giving systems that allow messages to travel with eggs, whether through their cartons or directly on their shells.
Both projects turn a simple exchange into a moment of connection; personal, playful, and unique, just like the chickens that provide.
Products Studio IV Spring 2024-
Researching problems spaces for "high" and "low tech" design opportunities
Project duration- 14 weeks
Project Inspiration
Growing up, me and my family raised free range chickens on our small farm. I did 4H activities and even showed some of our hens in the county fair- I was immersed in the back yard chicken community.
With my past experiences I was inspired to find a way to design for this community in a way that spread appreciation towards animals we raise for food and companionship.
My area of research focused on :
People’s relationships with backyard chickens and the connections they facilitate through eggs.
Research Direction
I looked at the journey eggs made coop to kitchen, making insights on differences between fresh eggs and store bought eggs.
I research on the Backyard Chicken forum, and other similar places online. I was looking for general information about people’s egg habits and what their suggestions were.
I learned about egg cleaning and collecting routines, different ways to share and sell eggs, and people's general relationships with their birds - why they have them ect...
I then interviewed 5 chicken owners about
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Why they had chickens?
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How they interact with their chickens?
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How do they collect their eggs?
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How often and with what ?
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If they wash their eggs?
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How and when?
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Whether they refrigerate their eggs?
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Do they year round or just in specific seasons?
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If they share their eggs?
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Selling them or gifting them?
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And wherever else the conversation led us.
Through My research, I was most interested in what I learned about egg-giving. People became very excite when talking about not only their relationships with their chickens, but how much other people appreciated them.
Particularly I became interested in how eggs were displayed in the the home, taking advantage of the fact that farm fresh eggs don't need to be refrigerated.
From there I design two conceptual project goals, one
for a low tech solution and another for a high tech
Click to See More:
Bonus Content: an Afternoon witch Chickens
