{"id":54868,"date":"2017-02-15T12:53:52","date_gmt":"2017-02-15T17:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uncommongoods.com\/?p=54868"},"modified":"2018-01-04T15:37:22","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T20:37:22","slug":"thomas-both-couch-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/2017\/thomas-both-couch-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"The Couch Bowl: Taking Comfort Food to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

A background in engineering helps product designer Thomas Both<\/a>\u00a0visualize forms in space and think critically when contemplating his prototypes. It also leads him to ask some important questions: What\u2019s the geometry at work? How might I build this? What\u2019s the negative of that shape? What would that connection look like?<\/em><\/p>\n

Sure, those are things an engineer would definitely ask when building a complex machine, but how does that influence something as seemingly uncomplicated as snacking? Well, when you think about it, snacking isn\u2019t always that simple. We\u2019ve all been there: balancing an overflowing dish and squirming around trying to get the blanket just right, while simultaneously looking for a video to stream and hoping that you\u2019re not about to start a cheese puff avalanche. (You know that if one puff rolls off Snack Mountain, many more are sure to follow.) In this case, figuring out how to simplify the process of holding a dish, getting comfortable, and delivering that oh-so-tasty food to your face is actually a design problem. A problem that Thomas solved with the Couch Bowl<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a>

Thomas Both<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe point of view is that almost all dishware (particularly in Western society) is designed to be used sitting at a dining table, yet often we don\u2019t eat at a dining table,\u201d Thomas explained. \u201cWe stand at a cocktail party, or sit in the living room, or lean against the counter in the kitchen–but we are using the stuff made for table dining. So what if we could create dishware designed for eating without a table?\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>

The Couch Bowl<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Thomas\u2019 first answer to the how to eat without a table<\/em> question was the Ooma Bowl<\/a>, a dual-chambered dish designed with ergonomics in mind. But as he continued to iterate on the Ooma design, he realized that the next step was to take the focus off the double-dish aspect and figure out how to make the more typical circular bowl better.<\/p>\n

<\/a>

The predecessor to the Couch Bowl, the Ooma Bowl<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIn a sense it is the successor to the Ooma,\u201d said Thomas. \u201cIn the fundamental perspective, it\u2019s dishware meant to be held, and used without a table, but in an elegant way. Not hunched over a coffee table. Un-tableware. The Couch Bowl is in that family.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

He had the initial idea while sketching in his notebook, and then moved on to prototyping. The first couch bowl prototype was actually constructed using a paper bowl. All the while, Thomas knew he wanted to work with UncommonGoods to get the product off the ground: \u201cWe had already produced the Ooma and Venn [Diagram] Platter<\/a> together. It was always my intention to work with UG for this piece\u2026 it is a good collaboration. I get to work on the stuff I\u2019m good at–conceptualizing product ideas, prototyping the concept, developing the form–and UG does what it is good at–most of all understand customers and doing all the work to get from manufacturing to someone\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>

Couch Bowl prototypes<\/p><\/div>\n

Our team loved the idea, and worked to help flesh out Thomas\u2019 original concept. Through mock-ups and additional prototypes (ceramic and 3D-printed plastic–over paperware this time), UncommonGoods\u2019 Product Development team<\/a> and Thomas created a perfect dish for tableless dining. Like the Ooma Bowl, the Couch Bowl is ergonomically designed, so it\u2019s easy to balance and comfortable to hold. The convex hump in the middle of the dish makes room for your hand, and the notch in the bowl\u2019s lip is just right for resting your thumb or a spoon.<\/p>\n

<\/a>

Couch Bowls in-the-making, waiting to be glazed<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, we couldn\u2019t test the bowl without putting in some serious snacking time. The dish is big enough to hold a single serving of finger foods (those cheese puffs aren\u2019t getting away this time), a light meal, or a hefty dollop of dessert. \u201cI think it is really best for cereal and ice cream,\u201d Thomas concluded after testing on his end. \u201cMy favorite thing to eat out of it is ice cream. I like holding the bowl, and there is something enjoyable about scooping the ice cream out from around the hump in the middle of the bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>

Each hand-painted bowl is signed with a symbol representing the makers (AT = Alfarer\u00eda Traditional), the city where it\u2019s made (GTO = Guanajuato), and the country of origin<\/p><\/div>\n

Our Product Development team fully condones Thomas’ snacking suggestions. “This is designed for the person who\u2019s binge watching their favorite show on Netflix over the weekend,” said Senior Product Developer Tiffany Jyang. “They\u2019re setting up camp on the couch with their favorite bowl-foods, starting with cereal for breakfast and ending with ice cream for dessert (and then maybe following it up with some more cereal as a late-night snack!). Within PD, we\u2019re big cereal fans, but really you can use this bowl with all of your favorite couch snacks and comfort foods, from smoothie bowls to classic mac & cheese. It\u2019s really a versatile bowl that is comfortable and satisfying to hold. It’s also fun to eat out of!”<\/p>\n

You can get ready for your own multiple-season marathon by getting the Couch Bowl<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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