Kinari Cutlery Set

Panasonic
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Industrial Design

Product Design

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In collaboration with Panasonic, Tom Robinson designed a nestling cutlery set for eating on-the-go, made from Panasonic’s pioneering Kinari material - a moldable composite made from majority plant fibers, bound with bio resin.

This lightweight and intuitively compact cutlery set is one of the first Panasonic products made from this new material, which was developed as a conscious alternative to petroleum-derived plastic. Specifically, the cutlery set’s base material is wood fiber, which provides a natural speckled timber-hue.

The shallow grooved profiles of the fork and spoon directly reference that of a thumb and finger, providing an intuitively comfortable grip and a stackable nestling profile. A compact design that can fit in your shirt pocket or bag. Smooth surfaces are used for areas in contact with food and mouth, while the pronounced handle textures provide further grip.

Working closely with the design, research & development team at Panasonic, Tom Robinson delivered a complete design phase, from research and strategy, through to concept design, visualization, technical design, design for manufacture, photography and art direction. This project is testament to the brilliant design and manufacturing department at Panasonic.

A Patented Design, launched at I.F.A Berlin 2022.

Credits:

Panasonic > Design Ownership + Manufacturer

Takehiro Ikeda > Design Director [Panasonic]

Monica Sogn > Brand + C.M.F Design [Panasonic]

Kotori Research > Project Management

Andrew Goss > Photography

Tom Robinson Studio > Industrial Design + Creative Direction