Seedpod
A sculptural and functional desktop seed starter made from glass and ceramics.
A sculptural and functional desktop seed starter made from glass and ceramics.
Typical garden and seed starter products are made from cheap, flimsy material, such as plastic, that lack aesthetic appeal and break down with use. I wanted to create a sustainable product that was not only durable and reusable, but also so beautiful that someone would display it on their work desk.
Typical garden plants generally require similar conditions to sprout seedlings: moisture, warmth, and nutrients (from soil). Seed sprouts utilize the greenhouse effect of trapping heat and moisture to optimize seed sprout conditions and accelerate the process. This product utilizes and expands the functionality of these features, by adding an element of observation (by the human/gardener) to the process.
Typical garden plants generally require similar conditions to sprout seedlings: moisture, warmth, and nutrients (from soil). Seed sprouts utilize the greenhouse effect of trapping heat and moisture to optimize seed sprout conditions and accelerate the process. This product utilizes and expands the functionality of these features, by adding an element of observation (by the human/gardener) to the process.
The observation of watching the seedling grow has an unintended consequence: the grower, by observing the life and growth of the seed from day to day, develops a stronger emotional connection to the seeds and plants, and becomes invested in making the plant thrive. By fostering the human-plant connection, this product serves as a "gateway" drug to gardening, hopefully inspiring awe and curiosity in the user alongside it's more utilitarian functions.
How It Works
1. Fill Bottom half with soil or medium, seeds, and water.
2. Close dome and place in warm and brightly lit location.
3. Watch your seeds sprout and grow.
Thanks to the accelerated greenhouse sprouting effect, this will happen quickly
Thanks to the accelerated greenhouse sprouting effect, this will happen quickly
4. Once seedling plant has gotten too big for dome, transplant according to
individual plant needs. Start the process over with a new batch.
individual plant needs. Start the process over with a new batch.
The Prototyping Process
To create a material prototype of this product, I first created a blueprint in Illustrator, then a 3D model in CAD. I then 3D printed the bottom, and commissioned a glassblower to create a dome to size for the top half. I then made a mold of the 3D-printed bottom to create a ceramic copy. This resulted in shrinkage due to the firing ceramic process, so the parts no longer matched, which meant we had to remake the glass dome. Incorporating hand-made techniques typically utilized by skilled craftsmen and artisans added some challenges that would not be a problem if these were mass-produced in a factory. However, this prototyping process proved that, if needed, this product could also be made on a smaller, local scale by skilled craftsmen with traditional techniques.
Outcome
The result was a beautiful material model made of glass and glazed ceramics that is durable, reusable, and made of affordable and readily available materials (glass and clay) that could easily be produced at a relatively low price point. Additionally, the greenhouse gas effect proved very effective at accelerating the rate of seed sprouting. During the testing phase, seed sprouted 3-4x times faster than the time indicated on the packet.
