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Wave

A countertop scraper and collector system exploring nesting geometry, material contrast, and cohesive form language.

Duration 3 weeks — 2024
Skills Model Making · Illustrator · Form Study · Sketching
Category Kitchen & Home · Product Design

The Brief

Design a countertop cleaning tool

The brief called for a countertop scraper and debris collector — a product that sits at the intersection of utility and everyday aesthetics. The challenge was to create something that handles the unglamorous job of sweeping counters while looking like it belongs there.

The project focused on nesting geometry, material contrast (wood handle vs. polystyrene collector), and cohesive form language across two parts that need to work together and store together.

Material strategy

Wood is warm and tactile — better for the handle. Polystyrene is clean and easy to wipe — better for the collector.

Key constraint

Replaceable blade to extend product life without replacing the whole unit.

01 — Research

Things that need sweeping & collecting

Mapping where debris accumulates and what tools currently exist to address it.

Surfaces

Workbench
Floors
Desks
Kitchen counters
Coffee / tea station

Contexts

3D printer bed
Electronics
Dusting objects

Existing tools

Brush
Scraper
Sponge
Squeegee

02 — Development

Four model iterations

Each physical prototype was made, tested, critiqued, and improved. The annotations track the reasoning behind each form decision.

Model 1 — prototype

Early sketches — first form explorations

Iteration 01

First pass

Too busy. No form cohesion. Clunky to use. No ergonomic consideration. The result felt expected — nothing differentiated it from what already exists.

Needs full rethink

Model 2 — prototype

Wave form inspiration — sketching the swoop geometry

Iteration 02

Wave geometry introduced

Better form and more cohesion, but the two parts don't connect securely. The sweeper blade won't tackle stuck-on grime. The nesting relationship needs a physical solution.

Better direction

Model 3 — prototype

Model 3 sketching — reducing features

Good: curve for hand Iteration 03

Feature fatigue

Too many features added — keep it one thing and do it well. The ergonomic curve for the hand is right. Magnets for connection feel hokey and add cost without improving the experience.

Model 4 — prototype

Model 4 sketching — refining the swoop

Final direction Iteration 04

The Wave — resolved

Bring the swoop down further. Add a bigger lip to the collector. Soften the swoop curve. Replaceable blade system confirmed — the right call for longevity.

03 — Construction

Material selection

The handle is laser-cut from birch plywood butcher block — it fits the kitchen environment, is affordable, and contrasts cleanly against the polystyrene collector body.

Wood finalists were evaluated for warmth, tactility, grain pattern, and how well they read against a clean white collector.

Final decision

Birch ply butcher block

Fits the kitchen environment, affordable to source, contrasts well with clean PS collector.

Wood candidates evaluated

Cherry

Rich, warm reddish tone

Walnut

Dark, high contrast

Butcher block ✓

Natural, kitchen-native

Maple

Pale, subtle grain

04 — Final Design

The Wave — studio shots

Wave scraper — replaceable blade
Feature 01

Replace the blade — not the whole product

The scraper blade snaps out and back in. When it dulls, you replace only that part — extending the life of the handle and collector indefinitely.

Wave scraper — ergonomic handle
Feature 02

Heavy, ergonomic scraper for stuck-on grime

The swooped handle geometry puts your palm in control. Enough weight to tackle dried debris without needing excessive force.

Wave scraper — nesting
Feature 03

Easy nesting — they store as one

The scraper tucks into the collector's curve. The Wave form isn't decorative — it's the connection geometry. They sit together and come apart with one hand.

Wave scraper — counter lip
Feature 04

Cut-out slots prevent counter-lip spillage

Slots under the collector lip let it sit flush against a counter edge — debris slides in cleanly without bouncing back onto the surface.

05 — In Use

In context

Wave in context — kitchen counter Wave in context — in use

06 — Reflection

Learning
Takeaways

01

The four-model iteration process made the design significantly better at each step — committing to physical prototyping early, even in crude form, revealed usability problems that sketches couldn't surface.

02

Material contrast (warm wood vs. clean plastic) was the right call, but it had to be earned — understanding why each material belongs to each part gave the form rationale beyond aesthetics.

03

Feature fatigue is a real failure mode. Model 3 tried to do too much — cutting back to one clear job per part (scrape vs. collect) made the final form more resolved and more satisfying to use.

04

Designing the nesting geometry as the primary form constraint (rather than adding it at the end) was the key move — the Wave curve is simultaneously ergonomic, beautiful, and functional as a connection.

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