Plenus is a knife line for professional and domestic use. It was designed to be a low-cost line of kitchen tools that presents a high performance, sharpness, a contemporary visual impression and comfort when used. The line has evolved to a complete cutlery set and a cheese set that includes 6 tools.
We had to come up with an idea that should depict performance and sharpness. It should look quite aggressive and yet comfortable at first sight. We had a restriction on material consumption and the handle should be made of polypropylene.
We started the process doing a desktop research on what kind of products represented performance. The next move was doing a research on what were the key elements that could make a knife handle comfortable and safe to use, so we had to sketch a lot to put everything together. Finally, we were able to test some 3D models with some users and evolve the design to its final shape.
The client has liked so much the knife line that he decided to extend the line to a complete cutlery set and also a set of cheese tools. The Plenus cutlery line has been a sales success, apparently, we were able to design low-cost kitchen tools that have an excellent quality, ergonomics and also look good.
I have learned a lot about safety practices while cooking and also how important ergonomics are when you are dealing with sharp objects like knives.
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Rachel Sudbrack is a co-designer in this project.
Carolina Falcão Duarte
Brazilian industrial designer, graduated in 2012 at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Currently a master student at TUDelft.
