Tag Archives: Jacob Alm Andersson

This pastel electric tea kettle features water controls and temperature regulators to reduce energy wastage!

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80% of the traditional electric kettle’s environmental impact occurs when in use. In just the EU alone, an estimated 117-200 million kettles are in use. Jacob Alm Andersson and Alexandra Fransson found that the excess energy that comes from the overuse of electric kettles in one day is enough to power all the streetlamps in England for an entire night. That’s a lot of energy. In designing an electric kettle that discourages users from overusing it and in return wasting less energy, Andersson and Fransson created The Blue Project, featuring an electric tea kettle that provides users with feedback to help promote sustainable use.

To keep users from overfilling their kettles, The Blue Project’s electric kettle features a water controller that forces its user to settle on a predetermined measure of water before filling the kettle up with water. In addition to the water controller, Andersson’s and Fransson’s tea kettle comes equipped with a temperature regulator that increases in resistance as the kettle’s user increases its temperature, providing a tangible source of feedback to show the increase in resources needed for higher temperatures.

Reminiscent of the tea kettle’s whistle, The Blue Project’s tea kettle comes attached to a device that physically shakes to signal when the kettle is being overworked, making it difficult for the user to ignore. Finally, along the bottom of the tea kettle’s base structure, a date reveals when resources for the kettle’s manufacturing have been compensated, an indication that marks the sustainability of any given product.

The Blue Project features an electric kettle that addresses three main concerns in regard to the excessive use of electric appliances: how we interact with controllers, the hidden nature of renewable resources, and the short lifespan of most products. Noticing that people could benefit from some constructive feedback and a sense of agency to change their habits that negatively affect the environment, visual regulators and controllers fill out The Blue Project kettle to help users use less energy when handling electric appliances like a tea kettle.

Designers: Jacob Alm Andersson and Alexandra Fransson

Most appliances are overused due to habitual and mindless user-product interaction.

By marking products with lifecycle indicators, brands might feel prompted to make more sustainable products.

The Blue Project’s tea kettle works in a similar fashion to the conventional electric tea kettle, with additional water controllers and regulators.

The more water measured before use requires a taller overall product, which works to discourage users from overfilling it.

The tea kettle’s default measure is one cup.

As the temperature is increased for heating, the temperature regulator nob increases in resistance.

Like the whistle of a stovetop tea kettle, The Blue Project’s tea kettle features an attached device that indicates overuse.

A date marking reveals when the resources used in manufacturing the tea kettle have been replenished.

This vertical farming system was designed to build up community and accommodate the urban lifestyle!

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Urban farming takes different shapes in different cities. Some cities can accommodate thriving backyard gardens for produce, some take to hydroponics for growing plants, and then some might keep their gardens on rooftops. In Malmö, small-scale farming initiatives are growing in size and Jacob Alm Andersson has designed his own vertical farming system called Nivå, directly inspired by his community and the local narratives of Malmö’s urban farmers.

Through interviews, Andersson learned that most farmers in Malmö began farming after feeling inspired by their neighbors, who also grew their own produce. Noticing the cyclical nature of community farming, Andersson set out to create a more focused space where that cyclical inspiration could flourish and where younger generations could learn about city farming along with the importance of sustainability.

Speaking more to this, Andersson notes, “People need to feel able and motivated to grow food. A communal solution where neighbors can share ideas, inspire and help one another is one way to introduce spaces that will create long-lasting motivation to grow food.”

Since most cities have limited space available, Andersson had to get creative in designing his small-scale urban farming system in Malmö. He found that for an urban farm to be successful in Malmö, the design had to be adaptable and operable on a vertical plane– it all came down to the build of Nivå.

Inspired by the local architecture of Malmö, Andersson constructed each system by stacking steel beams together to create shelves and then reinforced those with wooden beams, providing plenty of stability. Deciding against the use of screws, Nivå’s deep, heat-treated pine planters latch onto the steel beams using a hook and latch method. Ultimately, Nivå’s final form is a type of urban farming workstation, even including a center workbench ideal for activities like chopping produce or pruning crops.

Designer: Jacob Alm Andersson

Following interviews with local residents, Andersson set out to create a farming system that works for the city’s green-thumb community.

Taking inspiration from community gardens and the local residents’ needs, Andersson found communal inspiration in Malmö.

Backyard and patio gardens are popular options for those living in cities who’d still like to have their very own gardening space.

Noticing the cyclical nature of community farms, Andersson knew that would be the crux of his design.

Following multiple ideations, Nivå ultimately assumes the form of a farming workstation.

Deep, voluminous soil pots provide plenty of room for growth and the high shelves allow vertical growing methods to persist.

Circling back to the community’s initial narrative, Nivå is a farming workstation solution that allows communities’ residents to farm together.