Josh Owen teaches product design at Philadelphia University and is the principal of owenlogikdesign, an industrial and graphic design studio located in Philadelphia. One of his recent projects for Kikkerland is the Don't Ashtray, an exercise in civility. It employs graphic iconography in an attempt to negatively influence the smoker against his or her habit while at the same time providing a receptacle for it. According to Owen, "When it comes to cigarettes, it strikes me that most solutions to the problem of quitting lack elegance. The multitude of chemical chewing gums, placebos and band-aids commonly found on the market are awkward at best in delivering their brand of medicine. It occurred to me that using the power of graphic suggestion in order to illicit a Pavlovian reaction might allow users to continue practicing their pleasure/habit while raising a question at the same time. Perhaps being repeatedly reminded of the health implications of their actions in a quiet way could lead to a considered decision to live in a more healthy manner."

More info: www.joshowen.com

Date Posted: November 01, 2004
Views: 24452