As a Bachelor of Arts I chose a dinnerware set for my diploma thesis. At the beginning of the process I aimed for a subject that would challenge me mentally and at the same provide sufficient quantity and quality of products that are sufficient for the thesis requirements. An accidentally found article about blind and visually impaired people planted the seed of thought in my head and I decided that I am going to design dinnerware for them. In this I received valuable imput from VÁI, the National Institute for Blind people. After understanding day to day work of the Insitute and learning about how blind people spend their days I realised that only dinnerware dedicated for meals or times of day can be helpful to them. My set is designed for those who lost their sight as an adult. It is designed to help learn the usage of dinnerware and integrate them in their everyday lives without causing any issues during the rehabilitation process. They also present very few possibilities for mistakes during usage, so they don’t break the motivation for recovery. My set consists of a kettle, a soup plate, a flat plate, a dessert plate, a mug, a glass and spice jars. I made them cylindrical for perfect stability. Their bottoms narrows down in order for them to become stackable for easier storage. They contain a recessed thread for a replaceable silicone ring, which generates a different feeling surface to help find the grip for the piece. It also is a great help for those with residual vision, since the stark contrast between white ceramic and black silicone ring helps them find the place to hold the item, because in most cases people with residual vision are limited to seeing shades of light. The three silicone ring in spice jars allows to indicate which type of spice contains it. The shaping of the kettle makes it possible to be sealed with an inner lid, which restricts the outpouring water flow to 2,5 dl per serving. This helps with the process of perceiving changes in weight so later they wont pour exceeding amounts in their glasses.
