Tag: social design
Maya Alvarado creates a new shelving system for local charity shop
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado teams up with Benchmark’s cabinetmaker Max to fit the Red Cross fix, they bring pre-fabricated parts on site and prepare the new storage system ready for use… 09:00: It is Saturday morning, having collected the materials and tools from Benchmark’s workshop, Max and I…
Maya Alvarado prototypes new paddles
06:00: I wake up in Hungerford, and begin my day by researching existing paddles. Today I will prepare some different versions for Heidi to test out at the next canoe training session. I get ready and leave for work. 07:30: When I arrive at the workshop, I look over some…
Maya Alvarado runs fixing workshop for Two Saints
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado tests out a new handle for Sean Sutcliffe’s portable samples case, collects scrap material and charity shop finds, and leads the second workshop for local homeless charity Two Saints. 06:00: I wake up in Hungerford and get ready for work. I pack some…
Design Museum announces 2016 Designers in Residence
London’s Design Museum has announced the ninth cohort of new designers to benefit from its annual Designers in Residence programme. The four are Alix Bizet, Clementine Blakemore, Andrea de Chirico and Rain Wu. The designers will spend the next four months responding to the theme of Open, culminating in an…
Maya Alvarado prepares for Red Cross charity shop fix
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado, learns about ordering materials in the workshop, prepares wood in the mill and makes the final Red Cross charity shop fix… 06:00: I wake up in Hungerford and get ready for work. 07:00: I start the day in the workshop with Pete showing…
Fixperts Resident makes remote fixes through social media
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado transforms nutcrackers into bleach bottle openers, finalises two pairs of adapted nail clippers for limited hand dexterity, and makes a plastic art tray test for a young woman with autism… 05:55: I wake up and get ready for work. I make a smoothie with…
Maya Alvarado learns about the risky, the worthwhile and the possible
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado visits the Dingley centre to meet an occupational therapist to get feedback on some of her ideas, and makes Heidi a playing cards tray… 07:00: I wake up in Hungerford and gather my camera, measuring equipment and sketchbook. 07:30: I leave for the Dingley Centre…
Maya Alvarado has a day of testing with Fix Partners
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado builds an art tray prototype for Fix Partner Philly’s wheelchair, visits new week-old twins, and delivers a resonance board to the Dingley Centre… 06:20: I wake up and get ready for work. I have some Swedish ‘quilted bread’ with honey and a cup…
Fixperts resident helps the homeless make things with Benchmark offcuts
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado gathers oak offcuts, packs up tools and materials and leads a making workshop for residents at local housing charity Two Saints’ hostel… 06:20: I wake up and ensure that my camera batteries are charged, as today my sister Rhianna will make a film…
Benchmarks’ resident Fixpert Maya Alvarado designs ‘wearable toothbrushes’
This week, British Furniture Manufacturer Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado delivers the second sofa fix to The Dingley Centre, puts up a new coat hook for their staff and designs some alternative toothbrushes… 06:20: I wake up in Hungerford and get my things ready for work. Today I will be investigating…
Team Benchmark go on a canoeing day trip with Heidi and her family
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado heads out with Kevin, Mike, Colin and Danny from the Benchmark team on a canoe day with Heidi and her family… 05:30: It’s Saturday. I wake up very early at my parents’ house in North London to make my way back to Berkshire…
Maya Alvarado adapts a sofa to make it safer for children with special needs
This week, Benchmark’s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado visits The Dingley Early Years Centre, finds some seats to fix and starts the refurbishment of a small sofa… 06:20: I wake up and get ready for work. Today I’m looking forward to visiting the Dingley Centre, a specialist early years centre for…
Aalto University wins award for new cotton recycling technique
Researchers from the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the School of Chemical Technology at Helsinki’s Aalto University have won the top H&M Global Change Award for a recycling technique that converts waste-cotton into new textiles. The conversion of the existing ‘Ioncell-F process’ to enable the recycling of waste-cotton…
interview :: simon kinneir
This is the latest in a series of interviews with designers identified by the Design Council as Ones to Watch. Simon Kinneir’s Leaven collection of kitchen products has been designed with subtle tweaks from their ordinary counterparts to give extra sensory feedback beyond a reliance on sight – these changes improve the…
Maya Alvarado meets a new Fix Partner and prototypes paddles
This week, Benchmark‘s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado visits Fix Partner Anne at the Red Cross Charity Shop, seeks out potential fixes and makes paddle prototypes for canoe trip with Heidi… 07:30: I wake up and get ready to go and meet my new Fix Partner Anne who manages the Red…
Maya Alvarado visits libraries, garages and carehomes in search of new Fix Partners
This week, Benchmark‘s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado goes on a search for new Fix Partners. She visits local clubs and businesses in Hungerford, finds out about an excellent use of a Tuk Tuk and considers the best material for a dog friendly boat plank… 06:20: I wake up and get…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Benchmark‘s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado shares her FixFilms with the team at Benchmark; finds inspiration from Joanne, who paddled 715km down the Yukon River in Canada despite having been born without any fingers on her left hand; and goes back to visit Mrs Ellis to make some final tweaks to…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Benchmark‘s resident Fixpert, Maya Alvarado meets with a homeless charity to discuss a making workshop, gets a team together to make Heidi a bespoke paddle for an upcoming canoeing expedition and meets Emily and her twins to discuss their needs… 06:20: I wake up and get ready for work. I…
Design Like You Give A Damn is the next #designbookclub
It’s time for the third monthly confessions of a design geek #designbookclub, and we’re really starting to get into the swing of it. So far, we’ve read Eden by Tim Smit (you can read the full transcript here) and The Craftsman by Richard Sennett (you can read the transcript here)….
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado reflects on what it’s like to be the only woman in the Benchmark workshop, delivers Mrs Ellis’s tray despite a bit of a hairy journey, and contemplates life on a canal boat… 06:20: I wake up, get ready in warm clothing and make a beetroot, carrot and…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado catches up with Benchmark co-founder and MD Sean Sutcliffe to discuss her progress, starts making films to document her fixes and finds inspiration from a uniquely Japanese solution to a problem… 06:20: I wake up for work and get ready. I have some cereal for breakfast and a cup of…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Resident Fixpert at British furniture manufacturer Benchmark, Maya Alvarado, visits Heidi to see how she’s getting on with her bespoke utensils, contemplates the role of wear and tear in improving a product and makes a repair to a previous fix… 06:20: I wake up, get ready in plenty of layers and make…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, British furniture manufacturer Benchmark‘s Resident Fixpert Maya Alvarado continues work on Mrs Ellis’ tray, learns from her mistakes and finds inspiration from some more fellow Fixperts… 06:20: I wake up and the house feels cold! I make a camomile tea to warm me up and get ready for work. 07:10: As I arrive at Benchmark, the…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado tries her new Benchmark uniform for size, puts the finishing touches on Heidi’s utensils, continues work on her tray for Mrs Ellis and gets inspiration from some fellow Fixperts… 06:50: I wake up and get ready for work. It feels too early for breakfast, or perhaps I am just…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado starts work on a leather footrest for wheelchair-user Heidi at British furniture manufacturer Benchmark, then cycles over to Heidi’s school to test out some of her prototypes. 06:45: I wake up and get ready for work, having a shower and making a banana milkshake for breakfast. 07:05: I arrive at…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado spends her day at British furniture manufacturer Benchmark working on two fixes for Heidi – a pupil at local special needs school The Castle: a collection of cooking utensils and a more comfortable grip for the joystick on her wheelchair. 06:20: I wake up a little earlier than usual,…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
In this week’s column, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado shares a day in her week working with British furniture manufacturer Benchmark looking for ‘fixes’ in their workshop and in the local community – this week she takes some utensil prototypes for Heidi, a local student who has cerebral palsy, to test…
A Day In The Life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado spends more time with Heidi, a pupil at local special needs school The Castle, and meets Mum, Fiona – and then heads back to British furniture manufacturer Benchmark to work on fixes that will help Heidi use cooking utensils, join the family at the dinner table…
A day in the life of the Benchmark Fixperts Resident
This week, Fixperts Resident Maya Alvarado tells us about her day looking for fixes at British furniture manufacturer Benchmark – in this week’s column, she finally gets to meet Heidi, a pupil at local special needs school The Castle, and starts works on some fixes for her. 06:45: I wake up, take a…