University students from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s design program took on the project of conceptualizing objects reflective of humans’ domestic relationship with vegetation. Aptly named Plant-Based, some 28 individuals from various campuses collaborated to design objects that easily incorporate plants into our everyday lives. Thematically, each needed to integrate a plant’s basic requirements to thrive – sunlight, water, and soil – while merging form and function into an accessory people would like to have in their space.
Henry Julier, Director of Industrial Design at Standard Issue, and Jorge Diego Etienne, an industrial designer and Director of the Design Program, acted as mentors for the entirety of the process. The first phase of Plant-Based was a three-day workshop filled with brainstorming and cardboard prototypes of planters, vases, and plant stands. These forms were later translated during the production phase using steel sheets, chosen for the material’s durability, with students working within a color palette of red, yellow, green, blue, and white.
Julier and Etienne guided students with expert hands, pushing them toward boundaries while encouraging practical reasoning and innovative approaches. A cool planter is great, but does it ensure the care of the plant? Thanks to the duo, each finished object was not only a reflection of the relationship between people and plants; it was also functional, sustainable, and beautiful. Explore the objects below and let us know which concept you’d love to add to your own space!
Johana Hernandez + Cristhian Robles Cruz
Photography courtesy of Tec de Monterrey.