There seems to be two divergent fields of product design — objects that make things easier, faster, and more efficient, and objects that intentionally slow us down, forcing us to connect more deeply with the task at hand. The latest in this latter camp is the Balance scale, by Swiss Japanese designer and Academy of Art and Design Basel alum, Nadine Fumiko Schaub.
By using beautiful, tactile materials like wood, brass, marble, and porcelain, Balance is as pleasing to the hand as it is to the eyes. Weighing the ingredients placed in the bowl against the porcelain counterweights not only takes more time and patience, but it also requires a sense of stillness and a delicate touch. “Our fingers are capable of sensing the slightest change of discontinuity,” says Fumiko. “When the weights are balanced, the fingers will sense perfection.”
«Balance» from Fumiko Schaub on Vimeo.
