Queen Mum

2015 | Mild Steel

How might a bottle opener inspire its user to wield ​it, not just use it?

The Queen Mum is an exploration in how products can elevate the status of their user. Taking a literal approach to this problem, this bottle opener cum scepter transforms a small, thoughtless, oft-repeated task into a ritual of power and bravado. Through the combination of its delicate and highly theatrical form with the weight and utilitarian nature of mild steel, the Queen Mum mixes feminine and masculine stereotypes to present something that is both and not quite either.

The Queen Mum was designed as a first exposure to the CNC mill. It was designed in SolidWorks and machined through HSM Works over the course of a week. The handle retains a rippling texture from the facing operation as both an aesthetic treatment and a reminder of process.

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