The Brief

By obsessively taking inspiration from the format and properties of physical books, invent new objects and solutions in our lives that embody distinct imaginativeness, plausibility, and value at the same time. A concept based on targeted imagination around the typology of a physical book.

Our Approach

We first extracted qualities of a book, from physical to abstract properties, such as the implied identity of a book with random everyday objects to see how book qualities can elevate an object.

A picnic mat seemed like an object that many people, don’t pay much attention to. It was something so simple, basic and timeless, how could a book help enhance it? In trying to find some inspiration from the typology of a book, we found an interesting issue that had less to do with the actual performance of the mat.

We observed that people seemed to be going for picnics less. Maybe it’s the comfort of indoor, aircon spaces, or simply the prevalence of high-tech devices. What we find really sad is that some kids are more excited about their devices than going outdoors with their family. Perhaps we should look at this project from the angle of restoring picnics.

Unlike books, picnic mats were often hidden in cupboards or store rooms, rolled up or in a folded mess. Books, on the contrary, are often displayed presentably, or at least with the spine visible. Books with their covers and titles offer almost a tease or invitation to the reader to pick them up and enter another world.

But picnic mats are just picnic mats, there is no invitation or the same sense of anticipation of entering into another world that books offer. We wondered if we tapped on all these properties of a book, would we be able to create a picnic mat that was more inviting and could be displayed as a reminder for us to go for picnics more often.

Ideations & Iterations

We set out to emulate these favourable characteristics of a book into the mat. The plan was to see if we could fold a mat into a book, or use the exterior as an invitation to go for picnics. But it turned out to be more challenging than expected. We faced a whole list of problems developing it, trying to ensure that the folding method coincided with the placement of the book cover.

Our biggest breakthrough came when we finally found a way to celebrate the unfolding process while allowing the mat to fold neatly into a book.

With the playful graphics, NESTLED offers a sneak peek into its contents, inviting users to pick it up. It opens up to a new world, an adventurous endeavour full of making memories with loved ones. After all, a picnic is a convivial gathering. Drawing upon the sense of familial warmth, we saw opportunities where interactions can be celebrated.

With NESTLED, we want you to feel the joy of picnics again.