Grace Huang

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Flow Form Spatula, “恩” (ēn)

Form-Giving, Wood-Working, Rapid Prototyping, Design for Manufacturing

Made from a 3”x2”x10” block of ash wood as an exercise in hand-crafting refinement and an exploration in flow forms. Inspired by graceful flowlines of the feminine figure in gowns, I created my spatula to emulate visual elegance while balancing ergonomics and functionality.
Duration:
4 Weeks

Course:
Designing Products for Interaction, Spring 2025

Role:
Individual

Tools:
Band Saw, Sander Machines (Disc, Belt, Spindle), Adobe Illustrator 

Materials:Ash Wood







Form Sketch Explorations:
Our first exercise was to observe and record “flow lines” in the world around us. I was inspired by a plethora of sources - from animals to architecture! The flow lines I found most gravitating were those of the female silhouette,  especially in dresses that seek to emphasize feminine curves.



From these drawings, we took the next step towards sketching what the spatula might look like from the top and side profiles.


Prototype:

We kickstarted the physical prototypes with pink foam models. I cut out the top and side profiles from a rectangular prism block with the band saw. Then, I hand sanded different parts of the model to experiment with rounding and twisting edges. I also considered how chamfers and fillets could give the form more nuance.


First Iteration
Second Iteration


Illustrator + Solidworks Templates:

While working through sketches of the top and side profile, I eventually shifted to Illustrator to refine its dimensions. I actually shifted my design direction completely halfway through!

From the flowlines shown above, and the handle curving in an outward crescent, they found that flipping the spatula upside down actually felt even more comfortable! This way, the handle cupped inward in a crescent. Because of this change, the original flow lines no longer worked, especially if I still intented for the spatula to fit the right hand. As a result, I redesigned the ‘head’ of the spatula to accommodate this crescent grip.
 
 Final Gray Foam Prototype:

For the twists and rounding of edges, I experimented extensively on the gray model to get to my final result. I found that making these explorations through sketching was difficult, so I relied heavily on the physical model to inform how I would sculpt this form in 3D.

Fabrication:
The fabrication process was very similar to all the previous protypes - starting from the band saw cuts, then moving to different sanders to manipulate the edges.

Using different sanding tools + hand sanding:




Final Design:  

Additional Photos: