什麼為之「新日常」呢？那就是當你走在路上時，行人的臉龐都被口罩擋住；例行的周五狂歡夜，變成例行地躲家裡陪貓咪；好不容易能跟朋友碰面，聚餐人數不能多，還得先準備一套公用餐具。聽起來可能會覺得微不足道，然而這些改變，正逐點影響我們對生活的想像，而設計師總是能洞悉這些日常，繼而開發過適應當下時代的設計品。
What is the “new normal”? I’d say it’s when everyone on the street is wearing masks; Friday night is no longer a happy night out but instead a date night with your cat at home; or that when you finally get to meet with your friends, only a limited number of you can be seated at the same table together, plus no one is allowed to use their own utensils to pick up food from the communal platters. These changes might sound trivial, but they are gradually changing our way of living. Luckily, there are designers out there who are developing new products to help us catch up with these new normals.
Boir是成立於2018年的設計工作室，由Vlatka Leskovar Zidar和Ivan Zidar，前者是產品設計師，後者則是平面設計師，同是也是一位廚師。結合兩者的專業和愛好，Bori開發過許多與餐飲和食器相關的企劃，「The New Normal」則是他們的最新力作，是一套發想自疫情下聚餐的食器系列。像是「Dessert for two」連同餐盆、湯匙的組合，特意把湯匙的握柄延長，方便情侶在餐廳分享食物時，仍能保持安全社交距離。
Boir is a design studio established in 2018 by product designer Vlatka Leskovar Zidar and graphic designer plus chef Ivan Zidar. Over the years, the designer duo has leveraged their expertise and love for food and tableware to develop numerous projects on the subject. Their latest masterpiece, “The New Normal,” is a set of utensils designed specifically for dining during the pandemic. For “Dessert for two,” a dining plate and spoon combo, its spoon has an extended handle which allows couples to share food while maintaining social distance.
再來這個「Bread basket」，乍看以為是廚房裡的某種貯存器，實際上只是左右分隔開的麵包籃，而「Platter for two」也是同個道理，只是間隔從金屬換成石頭，並且被雕刻成山的輪廓，吃飯的二人就宛如被山隔開，這是不是讓你想起了，小學與鄰桌同學誰都不讓誰過界，在兩桌之間用書堆砌成的「楚河漢界」？誠然這套「The New Normal」餐具組，雖然都可以正常使用，但始終以是一種為回應疫情的幽默舉動，加上每個設計的精緻程度，用藝術品去看待它們，會比實際使用來得更開心。
The “Bread basket,” which at first glance looks like a storage container, is actually a basket with a metal divider in the middle. “Platter for two” also has a divider, but this time it’s a stone that’s shaped like a mountain. Doesn’t this remind you of the good old days in school where you’d set up barricades with books on the edge of your desk so that the classmate sitting next to you wouldn’t be able to bother you?
Of course “The New Normal” set is not exclusively for dining during a pandemic, they are also good for normal daily use. But isn’t it more fun to take in the designer duo’s sense of humor and view these thoughtful designs as pieces of art?
