Pallet Pegs
This project was an entry into the Craft Council of Ireland's "Pallet to Product" design challenge. They put an iPad up for grabs to the winner so I thought it was worth an entry.
I decided to get a bit deep with this project, and analysed in my head what emotions and feelings that a pallet conjures up in people. The result was, of course, very little. Pallets are a utilitarian product, something that nobody notices unless it breaks. I thought it funny as my past job of working in a warehouse meant I was probably the only person I could think of that appreciated a good pallet! The idea that the average person would have any meaningful attachment to a pallet, however, is somewhat laughable. So I decided to play with that and explore...
It became apparent that a pallet is never respected, never noticed, always dirty, left out in the rain and cold, relied upon for shipping absolutely EVERYTHING around the globe, but never getting any appreciation for its service. I found this quite sad, and decided my design must contrast and contradict the public perception of what a pallet is, yet also compliment and celebrate the unsung hero that is a standard wooden pallet.
It was with this idea in mind, that the pallet peg was born...
Creating a clothes peg for a washing line fit this brief like a glove. Pallets are a universal item, everyone from a CEO of a multinational company to a fisherman in a third world country is familiar with a standard pallet. Likewise, although terribly un-glamorous, everyone needs to dry their clothes, and often this is done with a simple piece of string and a peg. It also fit perfectly as when pegs are on a washing line, they're almost on a pedestal in the garden. These pegs are now a centrepiece, something for the owner to be proud of, proud that they're green, eco-friendly, using recycled wood from a pallet rather than contributing to global pollution with plastic pegs.
The design of the pegs means they can be quickly and cheaply made, are reliable, and are styled to echo that of early wooden pegs which were used before the advent of plastic.
Overall I'm quite happy with how the project turned out, and I plan on making up at least a limited run and offering them for sale on my website. I'm glad I had this opportunity to enter the competition, even if I don't win the iPad.... :-P
