The Noops - A Solution and A Critique

Do you hate spoons? 

Me too.

I mean, how are you supposed to get the last bit of soup or milk out of the bowl? And so many of them are umcomfy and fit poorly in your mouth too.

But despair not! for I have contrived a solution!

Meet the Noops!

The Noops is the ideal spoon replacement, perfect for all ages and abilities. 

The name of the Noops comes from the soon-obsolete object it replaces. Simply ‘spoon’ in reverse, it shows how backwards and problematic spoons are in comparison.

The most striking aspect of the Noops is likely the sponge in place of the bowl of a spoon, and it serves to solve many issues with traditional spoons.

The porous material is excellent for absorbing every last drop of soup, broth, or milk from a bowl. Once in the mouth, the sponge easily releases the delicious liquid when compressed by the tongue.

Additionally, the soft material is comfortable and compressible enough to fit mouths of all shapes and sizes.

For children, the elderly, and folks with compromised mobility, spoons can pose a risk for spilling. Not only does this create countless messes, but can also cause serious burns from hot soup. Noopses mitigate that risk by containing the liquid until safely in the mouth.

The sponge is specifically shaped and angled for comfort and usability. Tasty chunks, whatever delicious morsels they may be, sit comfortably on top of the Noops’s sponge.

In contrast the boring, old-fashioned, metal handle of most spoons, a Noops’s handle is bright and fun. Made of plastic, they would come in a variety of fun colours, as well as a sleek black for those with more refined tastes.

The thick, round handle is easy for all to grasp, from young children to the elderly to even disabled people. Furthermore, the angle also makes the Noops easier to hold.

Did that sound ridiculous?

Are you convinced that spoons are incredibly flawed, you should throw them all out and replace them with Noopses?

Inspired by Gary Hustwit's Objectified, a documentary about object design, I created this object as a critique of many things.

It’s a critique of our use of plastic and the sustainability of it.

It’s a critique of the constant perceived need for new things, of consumerism.

It’s a critique of the constant push for progress and innovation.

I’m not against innovation or progress. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today, writing this blog post on my MacBook Air without it. But I don’t think progress and innovation are always necessary, especially when the driving forces are consumerism and capitalism. Many products are built to break, are built flawed, and are built to be replaced as soon as the next best thing hits the shelves. 

On top of all of that, the Noops is a challenge to modernity, and all its sleek, serious, impersonal aesthetics.

I was inspired to redesign the spoon specifically by a part of the film where Alice Rawsthorn is talking about how, in analog objects, function determines form. She explains that to someone with no experience of spoons of chairs, like a martian, their form would very much hint at their purpose and function. (Around 19:30 to 19:55, if you’re curious.)

Indeed, the Noops’s form is based off its function, a way of transporting food to your mouth. The Noops’s form is also designed around accessibility.

Dan Formosa states that “if we understand the extremes, the middle will take care of itself.” (Around 6:25) In this case, the extremes are those with poor grip and poor motor skills. With this in mind, I gave the Noods a larger handle, similar to how designers found a bigger handle was useful for peelers a few minutes later in the film. Their explanation was that “kids have big crayons because they’re easier to hold onto”, and that logic continues to anyone with compromised grip. (Around 7:20)

“Anger, or dissatisfaction, at the very least, plays a very important role in motivating you, to do what we do.” (Around 29:40)

In redesigning a spoon, I didn’t really know where to start. So, remembering this quote from Marc Newson, I thought of what annoys me about spoons, what do I dislike about spoons? And that led to some ideas.

Newson also inspired part of my critique. He talks about how it’s “all about wanting new things,” and the rapid replacement of objects that should be longer lived than they currently are due to perceived obsolescence. 

Rob Walker also brings up the rapid pace of buying, and talks about it quite a bit more deeply than Newson. “People tend to want new things” encapsulates the basis of consumerism.

“It is no longer possible for designers to ignore the implications of continuing to produce more and more new stuff that sometimes we need, and sometimes we don’t need.” (Around 56:25)

I think the above quote from Alice Rawsthorn is very powerful and speaks for itself, both in terms of sustainability and consumerism. We don’t need new plastic not-spoons. Despite the implications and the growing awareness of these issues, new disposable plastic products continue to be made.

I want to end this on a happier note. My Noops is a critique of many things, but also a challenge to modernity. While the sleek, professional, impersonal design of so many modern things is aesthetically pleasing, I find it also creates an impossible standard where people are expected to be polished and presentable at all times as well. 

We’re human. We make mistakes. We trip while walking in front of other people (oh no!). We act goofy and make people laugh. I think our environments and our objects should represent that. I think, like Hella Jongerius, that objects should have personality and legacy. 

So have fun! Make nonsense useless things (but consider the sustainability)! Make art! Not everything needs a purpose.

I’ll see you next time

    - Pete