Verso is a desktop container for pens and pencils. It was inspired by retro straw containers, commonly found in diners and other restaurants. It creates a unique and satisfying experience when retrieving pens, pencils & markers. Another added benefit is Verso creates a social barrier, allowing the user to non-verbally say "don't touch my pens".
Verso is the result of revisiting and revising a previous project, formerly called Bloom. The original brief was to design a product for low-volume production, then produce 12 of them. Bloom was produced by casting urethane in silicone molds.
During the development of Bloom, large emphasis was put on aesthetics and manufacturability. Because of this, the functionality suffered. The wall thickness required for the resin casting limited the product's holding capacity. Additionally, the flower aesthetic and required draft lead to less functional geometry, creating an unsatisfying user interaction. These factors were all taken into account when developing the next iteration of the project.
