A.4.07 (Metal hand tool)

“I grew up on the same block as a textile factory. Around the age of twelve I used to sneak in there and look at the machines. I tripped over this, it fell down a flight of metal stairs and it made so much noise that I ran home and never went back. I took it with me when I saw it at the bottom of the stair case.”

A.0.20 (Plastic bag containing colored metal cylinders)

“Part of the [redacted] project was considering how you could make an aerosol lipstick spray. I machined these and stuck some Binaca in to try it out. Worked well, but the sensation of spraying your lips was terrible.”

A.0.19 (4 black plastic squares)

“SCSI adapters were on every printer, but the cables kept falling apart. [The wide cables put too much strain on them] We tried making them square to see how sturdy they would be, the project never finished though. USB came along and just replaced it entirely.”

A.0.17 (4 tubes of clear liquid)

“The glass samples were standard for blood samples, the blue caps we were designing in order to make it easier for a robotic arm to unscrew them.”

A.0.16 (Medical equipment labelled “Experimental. Not for Human Use”)

“The medical bag inside was left over when [redacted] visited. Then [redacted] printed the sticker from this label maker by the printer, stuck it on the plastic bag and left it in the kitchen. No one wanted to touch it, I think [redacted] finally put it in the basement.”

A.0.13 (CD)

“This is an internal DVD produced to discuss the sustainability efforts of IDEO.”

A.0.10 (3 syringes)

“I took these out of the first aid cabinet. Do you believe me?”

A.0.08 (3D printed object)

“Early prototype for a new wall mounted toilet paper holder. The screws would go in what is the circular base.”

A.0.05 (5% Dextrose)

“We were supposed to throw this out but people kept hiding it in each others filing cabinets. I think it’s been in the possession of at least six different people, I’ve had it twice. Now it’s your problem.”

A.0.04 (Styrofoam cube with pencils stuck through it)

“[Redacted] returned my pencil in this so I started using it as a pencil holder. Then I liked the way it looked so I got a new black and yellow pencil. But now I find it to be boring so you can have it.”

A.4.09 (A piece of plywood with a hold drilled in it)

I grabbed this off-cut from the shop and used it to prop up another object I was photographing. There’s really nothing special about it. At one point it was really important to my work,  but now it’s meaningless.

A.5.01 (A hand-written note)

This was the set list used from the final musical performance of the first 2015 Cambridge Fortnight residents.

A.5.02 (A hand written sign)

“Sign posted at IDEO requesting audio recordings. Cambridge Fortnight 2015 # one of three.”

A.5.05 (A folded piece of cardboard, Drawn on)

This cardboard was being used to keep a door ajar in a room that I didn’t have the key to. Being locked out would have ruined my process for they day.  It’s funny how at certain points in time, something as unimportant as a bit of cardboard can be the most important object you’re using. While contemplating this I noticed it was folded a bit like a laptop, so I drew a little “screen” while I was bored after lunch.

A.4.01 (Acrylic model of a table-like artifact)

It was actually made to be used upside-down. We needed something to hold up 4 tall cylindrical objects for a [redacted] project we were prototyping. We foraged a few scraps of white acrylic from the shop area and hot glued them together. After the project ended, I took a few of the “tables” home for my daughters. They use them in various table-like capacities; For example, as doll house furniture.