Koinos
A cultural food-sharing kit that reimagines traditional cookware as a platform for connection, collaboration, and equity.
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problem
In many cultural traditions, food preparation and dining are deeply communal acts. Yet industrialization and modern consumerism have made these experiences increasingly isolated. Disposable cookware, mass-produced materials, and standardized designs have diminished cultural context and hidden the craft and labor behind them.
solution
Koinos reveals and celebrates the craft, labor, and care behind communal food rituals through tangible, participatory design. Greek for “shared” or “common", it reimagines traditional cookware as a platform for connection and collaboration. The project transforms everyday cooking tools into interlocking, modular pieces that invite users to share stories, traditions, and meals. It critiques individualism in dining rituals and proposes an alternative: communal, participatory dining as a cultural tapestry woven from shared acts of care.
Koinos emphasizes craft transparency and the dignity of labor within design production. The set turns dining into a co-created experience. Each piece represents a cultural narrative that only becomes complete when assembled with others.
The KOINOS Modular Serving Set consists of three interlocking pieces — Ludos, Nexus, and Forma. Each piece is designed to function both independently and as part of a larger whole. The set encourages cooperative assembly and shared rituals. It is a tactile, puzzle-like system that transforms dining into a co-created, story-rich event.
Each module is uniquely shaped to interlock with others, forming a unified tablescape. This geometry reinforces interdependence. As for material choices, modules are crafted from ceramic to preserve warmth, texture, and the imprint of the maker's hand. Ceramic resists industrial uniformity and communicates to the user a clear indication of human touch.
Each module has the same functional features: Shared lids and handles that require cooperation (Nexus and Ludos) to open or serve which create moments of mutual engagement. Tool marks, glaze variation, and other production artifacts are intentionally preserved. Koinos as a product represents a cultural exchange narrative of food as a universal language. The set is a stage for sharing recipes, rituals, and memories. It critiques modern dining's individualism and proposes a return to communal, participatory rituals. It invites users to reflect on the origins of their meals and the people behind them.
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