The Lab

2019 - Present

Congratulations on being among the select few to make it to the Lab. These works are part of Shashwath’s daily comitment to work on one design project a day. He says this is what keeps his imagination in top shape, but you be the judge of that.

All these projects are completed within 24 hours and tries to solve problems that really do not matter. Some days the projects turn out better than others obviously. These are some of his favorites.

Eyewear with Kitchen Utensils:

Eyewear that is non-reactive to food. Lenses are made using corrosion-free stainless steel. Durable and easy to maintain, highly suitable for day-to-day use. All models are one-size-fits-all.

Annotate the stain and mark the date

Cardboard Containers for My Smoothie Jar:

Exploring anti-ergonomic means of transporting plastic cups for my Nutribullet blender. Short ideation prototyping to study the relation to the human body.

Air Force 1 Chappals

The Air Force Chappals are a type of medium sandal, typically worn as a form of casual footwear.

Analogue Virtual Reality (with Periscopes):

Tracing the history of virtual reality technology in tandem with non-digital means of embodying the ‘not here’. Periscopes were designed to give the user the perception of an alternate reality.  

Sonic Zones of a Sink:

A comprehensive study exploring the different levels of audible sound waves produced when water molecules of high velocity hit the surface of a ceramic sink. This is witnessed when water is forcibly ejected from the mouth to remove unwanted or foul-tasting substances onto a sink.

A common application of this phenomenon is witnessed when water is used to gargle one’s mouth after eating. The diagram above presents coloured zones with respect to the decibels produced during the collision. In the red zone, the water is discharged from the mouth with a velocity perpendicular to the sink (flat surface). Therefore, the energy involved in the collision is much higher, producing a high-decibel sound wave with a large splash radius.

In areas of the sink further from the center, the concave curvature of the sink breaks the right angle allowing the water molecules to retain their velocity but at a decreasing rate. This ‘cushioning effect’ reduces the overall sound and splash.

Ice Skate Chappals

The Ice Skate Chappals are a type of medium sandal with metal blades attached underfoot that are used to propel the bearer across a sheet of ice. The first Ice Skate Chappals were made when human incompetency accelerated climate change causing immense snowfall in Ooty. 

Light Machine:

It has been three years since the citizens of Earth have achieved world peace. No more quarrels, no battles, and no wars, one can only wish to be a part of Earth during these euphoric times. But not all faces don a smile. Multi-billion dollar companies that once excelled in creating and selling military-grade armaments and equipment are running out of business with no wars to profit from. Some players in the military-industrial complex have found exciting ways to keep their businesses afloat. Several naval shipbuilding companies that once created the most advanced battleships and armored warships are now getting into the business of entertainment and amusement parks.

In order to celebrate the happy times, these companies have produced massive floating bouncy castles and other inflatable structures adding layers of fun to sunny beach vacations. These bouncy castles even use weapons technologies to enable activities such as high diving after being shot into the air using a cannon or underwater ocean tours by latching yourself to diffused torpedos. Most sections of these parks are for adults only but they also feature a well-designed children’s area. The ship’s design is completely family-friendly (accommodation available) taking inspiration from the popular houseboats in the backwaters of Kerala.

The first one of its kind will be officially open to the public at the Nattika Beach in Thrissur, Kerala. Go online to prebook your tickets now.

Hamster + Algorithm

Wind + Algorithm

Reinvent the Broom

This project is a design exploration into adhesiveness as a means of cleansing the floor. The broom sweeps. The bristles on a traditional broom serve to nudge matter directionally. But the primary function remains to get cosmic particles off a calculated part of the floor. The broom evolved to harness electricity and became the vacuum cleaner. Instead of sweeping, it began swallowing the cosmic dust particles.

What else could the broom evolve into? Sweeping, swallowing, wet wiping have been mastered by the broom family already. What about stickiness as a cleaning trait? If a broom were to champion adhesiveness, what would it want to look like and how would it want to operate?

Using found objects and the sticky side of duct tape, here is a series of Rolling Brooms that Wax the Floor.

Public Library of Usables:

A new library model where patrons can borrow objects without prescribed functions, allowing them to repurpose these items for whatever use case they need. These objects come in any size, offering flexible solutions for temporary needs.

Custom Writer Deck: 

A dedicated writing environment, built on iOS, retrofitted on a Magic Keyboard using a print-in-place foldable hinge system. The writing setup allows no copy/paste, no autocorrect, akin to a typewriter. The interface is stripped to its core function: the singular act of writing, without any technological assistance.

I tried messing with more tinkery writer deck setups using Raspberry Pis, but ended up using the computer that I always have in my pocket instead. I built a custom app to enable the desired software restrictions and a simple MagSafe-compatible 3D-printed hinge to slip onto the keyboard that I love. By making the most of iOS Shortcuts capabilities, I was able to auto-enable 'Do Not Disturb' whilst in the app and add a quick launch button on the lock screen, optimizing it for writing first thing in the morning.

The writer app was built using Gemini 3 on Google Antigravity and Xcode.

Write to me if you would like to test drive my writer deck.

Airdrop Studies

The Lab

2019 - Present

Congratulations on being among the select few to make it to the end of the Lab. These works are part of Shashwath’s daily commitment to work on one design project a day. He says this is what keeps his imagination in top shape, but you be the judge of that.

All these projects are completed within 24 hours and tries to solve problems that really do not matter. Some days the projects turn out better than others obviously. These are some of his favorites.

Lokayata Gallery, Delhi
Kaalpadukal, Dubai
Zee Studios, Mumbai
Designed Realities Lab, New York

Coeval Magazine, Milan
The New Indian Express, Kochi
Homegrown Voices, Mumbai
Homegrown, Delhi

Parsons Design Feature, New York