Ampel: Set of Cutting Boards

Can you imagine what happens when a discipline like Design, meets a physical and/or mental disabled person?
Well, if not, you are welcome to discover it by retracing our journey in the project Design Meets Handicap.
Handicap is commonly associated with something degrading and more often society diminish disabled peoples’ capabilities and worth because of their conditions. This discriminatory attitude hides behind sympathy and causes their isolation from social and working life. As a result, disabled struggle fitting into society and limit their personal growth living in their own microcosmos, where they feel safe and free to be themselves, without being judged.
Design meets handicap can be intended in two ways: designing products for disabled to use or designing products for disabled to produce, and these can of course come together. However, the aim of this project is to destroy the barrier between people with, or without conditions and to achieve this, disabled should design for everyone and get recognized for it.

Ampel: Smart set of cutting boards

The Ampel chopping board set was born after an excursion in the beautiful Venosta Valley, whose customs and traditions inspired me to create this product. Particularly important is the frame of the chopping board that has the function of collecting the liquids of food, this is located at a lower height than the cutting surface and recalls the so-called “Waale” (ancient system of irrigation of the fields: the water of streams and rivers is channeled into these channels often carved into the rock or built with wood). Tradition meets novelty, a three colors coded system: red, yellow and green (hence the name Ampel, traffic light in German), which indicate the type of food suitable for that area.All this comes together in a design product that is easy to manufact, smart and useful in every kitchen.