Pane Knife Block | Luka Allen - Industrial Design Portfolio

Aluminum with patina

Brushed aluminum

Beadblast aluminum

Water green G-10 composite

Pane

Pane is a magnetic kitchen knife storage solution for hobbyist and home cooks. Many cooks take pride in their robust kitchen knife collections, and enjoy displaying them in their kitchen. In the same breath, many cooks also have small children and/or pets that require extra precautions to be taken in order to preserve their safety.

While emphasizing display and ease of accessibility, Pane also provides a visual and physical barrier between the blades and the kitchen environment, promoting safety when not in use. This product integrates well into the kitchen environment as something that both provides visual interest and can also be tucked away if needed.

Jump to Final Design

tools

Adobe Suite
Rhino
Figma

Woodshop

Metals Shop

Waterjet Software

my role

Industrial Designer
Design Researcher

project

BFA Capstone

timeline

8 Weeks

Brief & Background

How might kitchen tools meet everyday needs while adding visual interest to the environment?

In order to determine a specific problem to target in this area, I conducted observational sessions where I watched three individuals from different backgrounds cook a meal of their choosing. These sessions allowed me to gain insight into how different people cook, and what issues or hitches in the process were commonly shared.

Elizabeth's Kitchen

Eliana's Kitchen

Heidi's Kitchen

Eliana's Kitchen

Heidi's Kitchen

Elizabeth's Kitchen

Knife storage was the number one complaint in all three kitchens. Each interviewee noted tolerating their current storage solutions, but wishing for something that met their needs more effectively.

Research & Insights

Objectives

Determine issues with existing knife storage solutions

Determine user needs and wants

Why are current solutions not cutting it?

Traditional block with slots

Pros:

- Works well with a knife set

- No fully exposed blades

- Angle is easy to grab knife from

Cons:

- Wood dulls knife blades easily

- Risk of bending or breaking the

blade tip if the user is too rough

- Near impossible to clean the slots

- Takes up counter space

- Restricted to knives that fit in slots

Wall-mounted magnet

Pros:
- Easily accessible
- Little risk for dulling and breakage
- Saves counter space
- Can use with any knife
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Often scratches the blade especially

if the bar has exposed metal parts
- Too accessible; unsafe for kids/pets
- Unusable if no wall space available

Magnetic counter block

Pros:

- Can use with any knife

- Little risk for dulling and breakage

- Easily accessible

- Movable if needed

- Easy to clean

Cons:

- Too accessible; somewhat unsafe

for kids/ pets if in reach

- Takes up counter space

Won't scratch blades.

Easy to clean.

Accessible, yet safe for family and pets.

Durable materials that age with grace.

One-handed use.

What do users need and want from their knife storage?

"I'm proud of my knife collection and want to show it off, but it's just not safe for my young kid to have them out on a magnet like that. I have a cat who can get on the counter too so I just keep them a drawer."

- Interviewee "S"

In regards to a wall magnet

"The wall magnet I have is pretty nice and I like how accessible it is. It does scratch my knives, but they're not nice enough for me to care. If I bought nicer ones I'd probably buy a new holder too."

- Interviewee "H"

Analyses, user profiles, and more.

How might knife storage balance safety for households with easy access and elegant display?

"I'm proud of my knife collection and want to show it off, but it's just not safe for my young kid to have them out on a magnet like that. I have a cat who can get on the counter too so I just keep them a drawer."

- Interviewee "S"

In regards to a wall magnet

"The wall magnet I have is pretty nice and I like how accessible it is. It does scratch my knives, but they're not nice enough for me to care. If I bought nicer ones I'd probably buy a new holder too."

- Interviewee "H"

colors

hard edges

negative space

materiality

organic patterns

graphic & bold

simple form

3D Exploration

Sketching

Trend surveys targeting knife collectors pointed toward a desire for organic earthy patterns, as well as cool and natural tones.

Prototype Manufacturing

I built a full prototype in the final materials over the course of four days. The doors were waterjet cut by Clackamas Waterjet, and the rest I made by hand. I had the doors cut in both the water green G-10 and aluminum, but the G-10 doors delaminated during the process. Fixing the delaminations would've taken too much time, so I went with the patinated aluminum colorway for this prototype.