Molet
DIY Recycled Furniture Workshops
Service & Experience Design, CX Strategy, Rapid Prototyping
Design Opportunity:
Develop an accessible woodworking workshop for all skill levels, where participants design and craft a piece of furniture from recycled wood in a single session. Conveying lessons on the value of objects, the power of creativity, and the importance of sustainability.
Background
This is the story of an attempt to challenge the culture of consumption that is the heart of the global
ecological crisis.
Working as designers, we are knee-deep in the digital age. So we wanted to go back to the source, to give ourselves time to work with our own hands and create our own products.
I always had a particular interest in wood and furniture, coupled with the inspiration drawn from discarded wooden pallets found on the streets, naturally led to an exploration of their untapped potential as a raw material.
Challenge
The potential market is vast—furniture is a universal necessity. Particularly, the millennial generation gravitates towards supporting smaller enterprises and individuals, steering away from large corporations. This idea encompasses a sufficient lifestyle. Beyond conventional recycling approaches, we advocate for a more engaging method—co-making with people, fostering social recycling, and involving the community in the process. Additionally, we address the contemporary challenge of furnishing spaces, providing a solution for low-income individuals to transform discarded pallets into affordable furniture.
My Role
I'm a designer, the creative director and operations manager of the company. I play a multifaceted role as a developer and decision-maker in the business.
My responsibilities encompass the comprehensive development of the workshop service and experience, orchestrating the logistical aspects of each workshop implementation for a seamless execution. Recruiting and training instructors. I created the specifications for the workshop experience, the times and rhythms. Worked as the primary conductor and guide for the users, my job was to help turn their creative dreams into a reality.
Foundations
For almost a year we did all the business design of the project; planning, research, discovery, scoping, prototyping, marketing, customer strategy, setting the phases for the project, brand development, voice and tone, core values, etc.
With all of this we were able to build a business pitch, go with investors and gather the required funds for establishing the MOLET House as social-cultural-sustainability-design center, which held workshops and other brand related events.
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Discovery & Design
During our prior research and prototyping phase we did around 8 different small workshops in other places that we were able to arrange at a very low cost, we used each of this workshops to obtain important feedback and recollect data on the good and bad things, the challenges and areas of improvement. We carried personal interviews at the end of each workshop and used it to enhance the whole customer journey experience, we always kept doing this, we always had room to improve all the parts of the service and experience that was given to our customers.
Constant innovation
In our pursuit of creativity, we consistently introduced new engaging workshops to the public. Some were tailored to specific seasons or holidays, such as crafting wooden Christmas trees. Additionally, we forged collaborations with partners from diverse design and sustainability projects, co-creating special workshops like building orchards, planting vegetables, and learning how to nurture them. These unique workshops garnered enthusiastic reception and high demand, serving as a powerful marketing strategy. Collaborating with external partners expanded our communication reach, creating a broader impact.
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The Molet House extended its hosting capabilities to diverse events centered around sustainability and the arts. This included intimate music concerts, pop-up stores for the launch of sustainable clothing collections, arts and crafts workshop parties, as well as customized events, talks on circular economy and sustainability, along with engaging sessions like Fuckup nights.
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Outputs
- Over 40 highly successful workshops conducted.
- More than 350 unique crafted furniture pieces.
- Satisfied clients, with a new knowledge and a valuable personal story object made by them.
- 500+ pallets upcycled.
- Established a team of 12 skilled instructors, passionate about imparting knowledge in design, woodworking, and creativity.
