The Spice Box by Ufuk Keskin and La Boîte

We've been loving the Spice Box, a new design by our friend Ufuk Keskin. Here he shares more about the creative process, his favorite spice, and what's next.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, what's your design philosophy?

I am an Industrial Designer living in New York, creating experiences and products for global brands and loving to collaborate with extremely talented artists/designers. If I have to choose few words to describe my design philosophy it would be uncluttered, idea driven and intuitive. I like creating things that evoke emotions, that are simple to understand and interact with, ideally having a great idea behind. I also often like to think as if the project had never been done before, try to define the problem at its most basic form and see if that takes me somewhere different than the conventional.

2. What did you learn while developing the Spice Box?

I had a lot of fun working on Spice Box, especially collaborating with Lior who is an authority in spices, which I did not have vast amount of prior knowledge. We wanted a modular design, to fit the needs of variety of kitchens both commercial and residential, and also allow the end user to get creative with the final form. Lior and I did many ideation sessions and a lot of finessing through prototypes, to make sure the interaction would be intuitive and seamless. I am extremely happy about the end product which I like to call “the lego of spice racks”. It can be assembled in endless number of combinations on a countertop, wall or just attached to a metal surface through magnets. I think it also compliments all the colors and texture of the wide range of the spices La Boîte offers.

3. What's your favorite spice or spice blend?

I will say Urfa, risking to sound a little biased as it reminds me of my home and the delicious Mediterranean cuisine that I grew up with in Izmir.

4. What do you say will be the future of design, the next big thing?

I think as people have easier access to information with developing technology, they are expecting more personalized experiences and product interactions. They are more in tune with what their needs are and how good design can improve their quality of life. I think putting people in the center of the design process and building outwards is going to be key to create successful brands and products.

5. Do you have any upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?

The one that I am really excited about is the next generation of my flat pack product line, which will be composed of products that are designed specifically to be customized by end user.

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