A tabletop collection for a pet funeral service designed for Royhills in South Korea at Karim Rashid Studio.
Deliverable:
Tabletop collection
Client:
Royhills
Role:
Lead Industrial Designer
Timeline:
Nov 2022 - Sep 2023
Tools used:
Solidworks, Keyshot, Adobe Photoshop + Indesign
📋 Context
Royhills' design brief
Design an emotionally resonant collection for Royhills in South Korea's pet funeral services, featuring contemporary aesthetics and symbolic motifs, with a focus on functionality and to transform the sadness of parting into artistic expressions.
⚡ Problem
How might we transform somber objects like funnel urns into innovative memorials that evoke comfort rather than sadness when reflecting on a beloved pet's passing?
When cremating their pets in South Korea, where burying pets is illegal, people encounter several challenges:
Limited farewell options: Without burial, owners struggle to find alternative ways to honor their pets' memory.
Cultural expectations: The inability to bury pets conflicts with traditional practices, causing cultural dissonance and emotional distress.
Emotional closure: Without a burial ceremony, pet owners may find it difficult to achieve emotional closure and come to terms with their loss.
Lack of personalized rituals: The absence of traditional burial customs leaves a void in the grieving process.
Limited memorial options: The prohibition on burial restricts memorialization options, limiting meaningful tributes to pets.
💡 Solution
A collection forming a small shrine for eternal love, comprising an urn, ash gem box, modular candle holder, picture frame, and incense holder.
Symbolic motifs of the infinity sign, womb, hug, and cradle is used to celebrate death as the new beginning with warmth and love.
