When design meets science, it’s a beautiful thing.
We’re into biomaterials, renewable energy products and sustainable technologies. We believe design plays a central role in building the future we all want to live in.
A few select things we’ve been up to…
Based on the experience of working with Checkerspot’s amazing material we set out to make biobased materials radically more accessible for designers, product developers and tastemakers. We designed the Pollinator Kit so Checkerspot could get their algae oil based polyurethane into the world with as little friction as possible. Everything about this kit is thoughtful and fresh. It makes making fun for newcomers and seasoned pros.
Checkerspot Pollinator Kit
Frustrated by the shortcommings of existing solutions and a desire to create a functional heirloom, What For developed an heirloom quality utility blade. Better materials, better ergonomics and a sharper, stronger blade were all in the design brief. We absolutely love it and we hope you (and your decedents) will too.
The Studio Knife
This record is functional and made from >57% algae oil instead of PVC which is one of the worst plastics for the planet.
Checkerspot is one of a new breed of sustainable materials companies. What For has been collaborating closely with them to conceive and produce a range of objects that tell the story of what is possible with their unique material and why brands should take notice and move towards this new material paradigm.
Sustainable Material Product Pathfinding
These glasses are not made from plastic. They are actually made from solid spider silk protein that was produced by an engineered yeast. Imagine a world where plastic objects are made from proteins where at the end of useful life microbes could quickly turn these materials back into soil.
These glasses were designed and fabricated from scratch by Mitch Heinrich and the product R+D group at Bolt Threads. As far as we know these are the first of their kind.