corn as vessel, soy to record
corn as vessel, soy to record
以玉米為盛器，盛載以大豆撰寫的學習記錄
When designing the business card for Studio Cibo, I have been thinking about how to seamlessly infuse elements of food into the design while accentuating the essence of “food design”. Despite the diminishing prevalence of physical business cards in today’s digital era, I always believe that a business card epitomizes an individual’s personality and serves as a meaningful greeting gift that carries as much weight as the initial impression. It leaves a lasting imprint, facilitating recollection and serving as a conduit for future interactions, fostering meaningful connections.
In my quest for the perfect medium, my thoughts gravitated towards food-recycled paper that I encountered at Antalis before. Antalis Pack Crush, a line of recycled paper derived from food waste. Each variant, from Grape to Coffee, is imbued with hues and names reminiscent of its organic origins. This innovative approach exemplifies the circular economy ethos, wherein food waste from agriculture is repurposed into consumer goods, mitigating global food wastage while offering sustainable solutions for the market.
為Studio Cibo設計名片的時候，一直在思考如何能把食物融入設計當中，把「食物設計」的這個identity突出。雖然現在派名片的人比以前少，但我覺得名片象徵一個人的形象，是尤如第一印象般重要的「見面禮」—往後如果想起跟那個人的一席對話，那張曾經派出的名片便會成為一段關係開端的橋樑，讓兩個單位互相連結。
於是我聯想起之前在 Antalis 遇到過的食物再造紙。Antalis Pack Crush 是一個以食物殘渣為原料的再造紙，其系列分別有 Grape、Corn、Citrus、Kiwi、Olive、Almond、Hazelnut、Lavender、Cherry和Coffee。不難想像它們是按照該食物殘渣命名和取色吧。以食物殘渣為原料的環保紙已經成為趨勢 — 這成為了circular economy 其中一個重要例子：以食物農業的食物廢料轉化提升成 consumer good，減少全球食物廢料之餘，也為市場提供一個可持續發展的選擇。
In the end I opted for the off-white Corn. Corn is also an important ingredient for living things around the world – from our dining tables in the form of corn flakes and popcorn to serving as fodder for livestock and even as a substrate for biodegradable corn plastic containers. Yet, despite its ubiquity, a significant amount of corn residue is generated during agricultural and production processes. According to a report published by WWF in 2022, on-farm losses of corn in the US with a potential national loss of 507 million bushels annually. In the industrial process, after the grain is separated from the corncob, the corncob itself has many interesting features of reusing purposes like energy use, industrial uses, pet litter, substrate for horticulture etc. And Antalis Pack Crush Paper uses the residues from corncob and turn into high quality ecological papers. More stories about Crush Paper can be found on Favini’s website.
最後我選了米白色的 Corn。粟米對全球的生物來説也是一大重要食材，從我們平常常吃的粟米、粟米片、爆谷、粟米油，到動物的主要糧食，甚至是現在興起的可生物降解粟米塑膠食器，粟米的蹤跡於生活處處可尋。不過，相比起消費者製造的food waste，在食物農業和生產過程中產生的食物廢料其實也不少。根據 WWF 在 2022年發表的報告表示，美國一年的農場粟米作物損失估計高達 5.07億蒲式耳（一個單位的蒲式耳約等於36.4升）。除掉粟米後剩下的粟米芯，也會被重用於能源、工業用途、動物飼料、園藝基底材料等有趣的用途。而 Antalis Pack Crush Paper 便是利用在處理粟米芯過程中產生的殘留廢物，經過加工處理而成為生態平衡的環保紙。更多有關 Crush Paper 的循環故事可以參考 Favini 的網站。
After the paper is selected, I asked FLIP & ROLL for risograph printing with single colour. Initially it was purely my personal preference towards the texture of risograph soy ink, after that I realizes its alignment with the ethos of sustainability, being derived from food sources such as soybean, corn, and coconut oils. Not only does soy ink eschew the emission of air pollutants during use, but it also prioritizes the well-being of printing personnel while safeguarding environmental integrity, thereby meeting the criteria for eco-friendly printing practices.
So, the next time we meet, feel free to ask for a business card from me – just don’t eat it!
選好了紙，就拜托了 FLIP & ROLL 幫忙以 risograph 單色印刷名片～ 本來純粹是因為自己私心喜歡大豆油墨的質感，後來想起剛好它也是用食物來做的油墨！大豆油墨又稱為植物性油墨，原料包括黃豆油、玉米油、椰子油等等，使用時不會揮發空氣污染物，既能保障印刷從業人員安全，也可以進一步保護環境，很符合環保印刷的要求。
下次見面可以問我拿一張名片哦～ （不要吃掉就可以了）
