TADA! by Jielin Chen

From the co-creation sessions and interviews, Jielin found that there are some problems in her daily life when she would like to cook or create some new recipes by herself. For example, her parents do not allow her to use some kitchen tools because they think they are dangerous; she often forgets recipes she wants to try or foods she has cooked because her memory is not good, etc. For these little problems, Jielin created this tool kit named TADA-!. It includes:

•  A one-piece designed small electric pot
• A child-friendly knife, a pealing, and a chopping board
• A book for kids to record their creative idea, creating process, and their own recipes

Knives are a major source of danger in the kitchen. Jielin redesigned the kitchen knives and paring knives to make them more child-friendly. They have a rounded shape without sharp edges, added colour blocks to show children the correct way to hold the knives so kids won’t be hurt by the wrong way to use them. Jielin also reduced the metal area to make them softer in appearance. The accompanying chopping board has a sink and a non-slip strip.

Pots and pans at unsuitable heights can also be dangerous for children due to their height. Cookers can be heavy for children, also the need to use an open flame in Chinese cooking could be risky. A small, integrated electric cooker solves these problems.

The TADA-! notebook was designed and laid out by me together with the child. It can be used to record the whole process of learning or creating a recipe, in the way the children like. Children can have a personalised recipe of their own after finishing the notebook.