Ana Diaz-Young

About

Kitchen tools are some of our most used objects, but are often solely viewed as either replaceable or fragile heirlooms. Julienne is a line of functional heirlooms that evolves through childhood to teach the lifetime skill of cooking.

Course: Product Studio IV
Duration: 8 Weeks Fall 2025
Tools: Solidworks + Keyshot

Guide

The orange spot color guides children toward safe, effective hand placement, then gradually wears away with use, leaving behind a subtle trace of early learning rather than a permanent “kid-only” signal.

Pivot

As the child grows, the peeler’s head pivots into more comfortable, age‑appropriate positions, adapting grip and angle to match changing hand size and strength.

Grow

The knife handle grows in length through a modular pin‑based system, letting the tool evolve with the user while making the mechanism itself a visible, meaningful part of the design.

The Problem:

Cooking is not only a daily necessity—it’s a means to connect generations, create memories, and foster independence. Tools that last become the carriers of these stories, growing in value as they are passed down.

Tools aren’t currently designed to both:

teach kids how to cook + last with everyday use

Kids are often reluctant to use kitchen tools that look or feel different from the authentic tools used by their families, leaving them with cheap plastic utensils that quickly break or are outgrown

Research:

Conducted a literature review, social media analysis, and categorization activities to understand how people assign meaning to kitchen tools—exploring the tension between heirloom sentiment and everyday functionality.

The Opportunity:

Creating lifelong objects that blur the line between tools and heirlooms.

Tools that can be used in everyday practice throughout life. Creating living heirlooms

Form:

Through foam modeling and 3D printing, I refined Julienne's evolving mechanisms to ensure every piece has purpose—nothing is left behind or discarded as the tool grows into its final adult form.

By growing with the child, Julienne transforms from teaching tool to lifelong companion—a functional heirloom that carries both skill and memory.