hsiang wang: complete me please

‘broom and dustpan / rubbish bin’ by hsiang wang, a part of his ‘complete me, please!’ series images courtesy of hsiang wang

taiwan native hsiang wang has designed ‘complete me, please!’ as his final masters project at central saint martins college in london. each of the three items in this series combines two functions into a single object: ‘broom and dustpan / rubbish bin’, ‘fly swatter / wall lamp’, and ‘shoehorn / coat rack’.

wang explains: ‘not all objects are easy to store as people might expect. people have no idea how to deal with some objects even though they are useful utensils. the aim of this project is create a series of objects related to the household environment which combine two individual utensils into a single appliance. each must be bi-functional, pertain to a mutually beneficial relationship, and provide a home for the two component products.’

compact configuration for rubbish bin

‘broom and dustpan / rubbish bin’ features a sweeping set which attaches to the corner of a square column-shaped trash can. when users remove the dustpan, the bin consequently tilts by 10 degrees, making it more accessible for clearing waste. it also creates a visual imbalance to prompt the cleaning tools’ return to restore its original form.

transforming the object to use the broom and dustpan

designer hsiang wang with ‘broom & dustpan / rubbish bin’

‘fly swatter / wall lamp’

‘fly swatter / wall lamp’ incorporates a fly swatter as a lamp’s pulldown cord. hanging on a switch at the back of the lamp, the fly swatter can switch the lamp on or off with a pull downward, or else be removed for its individual purpose. though not recognizable at first glance, the fly swatter is an essential part of the wall lamp’s functionality.‘flies have positive ‘phototaxis’, which induces the whole organism move in response to the stimulus of light,’ says wang.‘people take advantage of this, and usually use the swatter to kill flies against a wall that has some kind of lighting on. as a result, the wall lamp is the perfect ‘host’ object to be associated with the fly swatter and flies.’

removing the fly swatter for use

‘shoe horn / coat rack’

‘shoehorn / coat rack’ is designed for users preparing to leave the house, replacing four hooks of a wall-mounted coat rack with shoehorns. the shoehorn is a small object conceived for a highly specific function; this integrated design allows it to be used for an additional purpose.

removing a shoe horn for use