Maxwell Coates

Introducing the explanation machine, giving you the answers to all your curiosity or concerns of where products come from and how they are made.  The explanation machine does just what it says; it explains. It explains by breaking down each component of the LED light bulb into its constituent materials. Then when one of the buttons denoting the materials are pressed, information regarding their sustainability and transport are displayed. Inspired by curiosity, the machine prompts users to consider the story behind what they use.

In the murky world of global capitalism, where long supply chains drift into obscurity in faraway nations, the explanation machine offers answers and clarity. The obscurity and complexity of modern supply chains often allows ethical questions to go unanswered, but not to the explanation machine. The machine provides answers through a confident physical form thereby offering a counterweight to the shadiness of modern products.

The final outcome followed a project which had been guided by curiosity and desire to share a sense of wonder in the world and the stories that can be found in our surroundings. The project started with lorries, then following a few twists and turns, past pencils and lightbulbs, I ended up at my final outcome: The Explanation Machine.