BA Product Design
Lia Kamenova
I'm drawn to the quiet power of play in design - it's what inspires me to create with a curious mind and an empathetic heart. I believe that even the most practical things deserve a spark of joy, a sense of story, and a softness that makes them feel like they belong.
Buddy Double
The Buddy Double is a pocket-sized digital companion designed to help people who struggle with executive dysfunction. Inspired by the idea of body doubling, it offers gentle support to get started and stay on track with daily care tasks.
With a lovably wonky digital face and a soft, flexible stem that wags like a dog's tail, it brings a bit of personality and encouragement into your daily routine. You can initiate tasks through the device, and track your progress through the accompanying Buddy app which rewards you with fun, customisable facial features. When it's time to get moving, the Buddy Double can give you a nudge with playful beeps and little stem movements.
Buddy connects to your smart devices via Bluetooth and responds to voice commands, so you don't need to stop what you're doing. You can choose from three task modes which can help with procrastination, time blindness or cognitive memory difficulties. Designed with reducing screentime in mind, the Buddy Double creates a fun, low-pressure environment, turning daily routines into something a little more manageable - and a lot more playful!
Tesco Sustainable Novelty Christmas Crackers
Christmas crackers are a major contributor to festive waste, largely due to the included cheap plastic toys and gunpowder-coated strips that produce the snap. Tesco's gunpowder-free crackers take a sustainable approach to this holiday staple, replacing the traditional snap with a fully paper-based mechanism powered by an elastic band, which not only produces the classic, satisfying snapping sound but also doubles as a paper toy! The included games creatively reuse the cracker's outer shell, turning it into components for collaborative and competitive activities.
This flat redesign reduces material waste and eliminates hazardous chemicals while offering the same festive experience.