• Cork with a self-adhesive backing

• Cut, Peel, Stick & Sand

• Quick and easy to apply for a variety of users.

• Thermal

• Light weight

• Low density

• Impermeability to water and other liquids (waterproofing)

• Great thermal insulation & low heat transference

• Acoustic insulation & low sound transmission

• Resistance to movement or high coefficient of friction

• Cushioning capacity

• Compressibility, elasticity & flexibility

• Durability, stability & rigidity

Cork had a dip in popularity from late 19th and early 20th century use. Primarily in this period it was used in products like life vests and the more commonly known wine stoppers. In the last 20 years, the use of cork has rapidly increased in popularity. The properties of cork whilst its highly sustainable farming practices make for the ideal natural material in many applications.

Through corks amazing properties it can benefit the home user if simply applied to pre-existing household items like furniture.

The market is there, because of corks versatility and its ability to be used in every physical market, the issue is how can we educate the public about the immense opportunities and positive benefits that cork has to offer.

The idea of cork as self-adhesive was first conceived when understanding a problem that barefoot skateboarders had. This problem of theres was very specific to their culture. The issue of comfort was at the core of the conception.

Cork as an alternative to silicon carbide whilst ticking all the sustainable boxes.

However, the opportunity for expansion into other markets quickly presented itself.

The many prototypes involved a variety of thicknesses, densities of cork granules, adhesive strength and sizes.

Sizes were chosen due to common board sizes, however the largest size was decreased in length due to the size of a shipping pallet. By reducing the length by 100mm, we could save a lot on shipping, reducing the end cost without effecting the market too much.

The marketing strategy is through usual channels but with one core idea. The idea to educate the end user about the properties.

This is difficult as the properties of cork and the benefits are vast. Therefore, many marketing campaigns were needed.

Campaigns directed at skateboarders, furniture makers, crafters, mechanics, restaurants, boat owners and more.

The advertising of cork is vital in creating user understanding and their feeling of requirement of problem solution.

The product was a pretty straight forward product to develop. Working with Chinese manufactures to produce a high quality adhesive that was strong enough to last heavy foot use but be removed without destroying timber and painted surfaces. The binding of the cork and the density of the granules was another area that required multiple prototypes that needed to be rigorously tested.

This is inline with market strategy, educating the public and getting your product into stores. Early on the getting the product into stores was an issue of time and money spent on pushing the word of the product around. This is an ongoing project.

The product is currently starting in Brisbane, Australia.

More to come…

Thus far, customer responses have all been highly positive the product. All of the customers that have responded have all stated their pleasure with the product quality and some feel that it went above their expectations.

I would like to take the cork further with a larger variety of sizes, thicknesses and finished shapes.

Shapes like circles, hexagons, and octagons. These specific shapes would be smaller but would include finished edges so that customers can use it in patterns saving material and utilising it as a modular product.

100% Recycled ceiling light.

The components to this lamp were found in bins. Dumpster diving can be worthwhile if you find some good stuff and stay clean.

This light was created for a special client of mine. She has hired me to create special one off pieces of art.

Her aesthetic is a blend of deep reds and greens with a touch of mustard yellows. Modern rustic simplicity with an environmental awareness.

My research for this private client is done by observing her aesthetics via Pintrest. The clothing and fashion she wears, through textiles and tactility.

As a client goes, she is easy going and trusting but has some definitive dislikes and pet peeves (plastics, epoxy)

Designing for such a client is a delight as her aesthetics and tactile tastes align with my own.

This particular client requires sustainable/reclaimed one offs which narrows the field of possibilities.

Designing for her is rather like collecting random treasures that feel right, and then assembling them like a puzzle.

The process is rather rudimental in the approach, however, complex and full of problems to solve.

This can be tricky to test, so I let my experiences and intuition guides me through what will and won’t work.

Sketching the items that you do have will allow you to join them together and figure out what you are missing. Then it is a matter of searching for the missing parts.

Putting the jigsaw together is the first step. Placing it into the end environment will instantly tell you whether or not it fits. This can be frustrating when it does not work out the way you had planed and envisioned.

This pendant was an immediate success. The time it took to build and install was less than two hours.

The client was very pleased with the new pendant that now hangs in her kitchen, providing her with a warm glow that helps the maintain a vibe perfect for cooking and entertaining.

This pendant could be made into a sellable product on a larger scale. The components are simple, but the assembly of brown glass and chrome resinate with many that have experienced it.

In 2019, a Nevada Fire Fighting Department contacted Snoape to produce a vest that could be tailored to their specific needs. Durability and Functionality.

After lengthy research on the typical job roles these professionals partake in led to a better understanding on what was the most important thing.

Time is the precious element in fire fighters lives.

We can save time by being more functional, by being more organised, by being inventive and creative.

Based on this research breakthrough, I set off to break times.

The first prototype was birthplace to a new quick release pouch that I invented.

The firefighting shelter was housed in a heavy-duty Nylon. The shelter was available to the firefighters in imminent fire danger, but first had to remove the pouch from their backpacks.

After studying many training drills, I found the average time to be little under a minute. This was the time from noticing a fire (drill start) to being fully deployed and inside the shelter.

The largest portion of time was the firefighter obtaining the pouch to open it.

Based on an average 35 seconds, I was already believing that I could reduce this time by a factor of 2.

The Firefighters reached out to me due to one of their staff being a backer on a first Kickstarter Project.

The Kickstarter was a vest developed for snowboarders and skiers in the side-country of ski resorts like Whistler, Canada and Madarao, Japan.

The development of this product and Kickstarter led to the learning about the mechanisms that go into avalanche backpackss, and the quick release zips.

Taking the knowledge and experience of the project, a new and completely different quick release zip was created.

The quick release zipper system (invented by myself, Benjamin Monteiro) reduced the pouches availability time from 35 seconds down to 5 seconds.

Getting the vest developed further and getting it to become the standard amongst firefighting departments around the world.

The vest is currently under development and requires initial funding to undergo fire safety testing and regulations, as well as initial stocking.

Benches, stools and backless chairs.

Brief

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.