The idea of this project is to find a better way to hold the sun-umbrella on a balcony or terrace, as a more efficient, light and portable, aesthetically interesting and inexpensive base. This first scheme show us a simple concept: transform the base of the sun-umbrella also into a vase with plants, prepared with a place or system to fit and fix the umbrella.

Through the prototype, there were found two main problems:
1) the vessel can not, obviously, be so curved base because it wouldn't bear the weight and the wind, rolling over itself;
2) the middle piece would have to be clinging to the walls of the vessel, not to bend with the wind and not to break (with a form similar to a rim).

(Unfortunately I had no chance to make the prototype before the time limit.)

List of ten GAPs:
1) A better way to signal the car parks, differentiating between paid and free;
2) A better way to disguise the bins in the historic centers;
3) A better way to hold the sun-umbrella on a balcony or terrace;
4) A better way to organize space inside (or outside?) trains to increase the storage of bycicles;
5) A better way to iluminate faces and mirrors in WC;
6) A new way to reuse tire's rubber;
7) A better way to increase storage in small houses;
8) A better way to graphically illustrate and communicate a story I wrote;
9) A better way to store the bikes at the entrances of buildings;
10) A better way to integrate solar panels in the historic centers.

The GAP I chose to develop in this course is to find a better way to hold the sun-umbrella on a balcony or terrace because:
a) It is a problem that I felt two weeks ago and I have not found a product that satisfies me entirely in the market;
b) I know other persons who felt the same problem and didn't find the best solution for themselves;
c) Beside not being the most exciting GAP, I believe it's not very difficult to develop in 8 week;
d) I would like to develop an illustration for my story book or a physicall product. This last one seemed more framed the objectives of this course.

This teapot, created by Raquel Castro, is a good example of design because combines the performance of the function with an interesting aesthetic, uses local materials as ceramics and cork (and therefore it is more sustainable), and solves two main problems: heat transfer from the base by using cork as insulation (incorporated in the teapot) and the problem of leakage of tea by using a cap made ​​of cork, instead of a simple ceramic cover.