Aaron Jackendoff

Wooden vessel that represents a beehive with wooden bees hanging from the outside.

Wooden Vessel with top lid off. The interior reveals a space to store the bees. One wooden bee is hanging on the top of the lid.

Person interacting with the wooden vessel, opening the lid and hanging a bees on the outside.

BeeKeeper

Context: BeeKeeper provides for a contemplative meditation through the sight and feel of the exquisitely carved wooden hive and the bees. Inspired by both the traditional “skeps” (baskets made specifically to hold bees and their honeycomb) as well as by the archetypal image of a natural beehive.

Problem: To create a universal toy primarily fabricated from wood.

Solution: BeeKeeper is a wooden prototypical beehive, with wooden bees that can either be hung off it, “flown” by hand, or stored inside. Its simplicity provides minimalist beauty. Its design is minimalist and conjures images of the complex society of a beehive.

Brand Strategy: BeeKeeper can be marketed through several avenues. Purveyors of high quality honey products, such as boutique specialty food stores; Vendors of supplies and journals for apiarists (actual beekeepers); Museum shops in horticultural conservatories and formal gardens; Online shops of organizations that promote ecology and “green” causes; Museum shops in natural history museums and zoos; and, Museum shops in art museums, especially those that have large collections of modern and/or minimalist art. Also, by stating that a portion of the purchase price will be donated to the fight against Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the company will be targeting these buyers’ proclivity towards supporting causes that protect nature.