Product Design major Sabrina Kindervater presented a project that’s as thought-provoking as it is visually striking. Her work challenges traditional ideas of assembly and sustainability by turning to an unlikely source of innovation: knots.

The project began with an investigation into the circular economy, where products are designed to be reused, remanufactured, or recycled, rather than discarded. “I started exploring design for adaptability and disassembly,” Kindervater explains. “That led me to soft crafts and traditional techniques, especially knots, as a sustainable way to create joints without adhesives or hardware.”

What followed was extensive research — more than 120 knots studied, prototyped, and applied — culminating in a series of lamps held together entirely by rope and cord. “There are no screws or glue,” she says. “Everything is designed to come apart easily and be reused or rebuilt.”

This hands-on approach draws from Kindervater’s long-standing passion for textiles and fiber art, a foundation she developed in high school. Combining craft with design, her work embodies a hybrid method that reflects a shift in sustainable development, blending industrial design with handcrafted sensibilities.

Guided throughout the process by her thesis advisor, Professor Karl Williamson, Kindervater credits his mentorship as essential. “He’s taught me every year I’ve been at MICA,” she notes. “His weekly feedback was instrumental in shaping this project.”

The public response to her installation has been one of intrigue and curiosity. “I don’t think people expect to see knots used this way,” she says. “But it opens up conversations about how products are made, and what happens when we’re done with them.”

Looking ahead, Kindervater hopes to expand the concept beyond lighting into furniture, storage, and even packaging. “I want to help people rethink assembly — what if knots, not screws, were the norm?” she asks. “It’s about reimagining not just products, but the systems around them.”

Her vision is bold, yet deeply practical, reminding us that even the most ordinary materials can be part of a more sustainable future.