Working on Rain Barrel Edge Design with The Recyclique

2 Sundays ago, I had a product design session with some of the folks down at the Recyclique.
I had an idea of how they could possibly improve the edging of their rain barrels with a tire gasket of sorts. Their barrels are beautifully hand painted, and well constructed, but they are still lacking some refinement in regards to the edges of the misquito netting which guards the opening at the top. Presently, they had a rubber band and sting holding this shut, it did the trick, but I thought a tire could do it with a lot more style. As the barrels top was of course rounded, and just the right size, a mountain bike tire could fit snugly on this edge, and hold the netting in place, also creating a sort of frame for the artwork featured on the barrels.

Sandy, the mother of this coop in the making, was open and receptive to such ideas, and so we set up a meeting with Henry the main builder of the barrels, and any one else who was interested. Ismael, an aspiring designer who had been working with Mark at the Biofuels plant there also joined us, who a good addition. We also had Joanne, a steady force at the Recyclique. Also in attendance was Connie, who's Birthday we had the pleasure to celebrate, and her son. So it was a good crew, generally focused on the task at hand, and so out back amid the falling leaves and railroad tracks, we conviened around the barrels, and their edges, to see what we could do to enhance them.
  They were receptive to exploring this idea, and we had a good time/ work session exploring different options to dress the edges of the misquito netting with bike tires and innertubes. We came up with some interesting stuff!

  I have to admit that I was dissapointed that at the end of the day, they didn't spring for the tire edging, as I think it could provide a really handsome, solid and flexible lip/handle for the netting. The fear was that it would harbor the rainwater and misquito larvae they were trying to avoid with the netting, a problem which I think could easily be worked around with a series of holes. Perhaps I should just work of a mock up model for them to see in the flesh.
   There was also a reluctance to add too much time to the production of the barrels, to maintain low overhead on them, so that they can keep them affordable, something which is pretty central to their mission I think. While I can somewhat appreciate this sentiment, I personally believe this is the wrong approach. If people are going to lay down $60 - $70 anyways, why not strive to create an attractive product, and Then figure out how to bring the production prices down?
  To me this was a somewhat self-defeating attitude, and to be honest, it makes me a little bit weary of partnering with them on my designs. Its seems to me like a step in the wrong direction, almost like reducing value rather than adding it...

Perhaps there is still time to convince them of this, though probably I need to also hear them more about the realities of running their cooperative organization. I am working with them both to offer, and to learn, so why not learn too?

I was pleased though that they did take some of my point about the edging to heart, and we very effectively incorporated some inner tube edging across both the top and bottom edges of the netting.
I don't think this design has yet reached its full potential, but what we accomplished was a good step in the right direction. It was definately a positive developement, and showed promise for the future.