papiliostand is a sustainable product design project developed as part of trust in trash, my final degree project, and conceived through an extended period of hands-on experimentation with locally sourced waste materials. the product was born from the reuse of discarded wooden fruit boxes collected from local greengrocers, exploring their material potential and structural possibilities through testing, observation, and iteration.

the idea emerged from a personal need for a portable laptop stand, linking daily study and work habits with a conscious approach to sustainability. the goal was to design an object that felt functional, accessible, and environmentally responsible, where every stage of the process, from material sourcing to production, respected principles of local recycling, small-scale manufacturing, and circular design.

from a technical perspective, the project focused on maximising material use, minimising waste, and creating a product that was easy to assemble, transport, and use, especially for students. the stand was designed as a three-piece system, assembled through simple interlocking joints without screws or tools, allowing it to adapt to different uses such as a laptop, tablet, or book stand. visual decisions prioritised comfort, friendliness, and honesty, preserving the natural colour of the wood and integrating existing printed graphics from the original boxes as part of the identity.

i was responsible for the entire development of the project, including concept definition, product design, prototyping, testing, branding, packaging design, and handcrafted production. each unit was manually fabricated, from cutting the wood to producing, printing, and assembling the packaging.