Constraints
There are ten tenets of the art form:

1. A Chindogu cannot be for real use.
2. A Chindogu must exist.
3. Inherent in every Chindogu is the spirit of anarchy.
4. Chindogu are tools for everyday life.
5. Chindogu are not for sale.
6. Humor must not be the sole reason for creating a Chindogu.
7. Chindogu is not propaganda.
8. Chindogu are never taboo.
9. Chindogu cannot be patented.
10. Chindogu are without prejudice.

I really like that Kenji Kawakami (who first created chindogu) helds strong views against the concept of materialism and capitalism, once stating: “I despise materialism and how everything is turned into a commodity…”

Here goes my Chindogu Invention challenge …

Step one: Empathise

Here are a few of the daily ‘problems’ I am facing:

• I often spend one hour on food ordering app and can’t decide what to order, and ended up missing my meal time! Eating on time is important!
• I am always tired and lazy to do dishes, but clean dishes are important for hygiene and sanity.
• I am sleepy and need naps all the time, even when I am outside. And naps are important, it provides much needed downtime and improve productivity after!

Step two: Define (the Problem)

• I need some help to decide what food to order so I can have my meals in time
• I need some help to wash dishes so they don’t pile up
• I need a way that let me take a nap wherever I want

Step three: Ideation
What can I build to help?

• Food ordering app that help me decide what to eat on a tap
• Dish washing robot
• Portable/wearable mattress

Step four: Prototype
Since I am really sleepy now, I decided to go with wearable mattress! Technically I need a foam mattress kind of material. For my prototype, I am using a cardboard. Firstly, I am cutting it according to my height and body shape so I can carry it around more easily.

It look kinda like R2D2 with supergirl cape no?

I added a blanket in case I feel cold. Next, I need something to make it a wearable.

Step five: Let’s test!

So now I can walk around looking like a cross of a Star Wars character and Supergirl. How cool is my new blanket cape? When I am tired, I can lie down wherever I want on my wearable mattress, flip my blanket over … time for a nap!

Napping monster is born

Is this usable? Somewhat! Would I use it? I’m too embarrassed to be seen with it ….. unless it is Halloween day everyday….

Reflection

It was an interesting challenge to think about problem solving through the lens of chindogu. Allowing ourselves to come up with ideas that don’t really solve a problem is a good mental exercise.
The true beauty of making un-useless things is, this acknowledgment that we don’t always know what the best answer is, it turns off that voice in our head that tells us that we should know exactly how the world works.
It also liberates us from worrying how something must work in a certain way. Given a few iterations to our chindogus, never know it can become a real useful product.

My mattress is sleepy now … like owner like mattress…