Tub and cover, from 'Input' range, des. Conran, mad. Crayonne Ltd, 1974

Cylindrical green plastic tub, lid with three circular indents.

Given by the Manufacturers

Historical significance: Winner of the Design Centre Award in 1974.

The tension between the idea of plastic as a cheap mass-market substitute for other materials and plastic as an exciting modern design material only began to be resolved in the late sixties with designers using plastic for its own intrinsic qualitites. The glossy, smooth surfaces, generous curves and bright colours on the 'Input' range was a successful attempt to apply high-design principles to plastic kitchenware for everyday use. Plastic reached a peak of popularity in the early 1970s before the ecological implications of long-term disposal made it a less attractive design material. ABS plastic, also used for the production of objects like telephones, Lego and hairdryers, is similar in look and feel to early phenolic plastics.
The full 'Input' range of twenty-one items were practical and modular. Most sizes could be bought either with or without lids. Some had optional heat-resistant inserts to create ashtrays. 'Input' was one of the key ranges which re-defined the aesthetic of the kitchen. It was a forerunner of many similar ranges, and long-term commercial success, with wide distribution. It won a Design Council Award in 1974.

CIRC.114&A-1977