The Multifunctional Approach and Sustainability with Kickyourbutt Project

Designer: ONX
Scope: Initiative Project

Kickyourbutt Project, an initiative activated in 2019 by Rony Rahardian, also known as Onik, from ONX Idea Studio, has just been awarded with a Best design Indonesia 2023 award by Good Design Indonesia (GDI). In the past four years they’ve been active, Kickyourbutt Project, known for their distinct design implementation for environmental sustainability, has collaborated with various other brands and is often a speaker at many events.

“It means a lot for us to be included by GDI because [they] have become a benchmark for our research. Internally, it became our motivation to create something further and open up further R&D [opportunities]. Generally, it is a public acknowledgement of our research results. Hopefully, our next stage will be at GDA Japan. Amen.”

— Rony ‘Onik’ Rahardian, initiator

The background of the project’s initiation was Onik’s observation of cigarette butts as a waste product with a high potential in becoming a material in various products. This brilliant idea became the push for Kickyourbutt Project as an environmental preservation effort. Following the research and development phase, a Kickyourbutt Project’s signature material was created–a biopolymer called CellaFlake, which is the basis of their being awarded by GDI 2023. This CellaFlake became the foundational material used to create a range of products including eyeglasses frames, ashtrays, wristwatches, and artworks to hang.

The CellaFlake biopolymer is created through a series of processes and a cigarette butt processing formula. The CellaFlake is then formed into various products through molding, crafting, and more. The Kickyourbutt Project Team learned of this production process through discussion and by sharing each member’s knowledge of a variety of fields including architecture, visual communication design, manufacturing, etc.

The Kickyourbutt Project Team continues to push their creativity in designing products through a multifunctional and sustainable approach. For Onik, the sustainability aspect of the Kickyourbutt Project is the main focus in the design of their products. Not only are the Kickyourbutt Project’s products created with sustainable materials, there is also incredible consideration of their products’ long-term use to push their sustainability further and can be recycled further in the future.

Many elements of this project are familiar to the daily life of the public, from the accumulation of waste being used as a design material to the function of the end product. Even the end product designed for day-to-day use by the target consumers is visually rich as seen in its different types and colors. The team’s initiative to keep collaborating with fellow creative practitioners shows their deep appreciation of design. Furthermore, the name “kick your butt” with its wordplay has its own charm to the aimed target consumer group. Through collaboration and development of ideas, Kickyourbutt Project showcases the potential of design studios.